Statement of Ethical Principles and
Professional Integrity.
The statement of ethical principles enables social workers to ensure the
professional integrity of their practice. It is also the basis for all social work
codes of ethics for members of International Federation of Social Work
(IFSW).
Members of IFSW are required to support their social work members in
upholding these ethical principles, their own code of ethics and the integrity of
the profession.
All IFSW policies including the definition of social work stem from these
ethical principles. [Link]
Principles:
1. Human Rights and Human Dignity
Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth, dignity of all people
and the individual,social and civil rights that follow from this. Social workers
often work with people to find an appropriate balance between competing
human rights.
1.1 The Right to Self-Determination
Social workers respect and promote people’s rights to make their own choices
and decisions, irrespective of their values and life choices, provided this does
not threaten the rights and legitimate interests of others.
1.2 The Right to Participation
Social workers promote the full involvement of people in empowering ways
that enable active participation in all aspects of decisions and actions
affecting their lives.
1.3 Respect for the Person and their community
Social workers work with people within the family, community, societal and
natural environments and seek to respect all aspects of life.
1.4 Respect for Privacy in Family and Community Life.
Social workers respect that all people have a right to privacy in their own lives
unless there is a risk of harm or abuse to themselves or others.
1.5 Recognizing Strengths
Social workers work with people to identify their strengths as individuals,
groups, communities and societies, thereby promoting their empowerment
and self-determination.
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1.6 Interdependency of People
Social workers work within the context of families, social groups,
communities, societies and globally supporting interdependent relationships
and social structures that recognize and value diversity.
2. Social Justice
Social workers have a responsibility to engage people in achieving social
justice, in relation to society generally, and in relation to the people with
whom they work. This means:
2.1 Challenging Discrimination and Oppression.
Social workers have a responsibility to engage people in eliminating all forms
of discrimination and oppression
2.2 Respecting Diversity in Societies
Social workers work with people to strengthen inclusive communities that
respect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the societies in which they live.
2.3 Access to Equitable Resources
Social workers advocate for the equitable distribution of resources and
wealth.
2.4 Challenging Unjust Policies and Practices
Social workers must challenge employers, policy makers, politicians and civil
society, situations where policies and practices are socially unjust and
undermine human rights but may apply for dispensation from this
requirement through their national body to the IFSW Ethics Commission if
such challenge attempts endanger their or other’s safety.
2.5 Building Solidarity
Social workers have an obligation to challenge social conditions that
contribute to social exclusion, stigmatisation or subjugation, and to work
towards an inclusive society, working with people to achieve tranformational
change for socially inclusive societies.
3. Professional Integrity
It is the responsibility of members to develop and regularly update their own
codes of ethics or ethical guidelines, to be consistent with the principles in this
statement. It is the responsibility of national organizations to inform social
workers, schools of social work, governments, civil society and employers
about these codes. . Social workers should act in accordance with the ethical
code current in their country. Social workers are expected to develop and
maintain the required skills and competence to do their job. This means:
3.1 Social workers should not allow their skills to be used for inhumane
purposes, such as torture, interrogation, military surveillance or
[Link] includes the use weapons in their private or professional lives
when there is the intention to harm or intimidate people.
3.2 Social workers should act with integrity. This includes not abusing the
relationship of trust with the people using their services, recognizing the
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boundaries between personal and professional life, and not abusing their
position for personal benefit or gain. It is recognized that the giving and
receiving of gifts is a part of the social work and cultural experience in many
cultures and countries. In such situations this should be referenced in the
country’s code of ethics.
3.3 Social workers have a duty to take the necessary steps to care for
themselves professionally and personally in the workplace, in their private
lives and in society.
3.4 Social workers need to acknowledge that they are accountable for their
actions to the people they work with, their colleagues, their employers, the
professional association and to the law, and that these accountabilities may at
times conflict with each other.
3.5 Social workers should foster and engage in ethical debate with their
colleagues and employers and take responsibility for making ethically
informed decisions.
3.6 Social workers should be prepared to state the reasons for their decisions
informed by evidence, values, ethical and legal considerations and be
accountable for their choices and actions.
3.7 Social workers should work to create conditions in their workplace
environments and in their countries, where the principles of this statement
and those of their own national code are discussed, evaluated and upheld.