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Ethics and Standards

What to expect from us?

Ethics in social work (Code of Ethics | BASW) [external link]

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) provides a code of ethics for social work practice since 1975. The code covers values, principles, guidance and definitions related to human rights, social justice, professional integrity and more.

Social workers’ ability and commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to people who engage with social workers. Respect for human rights and a commitment to promoting social justice are at the core of social work practice throughout the world.

Social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people. Since its beginnings over a century ago, social work practice has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential.

Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In solidarity with those who are disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to work with vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion. Social work values are embodied in the profession’s national and international codes of ethics.

The Code is not designed to provide a detailed set of rules about how social workers should act in specific situations. Instead it comprises statements of values and ethical principles relating to human rights, social justice and professional integrity, together with guidance on practising ethically as a social worker.

Professional standards - Social Work England

Published in July 2019, our professional standards[external link] became the standards for all social workers in England when we went live on 2 December 2019. They are specialist to the social work profession and apply to registered social workers in all roles and settings. The standards are the threshold standards necessary for safe and effective practice. The standards reflect the value and diversity of social work practice and the positive impact it has on people’s lives, families and communities.

Our professional standards

The standards set out what a social worker in England must know, understand and be able to do

  • Promote the rights, strengths and wellbeing of people, families and communities
  • Establish and maintain the trust and confidence of people
  • Be accountable for the quality of my practice and the decisions I make
  • Maintain my continuing professional development
  • Act safely, respectfully and with professional integrity
  • Promote ethical practice and report concerns

Guidance on the professional standards

The standards are underpinned by guidance intended to support social workers to understand the standards and to uphold them in their practice so that social workers can continue to meet the professional standards and maintain their registration.

Royal College of Occupational Therapists Professional standards and ethics

The Professional standards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics sets out the essential practice, behaviours and values RCOT expects of its members

For the first time, the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and the Professional Standards for Occupational Therapy Practice have been combined into one document.

The Professional standards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics defines an agreed set of ethical principles and standard statements that guide the work of the occupational therapy workforce. The Standards apply to all RCOT members wherever they work, whatever the scope, in any role and at every career level.

Maintaining these standards will enable the occupational therapists to be safe, effective and ethical practitioners providing a high-quality and inclusive service. They will also help members to meet the registration requirements of their regulatory body - the Health and Care Professions Council.

The standards will enable occupational therapy staff to monitor and improve their service.

Principles for continuing development and lifelong learning in health and social care (2022)

Members should use the Principles for continuing development and lifelong learning in health and social care to guide their lifelong learning activity.

NICE Quality Standards define what quality care in England should look like across a particular clinical area or pathway

They are sets of specific, concise statements derived from the best available evidence and their purpose is to act as benchmarks of high-quality health and social care.

The following NICE Quality Standards are endorsed by RCOT:

 

The Code of conduct for all adult social care workers and health care support workers in England

This outlines the behaviours and attitudes that people who need care and support should rightly expect.

It’s commonly used alongside the Care Certificate. It describes how a support worker should behave and the Care Certificate describes the minimum things they must know and be able to do.

The Code of Conduct ensures you can be sure of the standards your worker is expected to meet, check that your worker can fulfil the requirements of their role, behave correctly and do the right thing at all times and identify areas for continuing professional development.

The Code of Conduct is voluntary but is seen as a sign of good practice. It replaces the codes of practice previously developed by General Social Care Council (GSCC).

Describing the standards of conduct, behaviour and attitude that the public and people who use health and care services should expect. You could use the code to inform objective setting, personal development reviews, investigation and complaints procedures.

This employer guide relates to the code of conduct for healthcare support workers and adult social care workers in England. 

This user guide relates to the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England. 

A code of conduct is in place for Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers in England. 

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