Personal and professional values and atttudes

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School

Western Sydney University *

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Course

4692

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by GeneralGuineaPigPerson936

Personal and professional values and atttudes, Ethical behaviour Personal and professional values and attitudes As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we have developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community and the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense of who we are and how we view the world. As community services workers, we are often working with people who are vulnerable and/or who may live a lifestyle that mainstream society views as being different or unacceptable. If, as community services workers, we are to provide a service that meets the needs of our target groups and helps them to feel empowered, we need to be aware of our own personal values, beliefs and atitudes and be prepared to adopt the professional values of our industry—and not impose our own ideas on our clients. Personal values defned What is a value? A value may be defned as something that we hold dear—those things/qualities which we consider to be of worth. Activity 1: What are some of my values? Write down some of the values you hold in the following areas listed below. 1 Manners—are they old fashioned? Do they hold a high or low value in your life? 2 Pride—are there things you need to be proud of? Do you value pride or do you value humility? 3 Clothes—how important are clothes at work? At play? 4 Behaviour on the sports feld—what behaviours do you value? Sportsmanship? Winning? Team spirit? Individuality? Values and Ethics in Community Work Page 1 of 22 Figure 1: We need to be aware of our own personal values, beliefs and atttudes Activity 2: Sources of personal values Think of a value that you have learnt from each of these sources. Source Example of one of my values learnt from this source family workplace significant life events music technology major historical events peers

educatonal insttutons religion media culture Activity 3: Dominant values table The following is a list of common dominant values in Australian society. Tick the values that apply to you and then select the 10 most important values you tcked and rank them. (1 = most important; 10 = least important) Value Applies to me Rank order Value Applies to me Rank order Being independent Being health conscious Being glamorous Being fnancially secure Being powerful Being there for family Being my own boss Being there for friends Being a leader Being confdent Being a follower Being a good parent Being recognised as an expert Being a good partner Doing what is expected of me Having a good income Helping others Being optimistic understand the impact of our personal value systems on our work, and the incorporation of professional values into our value system. It is an essental part of the learning journey. Activity 4: Identifying the impact of your beliefs and values on work Write down what some of your values and beliefs are on the issues listed below. What impact could these values and beliefs have on how you could work with clients? Which situations would present you with the greatest challenges (i. what are the beliefs and values for you that are being challenged by the clients’ behaviours)?

Remember to write down what you honestly think and feel (not what you think you should say) as the development of your true awareness is essental. Your responses on many of these issues may be confictng—that’s OK and quite normal. Issue (could represent a client behaviour) My values/beliefs Sterilisation of people with an intellectual disability People with an intellectual disability having babies The Disability Support Pension People with a mental illness living in the community Carer’s Allowance Respite care Older people having their driver’s licence Issue (could represent a client behaviour) My values/beliefs People with an intellectual disability having sex Protectve parents of a person with a disability Women who stay with violent partners Parents who abuse / neglect their children People with a disability being on management committees Taking into account personal values and beliefs One of the responsibilites of workers is that we do not impose our own values and beliefs on the people we work with. That is, that we don’t provide optons and services based on what we feel is right, but that we work with people in relation to what is right for them. We should always remember that it is their life and only they should make decisions about how they should live their life. The best way to ensure that we don’t impose our values and beliefs is it to be aware of what our values and beliefs are. Professional values What would you consider to be the values and attitudes that are critcal for someone who works in the community sector to have? It is generally accepted in the industry that, to be effectve, workers must have the following values and attitudes as a basis to their work practce:  non-judgmental attitude (not judging someone based on their appearance or behaviour)  acceptance (acceptng someone for who they are and not trying to change them into what you think they should be)  client self-determination (helping clients to make their own decisions based on who they are and their values, beliefs and views on life)

The Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA) CODE OF ETHICS 1. INTRODUCTION The welfare and community worker is a person who, through professional training and field education, has the requisite values, attitudes, knowledge and skills to work autonomously, or with a team, in a social welfare agency or program intended to promote, relieve or restore the social functioning of individuals, families, social groups or larger communities. The welfare and community worker as a professional practitioner in the field of welfare and community work is concerned to promote the worth and well being of all individuals regardless of racial origin, sex, age or social status or other individual differences. The professional behaviour and practice of the welfare and community worker are aimed at maximizing the human potential and worth of all persons. Conduct opposed to the full recognition of human dignity and well being for all persons within the welfare worker's professional practice shall be considered improper and unacceptable to the welfare and community work profession Welfare and community workers are concerned with issues of social justice and equity for clients including access to quality services and the opportunity for maximum client participation in service delivery. 2. Principles 2 Every human being, regardless of racial origin, age, sex, beliefs, and socio- economic status, has a right to maximise his/her potential providing it does not infringe upon the rights of others. 2 Every society has an obligation to provide for and deal equitably with all its members and to make extra provision for those persons who by reasons of disability or misfortune are disadvantaged. 2 The welfare and community worker in professional practice has an obligation to utilise all available skills and knowledge to promote the well being of individuals, groups and communities. 2 The welfare and community worker has a professional obligation to give clients all knowledge, information and skills, which will assist clients, and client groups realise their maximum human potential. 2. The welfare and community worker as a practitioner within complex social structures has an obligation to safeguard the human value of all persons encountered in practice. 3. Responsibilities to Clients and Client Groups The welfare and community worker is placed in a unique relationship to other persons because of employment and profession. Obligations arise from that relationship - to safeguard the dignity of the client, to maintain the integrity of the practitioner and to recognise the value and worth of all persons involved in the welfare work practice. 3 Confidentiality - The welfare and community worker shall regard all information concerning clients disclosed in the course of practice as confidential, except where: a. with the client's permission referrals are to be made and other professional consultation is sought; b. failure to disclose information would breach the terms of the welfare worker's employment (such exceptions must be notified to the client) 3 Accountability - In exercising certain powers and using information, the welfare and community worker has an accountability to both the employing agency and to clients. However, special accountability to clients in preserving their dignity and autonomy is acknowledged. 3 Respect - The welfare and community worker has an obligation to

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