The Principles and

Core Values of
Social Work
Objectives:
1. Identify the principles of social work.
2. Identify the core values of social
work.
7 Principles of Social Work

1. Principle of Acceptance
2. Principle of Individualization
3. Principle of Communication
4. Principle of Determination
5. Principle of Confidentiality
6. Principle of Non-Judgemental Attitudes
7. Principle of Control Emotional Involvement
1- Principle of Acceptance

In order to achieve the optimum results, both

the client and the social work practitioner must
accept each other. The client must accept the
worker because the worker is assisting the client
in overcoming his or her problem condition.
In social work circumstances, the client may
approach the social worker directly, the
agency may designate the social worker, or
someone may refer the client to the social
worker.
The worker must acknowledge the client as a
person with a problem who has come to him or
her for assistance. Regardless of the client's
looks or history, the worker should accept the
client just as he or she is.
Acceptance of the client may be hampered by
the worker's personal experiences. For
example, a worker who was abused as a child
by his or her alcoholic father may find it
difficult to accept an alcoholic client who has
come for help in mending his or her family
bonds.
In this scenario, the social worker should not be
influenced by his or her early experience of
being abused by an alcoholic father whom he or
she despised and rejected, and should not
demonstrate hatred or indifference to the client.
2-Principle of Individualization

The social worker regards each client's problem as

unique and works with the client to find the most
satisfactory way for him or her to deal with his or
her personal problem.
This principle reminds the social worker that
when interacting with the client, he or she is
not dealing with an inanimate object or a
lower entity. Because the client was unable to
find a solution to his or her problem, he or she
should not be regarded as a person devoid of
dignity, worth, or value.
Furthermore, the social worker should always
keep in mind that each client is unique and
distinct from other clients experiencing a
similar problem, as each person responds and
reacts differently to the same stimuli and
enters or exits different problem situations in
different ways.
3-Principle of Communication

Communication between the social worker and

the client is critical in social work.
Communication can be either verbal (spoken or
written) or nonverbal (using gestures, signs, or
actions to convey a message).
The majority of human-relations issues
originate as a result of inadequate
communication. A message is sent by the
sender and received by the receiver in
communication.
True communication occurs when the
meanings of the phrases and other symbols
used and acted upon by the sender and
receiver are shared and have the same
meanings. The communication is fluid if the
sender's message is appropriately or correctly
understood by the receiver.
However, if the receiver fails to correctly
comprehend the message (that the sender
wishes to transmit), there is a break or
misunderstanding in the communication
process, resulting in confusion and problems.
Miscommunication occurs when the sender is
unable to articulate his or her feelings or what he
or she wants to say. Other impediments to the
smooth flow of messages include distance, noise,
temperament, attitudes, past experiences,
mental capacity to grasp, and so on.
The social worker should be able to understand the client's
verbal and nonverbal communication. Communication is
important in social work relationships since the client's and
the worker's histories may differ, as may their mental states.
The setting in which the conversation occurs may change
from time to time, providing ample opportunity for
miscommunication.
As a result, the worker should go to great lengths to
ensure that communication between him/her and the
client is effective.
4-Principle of Confidentiality

This principle serves as a solid foundation for

the appropriate application of social work
intervention. It contributes to the development
of a solid worker-client relationship. It is critical
in social work to supply information to the
worker.
This can range from simple factual
information to highly confidential information.
A person may be unwilling to discuss specific
facts about his or her personal life with
anyone unless the person with whom the
information is given is trustworthy.
He/she must be confident that the worker will not use it
to cause discomfort, ridicule, or damage to his/her
reputation. It is impossible to aid a client in social work
unless the client provides all of the information required
by the worker. For this to occur, the client must have
complete trust in the worker that the information given to
the worker would be kept confidential and used
exclusively for the purposes specified.
5-Principle of Self-determination

