What Are the Main Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of a Support Worker

Social workers can also have legal and ethical problems when interacting with other professionals. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, social workers have a legal and ethical responsibility to treat their colleagues with respect, work with other professionals to resolve ethical disputes, avoid sexual relations with supervisors or students, seek advice and guidance from other colleagues when it is in the client`s best interest, and report unethical behavior by colleagues. Support staff need to understand that laws are designed to protect the safety and rights of everyone as citizens. These laws form the basis of the policies and procedures that employees must follow in their work. You have a responsibility to the people you care for and support. You need to make sure: Ashley Miller is a licensed social worker, psychotherapist, certified Reiki practitioner, yoga enthusiast and aromatherapist. She has also worked as a consultant for employee support programs and as an addictions expert. Miller holds a Master`s degree in Social Work and has extensive training in mental health diagnostics and child and youth psychotherapy. She also holds a Bachelor of Music degree. Legal and ethical work go hand in hand to provide the best possible care to each client. Make sure you understand and maintain confidentiality regarding customers, colleagues, and the personal data of others (including how you protect individuals` personal data at all levels, i.e. oral, written, and electronic). This includes knowledge and application of data protection requirements (see the section on data protection in the employee handbook).

Ensure that care and support is provided as described in the person-centred support plan and that health, safety and risk management processes are followed. Share your concerns with managers about the organization`s policies and practices that you believe need to be improved. Write timely and accurate records that clearly describe what happened and separate fact from opinion. Make sure your reading and numeracy skills are of the required standard and that any deficiencies are corrected. Make sure you understand what is legal and illegal when it comes to your work and your personal and professional conduct. „This DVD, Legal Work and Ethics is a powerful educational tool that summarizes the legal and ethical aspects of working from home and in the community. Like most mental health and social service providers, social workers face a number of legal and ethical issues in social work practice throughout their careers. They must make difficult decisions about treatment issues, maintain professional boundaries and develop an awareness of value conflicts. The National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics provides ethical and legal advice to social workers in the areas of clients, other professionals, practice attitudes, profession and society. Reporting unethical behavior from colleagues can be a difficult situation. It is up to the social worker to discuss her concerns with her colleague. If the situation is not resolved, she must take action, such as reporting the colleague`s behavior to the state licensing authority or NASW.

A social worker`s commitment is first and foremost to her clients. Despite her best intentions, a social worker may face some legal and ethical challenges in social work when interacting with clients and their families. The most common issues that can arise include confidentiality, professional boundaries, respect for the client`s right to self-determination, and awareness of conflicts of interest. Social workers cannot disclose information about a client to third parties without the client`s written consent. Legal problems in social work arise when a client poses a danger to themselves or others. In most states, social workers are required to notify law enforcement officers in such cases. This is called a duty to warn, which is a difficult situation for even the most experienced social workers. In practice, ethical considerations can sometimes seem difficult and open to interpretation.

It is a wide range of views that covers a range of practical issues. Some ethical and legal issues in practice may include the dual relationship between supervisors and supervised entities, maintaining change in this area by attending regular continuing education courses, and maintaining ethical accounting practices, such as preventing double billing or simply invoicing for services rendered. Other dilemmas social workers may face include billing under false names or circumstances, or interviewing children without parental consent. The scenarios are clear, interactive and help home caregivers in the community make the right decisions when faced with legal and ethical issues. This is definitely the one I would use in class. » Maintain and work in accordance with Active`s values. Make sure you respect your clients` dignity, rights and freedom at all times and treat them with respect. The ability to distinguish between good and bad practices. Be honest, trustworthy, compassionate and reliable.

Accept and celebrate differences. By calling yourself a social worker, you also have a responsibility to maintain the integrity of the profession. Legal and ethical issues that may arise in this area include practicing in your area of responsibility, avoiding dishonesty and cheating, not allowing behavior in your personal life to interfere with your professional role, and dealing with personal issues such as mental health disorders or substance abuse. SWHelper emphasizes the importance of being aware of personal issues and past trauma in order to maintain objectivity, boundaries, and professional distance as a social worker. Ethics is based on the values by which we live our lives, and it`s about what`s right or wrong. Ethics means that we show respect for every human being. We do not judge, we accept people as they are and support their rights, dignity and choices. Social workers also have a commitment to society as a whole.

They must work for social justice and the common good and must not engage in activities that promote inequality or discrimination. Instead, social workers should take political and social measures that ultimately lead to the removal of barriers and promote societal improvement and social inclusion. We place your work legally and ethically in our onboarding training to support new employees. Scenario 8 Your values vs. customer values Aspire Support Services Quality and Review Officer, NSW Deanne York Douglas Course Coordinator Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Community College Knowledge and application of correct and proven techniques or procedures such as moving, handling and positioning people.