Competency 2: Ethical Practice

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

They understand the value in ethical and professional behavior and the impact it has on their work. Social workers must maintain the highest form of ethical practice because of their intense work in the community. Social workers use NASW Code of Ethics to help them make the most ethical decision because they often hold a lot of weight. Social workers also know how to differentiate their personal beliefs even when in difficult situations. They do not mix their values as a social worker with their values as a person and therefore do not let their beliefs affect their work. Social workers understand the importance of maintaining professional behavior because it can affect their

The importance of respecting the client’s dignity and worth is so that he/she can have their concerns attended to and understood. This attention to their concerns assures the client’s well-being by feeling respected allowing an easier way to

Competency 8 is the intervention with individuals, groups, families, and communities. A significant component of social work is the intervention on behalf of individuals, groups, families, and communities as well as the collaboration with other professionals in the field to accomplish valuable and useful practice goals. Competency 9 assesses practice with individuals, groups, families, and communities. For the advancement of policy, practice, and efficiency of service delivery, social workers must have an understanding of outcome processes and utilize evidence to explain, monitor,

Student affairs appears to be the profession for me because I want to work in an environment that challenges both the people I work with, and myself. During my undergraduate career I had the pleasure of working with a variety of advisors and mentors who saw something in me that I, at the time, had not discovered within myself. I was often challenged to push myself a little farther and a little harder in order to accomplish goals that I had struggled to set for myself. Once I discovered that student affairs was a profession I knew I wanted to pursue opportunities that would allow me to help shape student experiences in the same way mine had once been shaped.

Foster care is a program that is beautiful and lifesaving. The government has worked hard to make it an opportunity for children to access a better life and a brighter future. However, it is also a program riddled with flaws and injustices of many kind. Many have been denied a support system once they graduate out of foster care. Some entered foster care after suffering from sexual abuse, yet had dismissed court cases because they did not have enough physical evidence to properly accuse their abuser. Another major problem riddling the foster care system is the lack of mental health care for children entering the system that have been through intense amounts of trauma. This issue is very prominent, yet it receives little recognition from the

A career in Social Work requires conviction to personal values that reflect and uphold the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Professional ethics are the foundation of social work, as the trade has an innate obligation to endorse ethical principles and basic values to advocate for the wellness of others. The core values adopted by all social workers, as distinguished by NASW, are service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. As a Clinical Social Worker, I will honor the NASW Code of Ethics in addition to my personal values of respect, self determination, responsibility, motivation, and wisdom. My personal values complement the NASW Code of Ethics and will resonate in my work as a social worker.

We advocate for everyone to have the opportunity to reach their full potential in life. Social workers uphold dignity and worth of the Person by treating people with respect no matter their differences or circumstances. We also support and empower self-determination so the clients are able to meet their own needs. Social workers understand and stress the importance of human relationships by strengthening relationships and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (NASW Code of Ethics). Integrity is behaving in a trustworthy manner by being honest, responsible, and upholding the social work profession mission, values, and ethical principles/standards. This is something we must be able to uphold in both our profession and personal lives. Lastly, social workers must be competent in the profession in order to be effective. Social workers should continually seek professional development to increase their knowledge and skills. Since change is inevitable, professional development should be an ongoing practice for social

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has written a code of ethics that serves many purposes. The main purpose is to identify the core ethics and values that provide the foundation for the profession. It details six basic principles for social workers to follow: service, social justice, dignity and worth, human relationships, integrity, and competence (National Association of Social Workers, 1999). The code acts as an ethical guide for students, and those professionals just

