Values and Ethical Practice - Postgraduate
Students must demonstrate ethical practice based on SSSC Codes of Practice , 2003.
The 21st Century Review Report 'Changing Lives' states that "Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people and the rights that flow from this" (2006). Students will be expected to read this and other key documents and to consider how they apply to children and young people.
Students need to demonstrate that they are aware of their own personal values in relation to child care and protection. In accordance with Standards in Social work education, students should demonstrate that they can overcome personal prejudices to respond appropriately to identified need. For example, a student might be asked to reflect on their feelings about supervising contact between a registered sex offender and his/her child.
Students should expect to be challenged if they express views which are in conflict with social work values. The focus of this is that as practitioners they will need to be able to provide a professional service to a range of service users whose circumstances, behaviour or views may challenge their value base. This might include adults, children and young people who exhibit sexually harmful behaviour, asylum seekers and their children, substance misusing parents.
Students are expected to demonstrate a readiness to reflect on their own values and experiences and consider the impact these may have on their assessment and intervention generally. Specific to child care and protection, they will be expected to start to consider the relevance of their own attachment experiences/experience of parenting to their future practice. For example, students should be asked to reflect on their own experience and views of discipline and how these may influence their practice in the context of current legal frameworks.
Students need to demonstrate that where there is a conflict between their personal and professional values, they can use supervision effectively to address this.
Most HEIs have developed links with service users and carers and they should have some input into the student’s early learning opportunities. We recommend that one of the areas explored is how service users have experienced social work intervention.
As it may be difficult for children and parents currently involved in the child protection system to speak about their experiences, HEIs may need to employ other resources (video, DVD, audio tape) to ensure that this group is represented. Morris and Smith developed and evaluated a video of mothers talking about their experiences of investigations. They found that one of the factors which prevented women participating was the anxiety that they would be judged by the viewer (NCH, 1995).
In accordance with SSSC Codes of Practice (2003) students must promote equal opportunities and respect diversity, treating all people with dignity and respect. Students will be expected to show that they can demonstrate social work values in their relationships with their peers and teaching staff as well as service users and carers. Students who cannot treat their fellow students with dignity and respect should not have access to service users and carers and may not be able to progress with their studies.
Students need to demonstrate that they are aware of the impact of discrimination on service users and have taken responsibility to challenge this in an appropriate way. With reference to child care and protection, students need to demonstrate that they are aware of how children can be discriminated against and how this can add to their vulnerability.
There may be some children who are more vulnerable than others. For example Kennedy states "large numbers of disabled children use an alternative form of communication and a range of methods to communicate" (in Wilson and James, 2004, 152) and practitioners did not have the skills to communicate. Students need to show they are aware of their responsibility to access additional support services.
Students need to be aware that their professional assessment of a child's needs may be in conflict with that of the agency. For example, there may be instances when the decision to provide or withdraw services is based on resources rather than need. Students need to demonstrate an ability to challenge appropriately to ensure that they discharge their professional responsibility.
While discharging their authority students may encounter aggression or abuse from service users. Students need to demonstrate that they can seek appropriate supervision to ensure that their professional assessment and intervention is not compromised. Students need to be clear that it is not acceptable to carry out their duties in an unsafe environment. Being aware of their own safety does not mean that students abrogate their responsibility for the well being of service users. For example, if a student assesses that it is not safe for him/her to enter a house to visit a child because s/he hears an argument, s/he needs to be aware of the impact this could be having on the child's welfare and take appropriate and timely action. This could include referral to another agency eg the police.
Students should be aware of the outcomes of their intervention including unintended outcomes. For example, while it may support parents with learning difficulties to provide extensive home care, this may have the unintended outcome of increasing their child's vulnerability and attachment difficulties.