Ethical Standards of

Social Service
Providers
Unit 1: Objective 3
 • Also called welfare service or social work, any of numerous
publicly or privately provided services intended to

Defining aid disadvantaged, distressed, or vulnerable persons or groups

• The term social service also denotes the profession engaged in

Social rendering such services.

Service • The social services have flourished in the 20th century as ideas of
social responsibility have developed and spread.” (Pinker, n.d.)
 Principles
What are established to Ethical standards are
ethical communicate
underlying moral
based on principles
of right and wrong
standards? values
 • Standards relate to:
• Client
• Colleague
• Self
Ethical • Community/society
• Employers//Practice Setting
Standards • The profession
 • Self‑Determination/Autonomy
• Informed Consent
• Professional Competence
• Conflicts of Interest
Core Social • Dual and Sexual Relationships
Work Values • Privacy and Confidentiality
• Supervision
• Nondiscrimination
Professionalis • Social Worker must
m& demonstrate the expected
competencies of the profession
Professional • Ongoing professional
Competence development is important
Self‑Determination/Autonomy

• “the rights and needs of

clients to be free to make
their own choices and
decisions” (Barker cited by
Reamer, 1999)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Informed Consent

• The informed consent serves as legal

document that protects the client as well
as the therapist in case of a malpractice
suit, clarifies the nature of the helping
relationship between the client and the
therapist, it safeguards the right of the
client, it informs the client of the
counselling process.
 • Social Worker should avoid conflicts of
Conflict of Interest interest
Dual and Sexual
Relationships

• Social workers must avoid

dual and sexual
relationships with:
• Clients
• Past clients
• Relatives of clients

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 Privacy and Confidentiality

• Ensure clients privacy

• Must be confidential

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Supervision
• Supervision is important
Non-discrimination

• Should not discriminate in

any way:
• Race
• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Sexual orientation
• Culture
 • Pinker, R. (n.d.). Social Service. Britannica.
References https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-service