My understanding of the social work profession and its core values is that social workers are caregivers, they provide assistance to people in need, and they address social problems. The social worker goal is the improvement of society to ameliorate the lives of individuals in need. The social work profession mission is to enhance the well-being of people and to assist them in meeting their basic needs, with particular emphasis on the needs of the poor, and the vulnerable individual. The Social Work profession has six core values. These core values are the foundation of the social work profession. The social worker incorporates these core values into his daily practices. Service to others is one of the fundamental values of social work. Social workers goal is serving others and putting the needs of their clients ahead of their own. Social justice is another core value of social work. Social workers aim at improving the lives of the disadvantaged, vulnerable people who are less fortunate or unable to advocate for themselves. Social workers understand the essential value of every human life, regardless of ethnic background, cultural differences or religious beliefs. Their goal is to respect the dignity and worth of every person. Another key value of social work is integrity. The social workers conduct themselves in a trustworthy, honest, and responsible manner at all times. Competence is another important core value of the social work profession. The

The commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of social work due to the effect it can have on the quality of the service offered to those who engage with us. Through group discussions in our foundations of social work practice I have become extremely ethically aware and now will always seek to ascertain and respect, as far as possible, each individual’s preferences, wishes and involvement in decision making. From discussions with my fellow classmates I have learnt to strive to respect and uphold the values and principles of the profession by making sure I promote and work towards the code of ethics wherever possible. This in turn enables me act in a reliable, honest and trustworthy manner having worked closely with service users in a professional setting and learned of their good and bad experiences with practitioners through the service user experience we undertook in class. I believe I am now in a good position to apply the social work ethical principles to my professional practice, in a way that seeks to empower my service users and enable me to emulate the best practice. In addition from reading social work journals and staying on top of news regarding the profession more generally I am knowledgeable about the value base of social work as a profession .

Social work exists to provide effective social services to individuals, families, groups, communities and society so that social functioning may be enhanced and the quality of life improved. (Zastrow, 2013) Assessing my strengths and weaknesses as a social worker helps me see what I must maintain, and what I must improve on to become the kind of social worker that educates and inspires. The skills I identify with in my practice are; empathy, identifying strengths, and respect. These skill sets are vitally important to ensure clients receive the best possible outcome.

One of the strengths of this syllabus is the learning outcomes of the course based on the educational policy and accreditation standards [EPAs] of the Council of Social Work Education [CSWE]. The presentation of EPAs competencies, which implicates what students will be able to do if they complete the course successfully, helps construct students’ perception of the course’s purpose in the preparation for their future as social workers. The syllabus also does a good job when connecting social work core competencies with practice behaviors and related assignments. In short, at the first two pages, the syllabus would help students perceive clearly the objectives and expectations they could set up for themselves during the

Patient advocacy is encrypted within nursing codes of conduct, as well as codes of ethics and competency standards governing practice, suggesting it is a professional requirement of the nurses role (Bu & Wu, 2008; Cole et al., 2014; Griffith& Tengnah, 2014; Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), 2015; The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2008). It is recognised however nurse-led advocacy is complex and a risky component of nursing practice. Rather than a single event it is integral to the process of assessment, communication, responding, protecting and whistleblowing activities in nursing practice (Vaartio et al., 2006). Advocacy is not without ambiguity of interpretation and elicits varied perspectives especially given nursing is constantly evolving to take account of new knowledge and research (Cole et al., 2014; Kibble, 2012; Welchman et al. 2005). Advocacy is acknowledged to be nurses’ professional responsibility for and active involvement in supporting patient’s wishes and needs (Vaartio et al., 2006).

The National Association of Social Work (NASW) has identified a set of values that all social workers must consider during the course of their work (NASW, 2008). Social work values are broadly covered when you define social work as being a profession of aiding those in need and addressing oppression. Helping those in need directly relates to the value of supporting the needs of others. The definition also addresses the importance of bringing awareness to oppression. This relates to the values of addressing injustice, individuality and promoting harmony. On a broader perspective, all social workers are encouraged to continually pursue knowledge in their area and maintain ethical practices. Values have the purpose of ensuring that helpers always strive for what is best for the client. Manning (1997) points out that “the power to intervene in people’s lives carries