Social Care Environment: Ethical Practice

When working in a social care environment, ethical practice plays a major part in every aspect of your work. This essay will explain what ethical practise is, how it affects the social care industry, and some examples as to how it could play an important role in daily work.
Ethical practise is difficult to properly define. “Caseworkers, supervisors, and other staff should be guided by an overarching set of ethical standards that inform their decision-making and conduct when working with children, youth, and families. Relationships with clients and colleagues should be based on mutual respect, commitment, and honesty, and should take into consideration cultural differences and the right to privacy.” (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2003, Childwelfare.gov)
In Ireland, The Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers bye-law 2011 which “specifies the standards of ethics, conduct and performance expected of registered social workers” divides ethical practice for social workers into five categories:
• Respect for inherent dignity and worth of persons
• Pursuit of social justice
• Integrity of Professional practice
• Confidentiality in professional practice
• Competence in professional practice
(Government of Ireland, 2011, p7)
The Irish Association of Social Care Workers have their own set of ethical guidelines, including: must be honest, trustworthy, reliable and dependable while giving precedence to professional responsibility over personal interest in the discharge of duty and must present themselves for duty in a fit state mentally and physically. However, the guidelines set in the Code of and Professional Conduct and ethics for social workers bye-law has a more in depth approach, and more stable guideli...

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