Andrej Mátel and colleagues Ethics of Social Work. 2nd revised and updated edition. Bratislava: VŠ ZaSP sv. Alžbety, 2012.

The monograph pays attention to the Ethics of Social Work, which is highly topical at present, as there is ongoing expert discussion about applied ethics in social work and a new code of ethics for social work is being created in the Slovak Republic.

PREFACE

When the collective of authors of the first edition of Ethics of Social Work, under the editorial leadership of A. Mátel, was preparing the publication for print in 2009 – 2010, they stated that Slovakia still lacked a monograph focused on the applied ethics of social work. The authors therefore drew inspiration from foreign colleagues, specialists in the professional ethics of social work, especially the American professor Frederic F. Reamer, the British colleague Sarah Banks, as well as Czech authors such as Mirka Nečasová, and from the field of social and healthcare ethics especially Martina Cichá, Radoslav Goldmann (both were co-authors of this edition), and Jana Kutnohorská. The primary target group of the publication was students of social work, for whom it also served as a teaching aid. The structure of the individual chapters was adapted to this purpose.

The second revised and expanded edition is already based on a different context. First of all, it should be stated that ethics in social work received increased attention in the academic university environment during the years 2009 – 2011. In October 2009, the conference Ethics of Social Work was held at the Department of Social Work and Social Policy of the University of Hradec Králové, where a number of Slovak lecturers actively participated. Almost exactly one year later, the University College of Health and Social Work of St. Elizabeth organized the conference Applied Ethics in Social Work in Piešťany, which likewise enjoyed high attendance not only from university teachers but also from social workers in practice. Proceedings of the contributions were published from both events. In addition, it is necessary to mention the Slovak-Norwegian international and interdisciplinary project Professional Ethics as Part of the Professional Competence of Helping Professions, which was implemented by the University of Prešov in 2009 – 2011. One of the outputs of the project is also the Slovak-Norwegian textbook by E. Aadland – T. Matulayová Ethical Reflections in Helping Professions (2011). In view of the growth in textbooks on the ethics of social work, it is also necessary to mention the course materials by P. Brnula Ethics in Social Work (2011), published by Comenius University in Bratislava. Ambitious as well is the scientific project focused on creating a Semantically Oriented Electronic Textbook of the Ethics of Social Work, prepared by a team of educators at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra under the leadership of M. Tvrdoň. Last but not least, one of the important outputs of the Piešťany conference should be mentioned: the need to revise the Code of Ethics of Social Workers in the Slovak Republic from 1997. At present, this no longer meets the international standards of social work ethics jointly declared in 2004 by the International Federation of Social Work and the International Association of Schools of Social Work, nor does it sufficiently reflect all relevant aspects of the ethics of this dynamically developing profession. On the initiative of A. Mátel, the author of the present publication, and P. Brnula, a working group was formed in January 2011 with the aim of creating a new code of ethics for social work in Slovakia. This group currently operates under the auspices of the Association of Educators in Social Work. Since the aim of this working group is to achieve broad consensus on the form and content of the new code of ethics, work on it is rather complex. In addition, A. Mátel carried out qualitative research in 2011, in which he devoted himself to content analysis and comparison of fifteen international and national codes of ethics in social work. Such research can form a conceptual framework for creating a new code of ethics for social work in Slovakia. In view of examining the values, attitudes, and ethical awareness of social workers in Slovakia, the aforementioned author is currently conducting, under the auspices of the Institute for Continuing Education of Social Workers of the University College of Health and Social Work of St. Elizabeth, a quantitative research project whose results could representatively reflect the values and ethical specificities of the profession of social work in Slovakia.

The presented monographic treatment of the second edition of Ethics of Social Work may be another contribution to the discussion about the form of the new Slovak code of ethics for social work. In addition, it may continue to serve as basic literature for social workers in direct work with clients, educators, and students of social work in Slovakia.

Milan Schavel

CONTENTS

  1. BASIC CONCEPTS OF ETHICS

  2. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND THEORY OF ETHICS 2.1 ETHICS OF ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY 2.2 ETHICAL ASPECTS OF SELECTED MONOTHEISTIC RELIGIONS 2.2.1 Ethics according to the Bible 2.2.2 Jewish ethics 2.2.3 Christian ethics 2.3 SELECTED MODERN THEORIES OF ETHICS

  3. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS AS ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL WORK 3.1 SOCIAL JUSTICE: CRITERIA OF MERIT AND NEED 3.2 THE MODERN SCHOOL OF NATURAL RIGHTS 3.3 THEORIES OF JUSTICE IN THE 20TH CENTURY: JOHN RAWLS AND ROBERT NOZICK 3.4 SOCIAL RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS

  4. VALUES IN SOCIAL WORK 4.1 VALUE, EVALUATION, HIERARCHY OF VALUES 4.2 VALUES IN POSTMODERN SOCIETY AND HELPING PROFESSIONS 4.3 VALUE ORIENTATIONS 4.4 TYPOLOGY OF VALUES IN SOCIAL WORK 4.3 KEY VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK

  5. CODES OF ETHICS IN SOCIAL WORK 5.1 THE MEANING AND LIMITS OF CODES OF ETHICS 5.2 TYPOLOGY OF CODES OF ETHICS

  6. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD ONESELF

  7. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD CLIENTS 7.1 PRIORITY OF THE CLIENT'S INTERESTS 7.2 DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON 7.3 ANTI-DISCRIMINATION 7.4 SELF-DETERMINATION, AUTONOMY, PARTICIPATION 7.5 PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION1 7.6 HOLISTIC APPROACH 7.7 INDIVIDUAL APPROACH TO THE CLIENT157 7.8 PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES, SEXUAL AND DUAL RELATIONSHIPS159 7.9 HUMILIATING AND INCORRECT MANNER OF COMMUNICATION162 7.10 PAYMENT FOR SERVICES, INTERRUPTION AND TERMINATION OF SERVICES163

