The document discusses codes of ethics in social work. It provides background on the development of codes of ethics, beginning with the first code in the US in 1920. It defines what a code of ethics is and its purposes. The document then outlines the core values in social work like service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person. It discusses the ethical responsibilities of social workers to clients, colleagues, in professional practice, as professionals, to the profession, and of institutions. Overall, the document provides a comprehensive overview of laws, ethics and codes of conduct for social work.

1. PRESENTED BY :-
CHETAN SHARMA
M.PHIL.(PSW) 1ST YEAR
Laws and Ethics in Social work
Practice

2. Introduction
 Code of Ethics provides the foundation for social work
practice in every society. Several countries have
recognized social work as a profession and have drafted
country specific Code of Ethics.
 The first Code of Ethics for social workers was provided
by Mary Richmond in the US in 1920.
 Subsequently the National Association of Social Workers
(NASW) USA developed its Code of Ethics in 1960
which was revised as many as six times
(Reamer, 2006).

3.  Although the common trend in developing Code of Ethics
have been by the professional associations, in some
countries the regulatory body-usually a government
organization issues Code of Ethics.

4. Meaning of Code of ethics
 A code of ethics is a statement which expresses the primary
ethical values, obligations and goals of the profession.
 It is a commitment which serves to bear witness to our promise as
a profession to uphold the values and ethical obligations
expressed in the code. It gives definition to our commitment to
practice in ethical terms.
 A code of ethics lays out clearly the profession's values and
explains what they are in terms of what we ought to do in order to
protect and promote the public good, and what we must avoid
doing in order to prevent harm to the public.

5.  A code of ethics cannot guarantee ethical behavior.
 Moreover, a code of ethics cannot resolve all ethical issues or
disputes or capture the richness and complexity involved in
striving to make responsible choices within a moral community.
 Rather, a code of ethics set forth values, ethical principles, and
ethical standards to which professionals aspire and by which their
actions can be judged.
 Social worker’s ethical behavior should result from their personal
commitment to engage in ethical practice.

6. Need for ethical behavior in Social Work
 Social work is a problem solving profession.
 The social worker comes across varied and complex situations.
 Ethics help professionals to act morally in difficult situations.
 The need for such behavior in social work is important due to the
following reasons.
1. Social workers during their interaction with clients and their
significant others have to sensitive information.
2. Social workers are often in situations where their decisions can
cause serious damage to the client.

7. Continued…….
3. Social workers occupy positions of authority in governmental
and non governmental organizations.
4. Social workers are often in positions where they can allocate
resources.
5. Social workers have to preserve professional autonomy.

8. Purpose of Code of Ethics
 The NASW Code of Ethics serves six purposes:
 1. The Code identifies core values on which social work’s
mission is based.
 2. The Code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the
profession’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical
standards that should be used to guide social work practice.
 3. The Code is designed to help social workers identify relevant
considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical
uncertainties arise.

9. 4. The Code provides ethical standards to which the general
public can hold the social work profession accountable.
5. The Code socializes practitioners new to the field to social
work’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical
standards.

10. 6. The Code articulates standards that the social work professional
itself can use to assess whether social workers have engaged in
unethical conduct.
• NASW has formal procedures to adjudicate ethics complaints
filed against its members.
• In subscribing to this Code, social workers are required to
cooperate in its implementation, participate in NASW
adjudication proceedings, and abide by any NASW disciplinary
rulings for sanctions based on it

11. Values and Ethical Principles of Social work
 The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values.
 These core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession's
history, are the foundation of social work's unique purpose and perspective.
 The core values are:
1. Service to humanity.
2. Social justice.
3. Dignity and worth of the person.
4. Importance of human relationships.
5. Integrity
6. Competence.

12. Value - Service to Humanity
Ethical principles –
 Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to
address social problems.
 Social workers elevate service to others above self interest.
 Social workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to
help people in need and to address social problems.
 Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their
professional skills with no expectation of significant financial
return.

13. Value: Social Justice
 Ethical Principles: Social workers challenge social injustice.
Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on
behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of
people.
 Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on
issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms
of social injustice.
 These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge
about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity.
 Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information,
services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful
participation in decision making for all people.

14. Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person
 Ethical Principles: Social workers respect the inherent dignity
and worth of the person.
 Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful
fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic
diversity.
 Social workers promote clients’ socially responsible self-
determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity
and opportunity to change and to address their own needs.
 Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to
clients’ interests and the broader society’s interests in a socially
responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles,
and ethical standards of the profession.

