VALUES AND ETHICS

Values And Ethics For Social Workers



Values And Ethics For Social Workers

Introduction

Social work is viewed as providing help and care for one individual at a time. The concept of macro social work practice is not very common. People who start practicing social work are not aware of the macro practice. They expect to treat people individually. This concept of macro social practice includes three elements; problem, population and arena. The political setting also plays a significant role in identifying the three elements of this framework. Ethics is a moral philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and unethical behavior. Ethical theories have been defined by the philosophers into three areas, which are metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics on the basis of which ethical choice can be determined (Morris, 2007, pp. 32). Metaethics reveals the traces where the ethical principles come from and what they mean to an individual. They refer to the actions that are considered as a universal truth such as “stealing is wrong”. However, a more practical task is involved in normative ethics because they refer to the moral standards that determine right and wrong such as our habits and duties.

Case Summary

Mary and Troy are grandmother and grandson. They live together in Wolverhampton in a 3 bed roomed house rented from a local housing association. The house is in a very bad state of disrepair, windows are broken, the back door is hanging off; toilet, bath and sinks are blocked and not useable. The front and back gardens are littered with rubbish, old furniture and an old burnt out car. Mary is 71yrs old she is of white Irish Catholic descent. Mary has a heart condition, circulatory problems and she is very overweight, all of which make her immobile. She rarely leaves the house. She has carers on a daily basis who help her to wash and dress. Troy is 12yrs old and attends the local secondary school. He is below average in his educational achievements and has extra support with his studies at school. Last month Troy was seen in school having cuts to his face and a black eye. He told his teacher that he was robbed by a gang of white youths after he came out of the post office after collecting his grandmother's pension.

The following week the carers who attend to Mary reported to Adult Services that Mary had bruises around her neck which looked as though someone had tried to strangle her. No one really knows how both of them got these bruises and wounds. Following the social workers' assessments, Mary was asked to allow Troy to come into care on a voluntary basis and for her to go into a re enablement respite home for a short 6 week break. Her placement would be in Wolverhampton. Troy's placement would be with a foster family in Birmingham. Mary refused to consider these offers. A solution was suggested by the housing office that Mary and Troy could be ...