Social Work Ethics

2.2.1 SOCIAL WORK TRAINING AND CODE OF ETHICS

Social work profession has grown considerable since its inception. Having had begun undefined and unorganised, the profession has today developed to a distinct field with its own philosophy, knowledge base, competencies and conducts. The profession owes its remarkable development to education, which played a vital role in defining, validating and advancing the social work discipline (Yuen, 2007).

Social work education and training is today vital foundation for the profession. There are currently three levels of education and training in social work profession: baccalaureate, masters and doctorate. The demand of education in the United States came about from practitioners, the communities, and the philanthropic agencies and the federal government that employed social workers and required competent services for its clients (Dulmus & Sowers, 2012).

Social workers need training and expertise in a wide range of areas addresses effectively the multiple, complex transactions between people and their environments (Zastrow, 2009). Social work training teaches students how to apply acquired theoretic knowledge in assisting clients

Having considered the requisite to take into account context-specific realities, and the ambiguities surrounding social work education and practice at their General Assemble in Adelaide Australia, the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), in July 2004 adopted Global Standards for the Education and Training of Social Workers Education and Training of Social Workers. The adopted document details nine sets of standards in respect of the following programme curricula including fieldwork; core curricula; professional staff; social work students; structure, administration, governance and resources; cultural diversity; social work values and ethics (IFSW,