Social Work

CODE OF ETHICS OF SOCIAL WORKERS

WHAT IS A CODE OF CONDUCT / ETHICS?

The Code of conduct for social workers is a list of statements that describes the standards of professional conduct required of social workers when carrying out their daily activities.

|The code of ethics applies to social workers, student social workers and social auxiliary workers |

It guides all social workers when -

• conducting research;
• providing direct service;
• educating learners, performing administrative, supervisory, editorial, or consultative functions;
• being engaged in peer review or social policy;
• being an expert witness or
• performing any other role as a social work practitioner.

SA COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS:

• Recognises its responsibility to promote and ensure ethical behavior and attitudes on the part of all persons registered with it.
• Attempts to ensure ethical behavior and attitudes include –

|Noting down these principle/values and standards of conduct in the Code of Ethics; |
|Promoting them through education, peer modelling and consultation; |
|Developing and implementing methods to help social workers monitor the ethics of their behavior and attitudes; |
|Adjudicating complaints of unethical behavior and taking corrective action when warranted. |

PURPOSE OF THE CODE OF ETHICS:

1. It identifies core values on which social workers’ missions are based. 2. It summarises broad ethical principles that reflect the professions’ core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that are used to guide social workers. 3. It is designed to help social workers identify relevant considerations when their obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise. 4. It provides ethical standards according to which the general public can hold social workers accountable. 5. It orientates practitioners new to the field to social work’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. 6. It articulates standards that social workers themselves can use to assess whether their conduct is ethical.

GUIDING ETHICAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES:

|Social Justice |Competence |Respect for people’s worth, human rights, and dignity |
|Integrity |Professional responsibility |Show care and concern for others’ well-being |Service delivery |

GENERAL ETHICAL STANDARDS:

|1. |SOCIAL WORKER’S ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS THE PROFESSION |

Social workers have an obligation to –

1. Uphold the integrity of the profession 2. Prevent negligence in the carrying out of their duties 3. Not associating with dishonesty when doing their duties 4. Promote / facilitate research and evaluation 5. Provide education, training and development only in their areas of knowledge and competence 6. Maintain competency in the areas of service provision 7. Help incompetent colleagues 8. Comply with legislation, policies and procedures 9. Display registration certificate

|2. |SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS CLIENT SYSTEMS |

In their interactions with client systems, Social Workers have a responsibility to ensure the following: 1. Confidentiality – must be understood in terms of the right to privacy. This has 2 dimensions ie the right against intrusion (the right to keep certain information to yourself) and right to confidentiality (the right to maintain control over information provided to the social worker) 2. Professional Relationships – maintaining a truthful, understandable and transparent relationship with client systems ie.
|Communication with clients: |Using language that is reasonably understandable to clients; use of interpreters |
|Client self-determination: |Respect for the client’s right to decide |
|Inappropriate relationships: |Sexual relationships / Dual relationships / |
| |Exploitative relationships |

3. Third party requests for services - the social worker should clarify at the start of the service the nature of the relationship with each party – the risk of conflicting roles 4. Gifts and incentives – the swkr may accept gifts ONLY if it is within a context and by doing so the relationship is not exploitative. 5. Dealing with client’s money – not to administer a client’s money in an inefficient, irresponsible, or negligent manner. Keeping relevant records of these transactions. 6. Terminating the social worker–client relationship – terminating appropriately and not abandoning clients. 7. Advertising and Public statements – there are certain restrictions regarding advertising professional services.

|3. |SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS COLLEAGUES AND OTHER SOCIAL WORKERS |

1. Respect 2. Confidentiality 3. Interdisciplinary collaboration 4. Criticism and disputes involving colleagues 5. Seeking consultation 6. Referral of clients for services 7. Supersession (when another swkr assumes responsibility without informing the original worker)

|4. |SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN PRACTICE SETTINGS |

Rules relating to the course of conduct concerning an employer and a social work setting: 1. Providing competent and skilled supervision/management and consultation 2. Undertaking the performance evaluation of others in a fair / considerate manner in accordance with stated criteria. 3. Keeping accurate records 4. Establishing and maintaining accurate billing practices 5. Advocating for sufficient resources 6. Commitment to employers – legislation/policies/ procedures 7. Engaging in labour-management disputes

|5. |SOCIAL WORKERS’ ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE BROADER SOCIETY |

Rules relating to the course of conduct concerning the community: 1. Promoting general social development – from local to global levels and the empowerment of their environments. 2. Providing relevant professional services in public emergencies. 3. Engaging in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to resources, employment, services and opportunities.

|FAILURE TO COMPLY: |
|Subjected to inquiries in terms of the regulations regarding unprofessional conduct. |
|Actions include: a reprimand and/or warning; a fine; remedial action or supervision; time-limited or permanent cancellation of professional |
|practice registration |