The client's right to self-determination is

emphasized by this idea. Every individual has
the right to determine what is best for him or
her and to choose the methods by which to
achieve it.
In other words, it emphasizes that the social
worker should not force decisions or solutions on
the client merely because he or she has sought
assistance from him or her. Without a doubt, the
client has gone to the social worker because he
or she has been unable to manage the situation
on their own.
The social worker should promote and include the
client in making excellent and acceptable judgments
by supporting and guiding him or her in developing
right insights about his or her social environment. The
client is thus assisted not only in realizing his or her
potential, but also in feeling independent and like a
person of worth and dignity.
6-Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude

The non-judgmental attitude principle assumes

that the social worker should enter the
professional interaction without prejudice. That
is, he or she should not develop any judgments
on the client, whether positive or negative,
worthy or undeserving.
He or she must treat the client as though he
or she has come to him or her for assistance,
and he or she must be willing to assist the
client without being swayed by others'
judgments about the client or his or her
predicament.
This allows the worker to establish a solid
professional relationship because both the
worker and the customer are free to express
their comprehension of each other.
7-Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement

The notion of regulated emotional engagement protects

social workers from becoming too emotionally invested
in their clients' problems. In the first example, the
worker may over-identify with the client because they
see many parallels between the client's problem
situation and other life situations or with the client's
personality.
This could jeopardize the professional
relationship as well as judgments regarding
the client's issue. The worker may become to
sympathize with the client by overindulging in
the client's life, which may infringe on the
client's right to self-determination and
independence.
CORE VALUES OF
SOCIAL WORK
CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK
1.Service
2.Social justice
3.Dignity and worth of the person
4.Importance of human relationships
5.Integrity
6.Competence
1. Service
 Empowering individuals, families, and communities 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 their communities above their own personal
interests and use their skills and knowledge (from education and
experience) to enhance the wellbeing of others. In addition,
social workers often volunteer their time or expertise above and
beyond their professional commitments.
 For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many social
workers coordinated mutual aid, community meals, and PPE
drives.
2. Social Justice
 Social workers advocate on behalf of the oppressed, the
marginalized, and anyone who needs their voice
amplified. 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 others
who may not have the same level of privileges in our
society.
 3. Dignity and Worth
of the Person
 Social workers are mindful of individual differences in
thinking and behavior, as well as cultural and ethnic
diversity. Only by treating each person with dignity and
respect can social workers promote 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 seek to eliminate factors that
threaten the dignity and worth of individuals,
but they do so with a decentered approach
that respects differences and honors self-
determination. Rather than imposing their own
values, social workers leverage the values of
their clients and the communities they serve.
4. 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.
Challenging social conditions, such as those
created by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlight
the essential role of human relationships in
supporting health and healing. Social workers
not only build and maintain strong
relationships with individuals and
communities, they also help their clients
identify relationships that are helpful to them
and let go of relationships that are not.
5. Integrity
 To facilitate these relationships and empower others to
improve their lives, social workers must act in a way that
engenders trust. 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 demonstrating personal integrity, social
workers can promote the organizations with which they
are affiliated while also creating the most value for the
populations they serve.
One relevant trend in social work is the
profession’s use of and interest in social media.
A study published by Social Sciences & Humanities
Open in 2020 reports that the social work
profession seeks to “regard data privacy
protection as a human and civil rights issue”
and “support inclusion of social media
information in social work.”
6. Competence
Professional social workers often hold
undergraduate or graduate degrees 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 their scope of competence and
avoid misrepresenting skills or experience to
potential clients.
 Social workers must constantly strive to expand their
knowledge base and competence in order to make
meaningful contributions to the profession and those
they serve. Social work is a lifelong learning
commitment, and continuing education can take the
form of any activity that expands a social worker’
knowledge and skill set: conducting personal study and
research, attending webinars and conferences, or
pursuing additional licenses or degrees.
 Journal Writing: What particular core
values of social work that you are willing
to apply in your life? Why? Your teacher
will rate your work using the following
reflective writing rubric:
Criteria Description Points
The contents demonstrate a conscious and
Content thorough understanding of the subject matter. 7
Write at least 3 sentences.
The contents are well-organized and easy to
Organization 3
understand.
REFERENCE/S:

https://www.socialworkin.com/2020/08/top-7-principles-of-
social-work.html

https://socialwork.tulane.edu/blog/social-work-values

Self-Learning Module #3