  8. RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE WORKPLACE

  9. 1 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD COLLEAGUES
  10. 2 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE WORKPLACE
  11. 3 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
  12. 4 ADMINISTRATION AND DOCUMENTATION

  13. 5 INITIATIVE, WORK MEETINGS, AND LIMITS OF LOYALTY1

  14. ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE PROFESSION AND SOCIETY

  15. 1 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD THE PROFESSION 9.1.1 Conduct and behavior of social workers 9.1.2 Professional competence 9.1.3 Non-corrupt behavior 9.1.4 Continuing education and the ethics of supervision in social work 9.1.5 Responsibility toward schools of social work and education 9.1.6 Image and protection of the profession199 9.2 ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD SOCIETY

  16. ETHICAL DILEMMA

  17. 1 ETHICAL DILEMMA AND MORAL PROBLEM – DISTINGUISHING THE TERMS
  18. 2 AREAS OF POTENTIAL DILEMMAS

  19. 3 SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURE FOR SOLVING DILEMMAS

  20. ETHICAL ASPECTS OF RESEARCH IN SOCIAL WORK 11.1 ETHICALLY RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH PREPARATION 11.2 SELECTED ETHICAL ASPECTS OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH 11.3 EVALUATION AND PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS

APPENDICES 1. INTERNATIONAL CODE OF ETHICS IFSW / IASSW (2004) 2. CODE OF ETHICS OF SOCIAL WORKERS OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC (1997) 3. CODE OF ETHICS OF A SOCIAL SERVICE FACILITY 4. CONSENT OF THE DATA SUBJECT 5. RULES FOR ACCEPTING GIFTS

Summary Ethics has recently become an integral part of almost every university study program. Although social work is a relatively young profession, ethics has been an important part of it from the very beginning. The second edition of Ethics of Social Work can serve as basic literature for social workers in direct work with clients, as well as for educators and students of social work in Slovakia.

The structure of the publication consists of eleven chapters. The first two form the epistemological and historical framework for the applied part focused primarily on the applied ethics of social work. The final chapter, from an interdisciplinary perspective, pays attention to the ethically sensitive preparation and implementation of research in social work, nursing, and healthcare.

In accordance with the International Association of Social Work, the publication emphasizes that social work is a value-based profession. Therefore, special attention is devoted not only to distinguishing individual general categories of values, but also to seeking key values for the profession of social work. It is precisely values that occupy the central place in the current deontological ethics of social work. Every profession shares its own values according to which it judges right and wrong. The explicit manifestation of this ethical consensus is usually the code of ethics. This refers to a set of ethically formulated principles, values, and standards relevant and normative for a particular profession, institution, or organization. The formulation of a code of ethics is currently among the basic requirements of professionalism and is one of the characteristics of autonomous helping professions. The publication presents the meaning of the code of ethics of social work and its limits, as well as the basic typology of codes of ethics.

The ethical responsibility of social workers in practice is manifested in several areas, such as responsibility toward oneself, clients in social work, the workplace where social work is carried out, as well as toward the profession itself and society as a whole. Social workers have primary responsibility for the people who use their services. Within ethical responsibility toward clients, ethics gives increased attention to respect for the dignity of the human person, anti-discrimination, the right to self-determination, autonomy, participation, the protection of personal data, confidentiality of information, a holistic and individual approach to clients, professional boundaries, dual and multiple relationships.

An important part of ethically correct behavior of social workers toward colleagues is especially respect, esteem, cooperation, and responsible criticism within dialogue. Ethical responsibility toward the workplace includes not only employees, but also employers.

A social worker, in performing the profession, represents not only themselves but also their profession. Within the responsibility of social workers toward the profession, attention is devoted to the conduct and behavior of social workers, professional expertise and competence, non-corrupt behavior, the need for their continuous development through lifelong learning and supervision, as well as the protection of the profession and responsibility toward schools of social work and education in social work.

One of the goals of the publication is to help social workers and students of social work make ethically grounded decisions even in situations that we may describe as dilemmatic. In this context, it is important to distinguish between an ethical problem and a dilemma and to learn a systematic approach to decision-making in dilemmatic situations. The authors of the publication are aware that neither any code of ethics nor even the most systematic procedure for solving ethical dilemmas is the key to everything, since every situation that arises is unique and unrepeatable. And it is precisely in it that the central role is played by the person of the social worker, who is rightly considered the most effective tool of social work. In addition to individual moral equipment, an important tool of professional growth is also continuous education in the professional ethics of social work and ethical responsibility toward oneself. Professional social workers are rightly expected to make ethically responsible decisions in their work.

Authors doc. PhDr. ThDr. Andrej Mátel, PhD. (chapters 1-2, 4-11) PhDr. Ľuboš Blaha (chapter 3) PhDr. Tibor Roman, PhD. (chapter 6) Mgr. Mária Kovaľová, PhD. (subchapter 2.2.3)

Reviewers: doc. PaedDr. Miroslav Tvrdoň, PhD. Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra doc. PhDr. Irena Kamanová, PhD. Catholic University in Ružomberok

Language editing: Mgr. Mária Mišovičová Publisher: University College of Health and Social Work of St. Elizabeth, Bratislava, 2011, Second edition

Printing: BEKI Design s.r.o., Košice ISBN 978-80-8132-045-3