INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL TRIBAL UNIVERSITY,

AMARKANTAK VILLAGE- LALPUR,

Assignment -1
Topic: Importance of Ethics in Social Work
Date: 05/04/2021

Submitted to,
Dr. Krishnamani Bhagabati
Asst, Prof. Dept. of Social Work,
IGNTU Amarkantak
Submitted by:
Justin Jacob
1st MSW
IGNTU Amarkantak
Introduction

The primary aim of social work is to improve people's well-being and assist them in meeting
their basic human needs, with an emphasis on the needs and empowerment of people who are
marginalized, oppressed, or living in poverty. Ethics are important in every field, but I would
suggest that they are particularly important in Social Work professions. As a postgraduate
social work student, the learning from both classroom and field has shaped my perspective on
problems and how I approach working with clients.

As a future social worker, I know that importance of ethics in social work practice. That is
why having a code of ethics and a collection of guiding principles to fall back on when
dealing with morally ambiguous issues is critical.

Importance of Ethics in Social Work

Every day, social workers stand up for human rights and justice and give voice to unheard
and marginalized populations. They contribute to bettering individuals’ lives, and by doing
so, they improve society as a whole. Social workers are employed by nonprofits, the
government, and private practices. In recent years, various professional associations in social
work and regulatory bodies worldwide have engaged in ambitious efforts to draft and
implement comprehensive ethics guidelines, standards, and education. For a variety of
complex reasons, the social work profession in India has lagged behind developments in
many other nations. The purpose of this article is to assess the current status of social work
ethics in India, review relevant developments throughout the world, and present a blueprint to
guide the development of much-needed indigenous ethical standards and education in India.

The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide to
the everyday professional conduct of social workers. According to the NASW website. It
outlines six ethical principles that set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire.
This article will explore those six social work core values, which comprise service, social
justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and
competence.

Service

Addressing social ills and helping others is a primary goal of all social workers. Service is the
value from which all other social work values stem. Social workers regularly elevate the
needs of others above their own personal interests and use their skills and knowledge (from
education and experience) to help people. 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

Social Justice

Social workers advocate on behalf of the oppressed, the voiceless, and others who are unable
to advocate for themselves. They often focus on issues such as poverty, homelessness,
discrimination, harassment, and other forms of injustice. Social workers provide information,
help, and other resources to people seeking equality, and they educate people who may not
directly experience discrimination about the struggles of the less fortunate. Social workers
strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of
opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

Dignity and Worth of the Person

Every person is different, with different cultural and social values. Social workers are
mindful of those differences, treating each person with dignity and respect and promoting
their clients’ capacity and opportunity to address their own needs and improve their personal
situations. Social workers must be cognizant of their duties to both individual clients and to
society as a whole, and seek solutions for their clients that also support society’s broader
interests. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the
broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between 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.

Importance of Human Relationships

Social workers connect people who need assistance with organizations and individuals who
can provide the appropriate help. Social workers recognize that facilitating human
relationships can be a useful vehicle for creating change, and they excel at engaging potential
partners who can create, maintain, and enhance the well-being of families, neighborhoods,
and whole communities. 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.
Integrity

In order to facilitate these relationships and improve others’ lives, social workers must exhibit
trustworthiness at all times. Each social worker must be continually aware of the profession’s
mission, values, and ethical principles and standards, and set a good example of these
components for their clients. By behaving honestly and responsibly, social workers can
promote the organizations with which they’re affiliated while also creating the most value for
the populations they serve. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical
practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.

Competence

Professional social workers often hold undergraduate or Master’s degree in Social Work, but
a fair amount of their knowledge comes from gaining on-the-job experience. As part of the
social work values outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics, each social worker must practice
within his or her scope of competence and avoid misrepresenting his or her skills or
experience to potential clients. Social workers must continually strive to expand their
knowledge base and competence in order to make meaningful contributions to the profession.
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.

Conclusion

In social work one is forced to make decisions that involve ethical judgements. There will be
difficult choices to make that will have important consequences for individual lives. Aspects
of control and dominance are inevitable in the work. The individual help seeker is in a
position of weakness that is some-times very evident. This makes it important to be aware of
value judgments in social work and how the work affects people’s lives. Social work, in other
words, demands observance of ethical behaviour.

References

National Association of Social Workers