Introduction
Law has come to play a very important part in social work practice. It can be said that the understanding of law underpins and provides duties and power, whilst understanding the statutory legal requirements is essential for effective, fair, anti-discriminatory practice (Brammer 2007). Due to the shear amount of laws and legislation that have been passed or updated over the last decade, the role of the social worker, metaphorically speaking could be said to have become somewhat of a chameleon, forever adapting to their legal environment, whilst trying hard to remain true to the traditional values of the role of a social worker. It is this conflict between law and social work values that will be analyzed in this paper. From looking at the values that underpin the modern day social worker and then looking at some of the main legislation relating to adult services such as the Mental Health Act 2007, the Community Care Act 1996, Mental Capacity Act 2005 the relationship between these Acts’ and how they sit with social work values will then be discussed.
1.1 The Key Values and Ethics of the Social Worker
Values and ethics are sets of beliefs and principles that have an important role to play in terms of providing guide to action, offering a framework for making sense of a given situation in practice, providing a yardstick by which to judge the appropriateness of a given action whilst also sustaining a social worker through difficult, discouraging times (Thompson
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics was established as a core value guide for Social Workers when providing services to clients or working with colleagues. The mission of a social worker is to enhance the wellbeing of people through an array of services. On a daily basis social workers are faced with making ethnical decisions and using professional judgement in lives of people. This paper will compare and contrast a social worker personal core values with the NASW core values comparing and contrasting the two. Also, this paper will also look at different vignette and ethical dilemmas that are in conflict with the NASW core values. Moreover, the paper will provide pros and cons for each professional course of actions
Ethical theories are however debatable and usually mean different things to different people. It is therefore essential for social workers not to base their decisions solely on these theories, but make use of Codes of practice when faced with ethical dilemmas. Codes of practise are there so service users and carers are informed and know what to expect from social workers and hence there will always be trust between service user and client. According to Banks, values are regarded as those beliefs people regard as worthy or valuable (Banks, 2012).Some values are personal, yet some are culturally/ societally shared. Our personal values form during personal and social development; also past and present experiences influence them. Ethics is that which society considers as right, yet values are
Explain a range of ethical and moral dilemmas which social workers and the team may encounter when dealing with this care – look at case study on the assignment brief.
In the human services field it’s likely workers will have contact with the court and legal system. The differences in the human services profession and the legal systems can become challenging for workers. Such as dissimilarities in prerogatives and values, prove this challenge for human services workers (Kennedy, Richards, & Leiman, 2013). Human service work practice requires an understanding of social policy’s impact in specific areas. As practitioners grasping how theories concerning fundamental principals of social policy have implications for human services agencies and for the individuals who are the users of the services (Carson & Kerr, 2014). This paper will discuss a case observed at Beenleigh Magistrates Courthouse. It will also look at the multiple roles and responsibilities of Human Service professionals appearing in the legal system, as well as the importance of ethical writing and possible tensions between the legal system and human services profession.
IntroductionThis paper discusses and explores both case studies in order to find the powers and duties a social worker acting in a statutory capacity might exercise in these cases, how might they be exercised and how might wider principles of welfare law impact on their decision making? It also analyses the tensions and dilemmas that may exist, referring to specific legislative provisions, and identify how anti-oppressive practice might influence the resolution of these case studies. It also demonstrates an ability to study relevant law in social work practice and have a critical and analytical understanding of the service delivery standards and powers and duties of social workers, demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of key
The core values of social work are service to humans, desire to improve lives and understanding of needs of their clients and supporting them to the best of the social worker’s ability by following strict guidelines set by General Social Care Council (GSCC) Code of Conduct. Social justice is another value set to identify, help and protect the vulnerable clients, e.g. individuals with mental health illnesses, children, elderly people and victims of domestic violence that could be subject to either direct or indirect
My role while working with Sam is to be a teacher and an enabler. As a teacher I will be educating Sam about the benefits of joining AA and how it will help to better his life situations and to reach his goals. (Velten, 1996). I also will help Sam enroll himself in AA, which will help him to heal on not only a physical level, but also on an emotional level. It will also connect him to other resources and others that are experiencing some of the same struggles as he is. (Velten, 1996, p.105). I will also be teaching him how drinking can contribute to homelessness. (Polcin, 2016). I also want to have a discussion with Sam; about how his diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder can impact his day-to-day life. (Wanklyn et al., 2016).
Social work values and ethics revolve around the mission of the social work profession. The guiding principle is to enrich the human condition by assisting clientele to meet their needs and empowering them to make changes in their life. Social work values and ethics are constructed for the micro, mezzo, and macro levels of interventions assisting the vulnerable populations in pursuit of social policy changes and social justice.
Alot of people do not notice the mammoth problem drug abuse is in the United States, and how fast it is increasing in our society. Billions of dollars are spent each year to combat drug treatment but more are spent on buying and selling narcotics. Many people think they
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) lists three ‘values’ in its ‘Code of Ethics.’ (2011). Human rights, social justice, and professional integrity. Some authors, such as Thompson (pp124-147. 2015), and Walker (pp21-23. 2011), list more, but all of them agree on the three listed in the ‘Code of Ethics.’ Deciding on which one is most important to myself becomes difficult because they are all integrated to some degree.
As a social worker, we are essentially given the opportunity to utilize our past and personal experiences, educational background, and diverse relationships to make a difference in countless people’s lives. Whether we choose to dedicate ourselves to practicing micro or macro social work, we can influence the outcomes of social policies, assist clients with obtaining basic necessities, or change a person’s thought processes by applying psychosocial theories as necessary. However, we are obligated to pay close attention to the ways in which we interact with our assigned clients, administer and assess outcomes of therapeutic interventions, and do what we think will ultimately benefit our client’s well-being. Considering that a Master’s in Social Work is a professional position, general practitioner’s guidelines must be followed; hence the purpose of the NASW Code of Ethics, the CSWE Educational Policy and Standards, and precise HIPAA adherence.
Values are beliefs and standards that an individual holds. In social work, many decisions will be based upon the values a generalist
Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with life`s challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1).
This essay will explore what it means to be a professional social worker and what the term ‘social work’ entails in contemporary England. Then, it will briefly focus on the history of social work regulation as well as exploring how ‘personal values’ and ‘professional values’ impact on social work practice and also explain how professional standards, codes, values and ethics are relevant to social work practice and their relevance to service users and carers.
School social workers work within schools to provide a variety of social, emotional, and mental health services to students to support overall success. The intent of this research is to evaluate the significance of having a school social worker available to general education students within the Owatonna High School setting and to examine the gaps in services that may have appeared since removal of this position in 2009. Various related studies were examined to outline a range of ways in which school social workers are used to support student success. During this study, a total of seven employees of the Owatonna School District were interviewed regarding school social work. As a whole the participants identified a large number of gaps