15. Value: Importance of Human Relationships
 Ethical Principles: Social workers recognize the central
importance of human relationships.
 Social workers understand that relationships between and among
people are an important vehicle for change.
 Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process.
 Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a
purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the
well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations,
and communities.

16. Value: Integrity
 Ethical Principles:
 Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.
 Social workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission,
values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a
manner consistent with them.
 Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical
practices on the part of the organizations with which they are
affiliated.

17. Value: Competence
 Ethical Principles:
 Social workers practice within their areas of competence and
develop and enhance their professional expertise.
 Social workers continually strive to increase their professional
knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice.
 Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base
of the profession.

18. ETHICAL STANDARDS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Ethical responsibilities to clients;
2. Ethical responsibilities to colleagues;
3. Ethical responsibilities in professional practice;
4. Ethical responsibilities as professionals;
5. Ethical responsibilities to social work profession;
6. Ethical responsibilities of social work institutions.

19. Ethical responsibilities to clients
 Responsibility and commitment to client.
 Informed consent.
 Confidentiality and privacy.
 Maintaining Records.
 Physical contact and sexual relations.
 Interruption of services.
 Termination of services.

20. Responsibility and commitment to client.
 The primary responsibility of the professional is to
promote the well being of clients.
 Social workers must ensure the best interest of the clients
in the helping process while maintaining due regard to the
interests of others.

21. Informed consent
 Social workers will ensure that services are provided to the
client only in the context of a professional relationship and on
valid informed consent.
 Social workers must inform the client the time frame covered
by the consent.
 In informing the client, social workers must use clear and
simple language understandable to the client.
 The client must be informed about the purpose of the services,
benefits and risks involved, the cost involved (particularly in
the case of voluntary clients), reasonable alternatives and the
right of the client to refuse or withdraw consent.

22. Confidentiality and privacy
 Social workers must respect client’s right to
confidentiality and privacy.
 Social workers must be responsible in using the
information obtained during the helping process with third
party such as people who are close to the client and have
shared responsibility for the well being of the client.
 Social workers shall not take liberty with the client and
intrude unnecessarily on client’s privacy.

23. Maintaining Records
 Social workers must maintain records for future usage
involved in the helping process; for strengthening the
knowledge and skill base of the profession; for research
reports; educational purpose; and preparation of textbooks
and reference books.
 However, social workers will ensure that such
documentations will protect the identity of the client;
report only those aspects that are necessary for a
particular purpose by avoiding derogatory language.

24. Physical contact and sexual relations
 Keeping in view the values of cultural sensitivity,
importance of human relationships and the dignity and
worth of the person, social workers should not engage in
physical contact with clients.
 Social workers should under no circumstances engage in
sexual activities with previous, current and future clients
whether male, female.
 Social workers should not provide professional services to
individuals with whom they had prior sexual relationship.

25. Professional charges for services
 Social workers shall not charge any fee for professional
services rendered to involuntary clients, institutional
clients and clients referred by the agency where one is
employed.
 Social workers when charging fee from voluntary clients
must ensure that the fee charged are reasonable, fair,
affordable to the economic status of the client and
commensurate with the services provided.
 As far as possible social workers must set the fee at the
beginning of establishing professional relationship with
the clients

26. Interruption of services
 Keeping in view the value of responsibility and
commitment as well as loyalty to profession, social
workers must ensure continuity of services except in
unavoidable circumstances such as illness, disability and
any other emergency situation.
 Social workers must inform the clients their inability to
attend to them in unavoidable circumstances as early as
possible.
 Social workers shall make every effort not to frequently
interrupt services to the clients

27. Termination of services
 Social workers intending to discontinue the services to a
client for any reason must discuss the matter with the
client and those that are directly associated with the client
promptly without any delay.
 Social worker must discontinue the services and
professional relationship with the client when the goals of
helping process have been completed.

28. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO
COLLEAGUES
 Respect.
 Interdisciplinary collaboration.
 Dispute involving colleagues.
 Incompetence and impairment of colleagues.
 Unethical behavior of colleagues.
 Referral for services and consultation.
 Sexual harassment and sexual relationships.

29. Respect
 Social workers will respect the diverse life experience,
cultural differences, expertise and values of colleagues
that are different from their own.
 A social worker must be prudent in resolving conflicts
arising in relationship and all issues of professional nature
with a colleague in a respectful and proactive manner.
 Professional social workers are expected to accept
constructive criticism or comment on their practice or
conduct in a cordial manner.

