Professional
Standards
1
Professional standards
1
Promote the
rights, strengths
and wellbeing
of people, families
and communities.
2
As a social
worker, I will:
1.1 Value each person as an individual, recognising their
strengths and abilities.
1.2 Respect and promote the human rights, views, wishes
and feelings of the people I work with, balancing rights
and risks and enabling access to advice, advocacy,
support and services.
1.3 Work in partnership with people to promote their
wellbeing and achieve best outcomes, recognising them
as experts in their own lives.
1.4 Value the importance of family and community systems
and work in partnership with people to identify and
harness the assets of those systems.
1.5 Recognise differences across diverse communities
and challenge the impact of disadvantage and
discrimination on people and their families and
communities.
1.6 Promote social justice, helping to confront and resolve
issues of inequality and inclusion.
1.7 Recognise and use responsibly, the power and authority
I have when working with people, ensuring that my
interventions are always necessary, the least intrusive,
proportionate, and in people’s best interests.
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Professional standards
2
Establish and
maintain the trust
and confidence of
people.
4
As a social
worker, I will:
2.1 Be open, honest, reliable and fair.
2.2 Respect and maintain people’s dignity and privacy.
2.3 Maintain professional relationships with people and
ensure that they understand the role of a social worker
in their lives.
2.4 Practise in ways that demonstrate empathy,
perseverance, authority, professional confidence
and capability, working with people to enable full
participation in discussions and decision making.
2.5 Actively listen to understand people, using a range
of appropriate communication methods to build
relationships.
2.6 Treat information about people with sensitivity and
handle confidential information in line with the law.
2.7 Consider where conflicts of interest may arise, declare
conflicts as early as possible and agree a course of
action.
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Professional standards
3
Be accountable
for the quality of
my practice and the
decisions I make.
6
As a social
worker, I will:
3.1 Work within legal and ethical frameworks, using my
professional authority and judgement appropriately.
3.2 Use information from a range of appropriate sources,
including supervision, to inform assessments, to
analyse risk, and to make a professional decision.
3.3 Apply my knowledge and skills to address the social
care needs of individuals and their families commonly
arising from physical and mental ill health, disability,
substance misuse, abuse or neglect, to enhance quality
of life and wellbeing.
3.4 Recognise the risk indicators of different forms of
abuse and neglect and their impact on people, their
families and their support networks.
3.5 Hold different explanations in mind and use evidence to
inform my decisions.
3.6 Draw on the knowledge and skills of workers from my
own and other professions and work in collaboration,
particularly in integrated teams, holding onto and
promoting my social work identity.
3.7 Recognise where there may be bias in decision making
and address issues that arise from ethical dilemmas,
conflicting information, or differing professional
decisions.
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As a social
worker, I will:
3.8 Clarify where the accountability lies for delegated work
and fulfil that responsibility when it lies with me.
3.9 Make sure that relevant colleagues and agencies are
informed about identified risks and the outcomes and
implications of assessments and decisions I make.
3.10 Establish and maintain skills in information and
communication technology and adapt my practice to
new ways of working, as appropriate.
3.11 Maintain clear, accurate, legible and up to date records,
documenting how I arrive at my decisions.
3.12 Use my assessment skills to respond quickly to
dangerous situations and take any necessary protective
action.
3.13 Provide, or support people to access advice and
services tailored to meet their needs, based
on evidence, negotiating and challenging other
professionals and organisations, as required.
3.14 Assess the influence of cultural and social factors over
people and the effect of loss, change and uncertainty in
the development of resilience.
3.15 Recognise and respond to behaviour that may
indicate resistance to change, ambivalent or selective
cooperation with services, and recognise when there is
a need for immediate action.
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Professional standards
4
Maintain my
continuing
professional
development.
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As a social
worker, I will:
4.1 Incorporate feedback from a range of sources, including
from people with lived experience of my social work
practice.
4.2 Use supervision and feedback to critically reflect on,
and identify my learning needs, including how I use
research and evidence to inform my practice.
4.3 Keep my practice up to date and record how I use
research, theories and frameworks to inform my
practice and my professional judgement.
4.4 Demonstrate good subject knowledge on key aspects of
social work practice and develop knowledge of current
issues in society and social policies impacting on social
work.
4.5 Contribute to an open and creative learning culture
in the workplace to discuss, reflect on and share best
practice.
4.6 Reflect on my learning activities and evidence what
impact continuing professional development has on the
quality of my practice.
4.7 Record my learning and reflection on a regular basis
and in accordance with Social Work England’s guidance
on continuing professional development.
4.8 Reflect on my own values and challenge the impact
they have on my practice.
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Professional standards
5
Act safely,
respectfully and
with professional
integrity.
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As a social worker,
I will not:
5.1 Abuse, neglect, discriminate, exploit or harm anyone,
or condone this by others.
5.2 Behave in a way that would bring into question my
suitability to work as a social worker while at work,
or outside of work.
5.3 Falsify records or condone this by others.
5.4 Ask for, or accept any money, gifts or hospitality
which may affect or appear to affect my professional
judgement.
5.5 Treat someone differently because they’ve raised a
complaint.
5.6 Use technology, social media or other forms of electronic
communication unlawfully, unethically, or in a way that
brings the profession into disrepute.
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Professional standards
6
Promote ethical
practice and report
concerns.
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As a social
worker, I will:
6.1 Report allegations of harm and challenge and
report exploitation and any dangerous, abusive or
discriminatory behaviour or practice.
6.2 Reflect on my working environment and where
necessary challenge practices, systems and processes
to uphold Social Work England’s professional standards.
6.3 Inform people of the right to complain and provide
them with the support to do it, and record and act on
concerns raised to me.
6.4 Take appropriate action when a professional’s practice
may be impaired.
6.5 Raise concerns about organisational wrongdoing and
cultures of inappropriate and unsafe practice.
6.6 Declare to the appropriate authority and Social Work
England anything that might affect my ability to do my
job competently or may affect my fitness to practise, or
if I am subject to criminal proceedings or a regulatory
finding is made against me, anywhere in the world.
6.7 Cooperate with any investigations by my employer,
Social Work England, or another agency, into my fitness
to practise or the fitness to practise of others.
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