Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 1) | Seite 125

Ethics 1

Dear Students of Social Work,
One of the greatest concerns among professionals is the occasion when the
conduct of a fellow professional calls public attention to the practice. In
the case of social work around the world, people often quote the American
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics when
identifying the ethical obligations of social workers. In the case of social work
in Singapore, it will be the Singapore Association of Social Workers Code
of Professional Ethics. A copy of the Code is available on the Associ ation’s
website.

Complying with a Code of Ethics
Did you know, however, that not all social workers are bound to comply with
the profession’s Code, at least not in the legal sense? Did you also know
that even if you follow the NASW or SASW Code, you might be engaging in
unethical behavior? Did you know that you might need to follow the Code
even if you are not acting as a social worker? Before you start thinking that
this is incomprehensible, let’s understand the context.
The SASW is a national association, but it is a voluntary association. We also
have the Social Work Advisory and Accreditation Board that is appointed
by MSF to preside over accreditation at the SASW. All social workers in
government funded programmes are expected to be accredited. A social
worker who chooses to be a member of SASW or is an accredited social worker
agrees to abide by the SASW Code of Professional Ethics. Any accredited
social worker who violates the Code (or is alleged to have violated the Code)
may be subject to the Board’s professional review process. The professional
review process could include mediation between the complainant and the
social work-respondent, or an adjudication to be heard by a panel. However,
if a social worker chooses not to become an accredited social worker, the
Board has no authority to hear complaints or grievances against them.

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