30. Interdisciplinary collaboration
 Social workers shall relate to colleagues from social work and
other disciplines with respect and courtesy and work towards
promoting and expanding knowledge and skill base of the
profession.
 Social workers must cooperate with other social work
colleagues, colleagues from other disciplines and professions
as well as coworkers when such cooperation are found to be
beneficial to the client, to the institution and to the profession.
 Social workers will cooperate with colleagues from other
professions and disciplines to enhance the knowledge base,
theory, experience and skills of the profession of social work.

31. Dispute involving colleagues
 Social workers should avoid seeking benefits from the
disputes (if any) between the colleagues and the employer
keeping in view the values of integrity, dignity and worth
of the person and importance of human relationship.
 Social workers should not take advantage of disputes
between clients and colleagues.
 It is inappropriate for social workers to criticize
colleagues during the helping process for any reason
including the intension of projecting the self before the
client.

32. Incompetence and impairment of colleagues
 When social workers who have direct knowledge about
colleague’s incompetence or impairment as a result of
mental health difficulties, personal problems including
substance abuse, and other psychosocial distress, the
professional must consult with that colleague and extent
assistance to take appropriate remedial measures.
 When a social worker is of the opinion that the
incompetence of a colleague is not in the best interest of
the profession and well being of the clients, the worker
has the duty and responsibility to discuss the matter with
the colleagues so that remedial measures are sought to
address such incompetence.

33. Unethical behaviour of colleagues
 When social workers who believe that their colleagues
have acted unethically, they should volunteer to discuss
their concerns with such colleagues in the best interest of
the profession and its ethical values and principles.
 When social workers find that their colleagues are
unjustly charged with unethical behaviours, the
professionals must assist such colleagues by defending
them.

34. Referral for services and consultation
 When social workers feel that their interventions in the
helping process is not yielding desired results, they must
consider referring the client to other professionals who are
known to have specialized knowledge and competence to
handle such cases.
 When social workers feel that further consultations are
needed with other colleagues to help clients, social
workers should explore such opportunities keeping in
view the best interest of the clients.

35. Sexual harassment and sexual relationships
 Social work teachers and practitioners who are engaged in
supervising students at the training institutes or agency
should not involve in sexual activities of any nature with
the students, trainees, supervisees, or other colleagues
over whom they exercise professional authority.
 Social workers should avoid sexual relationships with
colleagues when there are chances of conflict of interest.
 When a social worker anticipates getting involved in
sexual relationship with a colleague, the worker must
transfer all professional responsibilities to avoid conflict
of interest

36. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN PROFESSIONAL
PRACTICE
 Education consultation and training.
 Performance evaluation and recommendation.
 Client transfer and record keeping.

37. Education consultation and training
 Only those social workers who have strictly undertaken
studies of theory and practicum courses in social work
and have successfully completed BSW/MSW or other
degrees/diplomas awarded by a recognized University
which has the approval of the University Grants
Commission shall undertake professional practice of
social work, as teachers, consultants and practitioners.

38. Performance evaluation and
recommendation
 Social workers who are involved in evaluating the
performance of other colleagues of the fraternity such as
adjudication of dissertation for award of M.Phil/Ph.D and
evaluation of performance appraisal as well as
publications for promotion in career must do the same in a
responsible and fair manner.
 Social workers who have the responsibility of selecting
candidates for various programmes of study in social
work must strictly follow clearly stated criteria.

39. Client transfer and record keeping
 When a new client is referred or approaches the social worker,
the social worker should discuss with the client whether
consultations with the previous service provider (colleague or
agency) would be in the best interest of the client.
 While accepting or transferring clients, social workers must
ensure that all necessary information pertaining to the clients
are shared so that continuity of the services would be smooth
and beneficial to the clients. However, social workers should
ensure that only those informations that are directly relevant
to the delivery of services are shared.

40. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS
PROFESSIONALS
 Professional competence.
 Private business and dishonesty.
 Misrepresentation.

41. Professional competence
 Social workers shall accept employment or consultation
based on possessing required qualification in social work
as well as specific competence in the prescribed area.
 Social workers shall remain proficient in the professional
practice and continue to improve knowledge and skill
base by routinely reviewing professional literature and
participating in continuing education.

42. Private business and dishonesty
 Social workers should not permit their interest in private
business of any nature to interfere with the fulfillment of
their professional responsibilities, both as teachers and as
practitioners.
 Keeping in view the core values of social work, social
workers shall not associate themselves with fraud,
deception or dishonesty.

43. Misrepresentation
 Social workers shall not make any form of
misrepresentation to the clients or to the employer and the
general public.
 Social workers must ensure that their representations to
the clients, employers and the public of their
qualifications, experiences, authorship, and other
credentials are accurate.

44. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO
SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION
 Loyalty and integrity to the profession.
 Social workers must relentlessly work towards improving the
knowledge and skill base of the profession.
 Social worker must work towards maintenance and setting high
standards of professional practice keeping in view the values of
social work.
 Social workers must ensure that their practice environment will
provide the much needed privacy, confidentiality and security for
the clients.

45. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF
SOCIAL WORK INSTITUTIONS
 Administrative transparency.
 Financial transparency.
 Ensuring credibility and high standards.

46. Administrative transparency
 Social workers employed as administrators in social work
educational institutions as directors, principals, heads of
departments and field work coordinators must ensure
transparency in their activities keeping in view the core
values of social work and in particular the value of
integrity.
 Social work administrators must ensure that every form of
discrimination is avoided in the administration of the
educational institutions, agency and organization in which
they are employed or own.

47. Financial transparency
 Social work institutions, agencies and organizations must
be transparent in all financial dealings keeping the value
of integrity.
 It is important for institutions, agencies and organizations
to be accountable for the money they receive, file (submit)
annual returns with the income tax department and ensure
that auditing is done regularly.

48. Ensuring credibility and high standards
 Social work institutions, agencies and organizations
should strive for ensuring credibility and set high practice
standards.
 Social work institutions, agencies and organizations must
set examples by providing quality services by employing
qualified, experienced and deserving service providers.

49. PROBLEMS FACED BY THE SOCIAL
WORKERS IN ETHICAL DECISION MAKING
Crisis of Values in Indian Society
 Many social scientists have commented on the crises of values in
Indian society.
 Values of honesty, propriety, concern for others, accountability
among government officials and corporates, are seen as lacking in
Indian society.
 According to some, the crises are caused because we have
forgotten our ancient values.

50.  For others, crises of value have been caused because Indian
society is still undergoing the modernization process.
 Social workers have to live and work in such situations and are
naturally affected.

51. Voluntary Associations as a Money-making
Venture
 The availability of large funds from international and national
donors as well as local and government sources have lead to the
setting up of numerous voluntary agencies.
 Many of these agencies claim to work for the people but the real
purpose seems to be to make money.
 Corruption, misappropriation of funds, lack of accountability and
improper accounting procedures are some of the allegations that
are made against these agencies.
 In the process, the very purpose and ideals of setting up VOs and
NGOs get defeated.

52. Lack of Common Perspectives in Social Work
Related Issues
 In many ways Indian society is in a state of transition.
 Certain issues related to individual autonomy, collective
orientation, individual rights and responsibilities are difficult to
resolve in any society.
 Indian society, caught between traditional and modern forces,
faces a number of problems related to such issues.
 Also different groups are influenced by Westernization to varying
degrees.
 All these cause problems for social workers in interpersonal
relationships

53. Powerlessness of the Social Worker
 The social worker, in many cases, intends to do the work with
propriety but lacks the power to do so.
 There are other institutions and authorities on which the social
worker has to depend on while facing difficult situations.
 Their methods of functioning are very often found to be different
from that of the social worker.
 Sometimes there are problems of lack of accountability, the
negligence of staff, vested interests and i even the presence of
criminals in welfare institutions.

54.  The social worker has no choice but to go along with these as he/
she has no power to change the situation at best, he/ she can
achieve minimal changes.
 Anything beyond this involves risk i and not every one can afford
to go to that extent

55. Lack of Support From the Civil Society
 In India the social work profession has not gained much
recognition from the government and the society at large.
 The misdeeds of a few social workers, many of them not even
professionals, (Sadly, Indian society does not distinguish
between; professional and voluntary social workers) have
contributed to the loss of image and the moral authority of social
workers.
 People suspect social workers of having ulterior motives when
they take up social issues.
 All these have resulted in lack of public support for the social
worker and weakened his/ her power to achieve social Change.

56. Lack of Professional Bodies and Professional
Support
 The existence of a professional body can give the muck needed
training and support for social work professionals.
 Secondly, if any social worker is being harassed for legitimately
raising relevant issues the professional body can give him/ her
support.
 This will enable social workers to take up public causes without
fear.

57. Lack of Importance Given to Studying and
Discussing Professional Ethics
 While all social work educators consider social work ethics to be
important, it is given secondary importance in the curriculum.
 Students frequently consider it to be idealistic, rather than
something, which should be practiced in the field.
 In fact, social work syllabus of many universities in India do not
have ethics as a component for classroom teaching.

58. Conclusion
 There is no end of adverse situations in our society and in our
profession as well.
 So we should imbibe all these ethical standards and principles in
our day to day practice.
 Not just for professional settings, we should follow such
principles in our day to day life also (according to
circumstances).
 So that we can evolve as a better human being as well.