Values & Ethics
Values & Ethics
Within this essay I will look at my own personal and professional development in relation to the case study of Mrs Begum, a British South Asian women aged 79 who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. Although I recognise that there are many more values that could be explored I have chosen the following values to discuss; respect, self-determination and empowerment. I will also explore anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory values in terms of age, disability and race as they are all included within the case study. I will analyse my learning in regards to personal and professional values and the reading undertaken to support my learning. Throughout this essay I will identify areas of development personally and professionally in order to use values successfully within social work practice.
To date I have learnt about social work values through various sources, how they apply and how they can be implemented. I will outline some of these sources and their value guidelines which will highlight the values that I have chosen to discuss in relation to Mrs Begum 's case study.
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has a Code of Ethics which every social worker who becomes a BASW member is required to be committed to. This Code of Ethics comprises of five basic principles; social justice, human dignity and worth, integrity, service to humanity and competence. These principles all include key social work values such as ‘respect the diversity of the societies in which we practice’, ‘respect, promote and support people’s dignity and right to make their own choice and decisions’, ‘uphold and promote human dignity and well-being’ BASW (2012) [online]. The Code of Ethics is there to ensure that service users receive a quality service. It does this by providing social workers with a guideline and checklist to enable them to provide the best service possible. As Parrott (2011, p.17) states ‘The purpose of social work values is to
Within this essay I will look at my own personal and professional development in relation to the case study of Mrs Begum, a British South Asian women aged 79 who has been diagnosed with vascular dementia. Although I recognise that there are many more values that could be explored I have chosen the following values to discuss; respect, self-determination and empowerment. I will also explore anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory values in terms of age, disability and race as they are all included within the case study. I will analyse my learning in regards to personal and professional values and the reading undertaken to support my learning. Throughout this essay I will identify areas of development personally and professionally in order to use values successfully within social work practice.
To date I have learnt about social work values through various sources, how they apply and how they can be implemented. I will outline some of these sources and their value guidelines which will highlight the values that I have chosen to discuss in relation to Mrs Begum 's case study.
The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has a Code of Ethics which every social worker who becomes a BASW member is required to be committed to. This Code of Ethics comprises of five basic principles; social justice, human dignity and worth, integrity, service to humanity and competence. These principles all include key social work values such as ‘respect the diversity of the societies in which we practice’, ‘respect, promote and support people’s dignity and right to make their own choice and decisions’, ‘uphold and promote human dignity and well-being’ BASW (2012) [online]. The Code of Ethics is there to ensure that service users receive a quality service. It does this by providing social workers with a guideline and checklist to enable them to provide the best service possible. As Parrott (2011, p.17) states ‘The purpose of social work values is to
Bibliography: Beckett, C and Maynard, A. (2010). Values & Ethics in Social Work, An Introduction. London: SAGE Butler, R and Lewis M Clarke, C (2000). Social Work Ethics: politics, principals and practice. Basingstoke: MacMillan Press Collins (2003) Dominelli, L. (2009). Contested Entities with Enduring Qualities, in, R, Adam, L, Dominelli, and M, Payne (Eds). Critical Practice in Social Work, 2eds. Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan. Parrott, L. (2011). Values & Ethics in Social Work Practice, 2eds. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Thompson, N. (2009). Understanding Social Work Preparing for Practice, 3eds. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. Accessed [21 January 2013] The British Association of Social Workers, (2012) BASW [Internet] The National Occupation Standards for Social Work, (2002) The TOPSS [Internet] Available from: www.hpc-uk.org/.../100032AAItem6-enc2c-nationaloccupationalstan