SOCIAL WORK ETHICS AND PRACTICE: THE ACCOUNTABILITY IN DECISION MAKING

Abstract

The ethics of social work, as a branch of applied ethics and practice, establishes the primary objective of a social worker: to assist persons in addressing current moral dilemmas related to ethical decision-making. This article specifically addresses the unique challenges that arise in social work practice, with a focus on responsibility in decision-making about social concerns such as social inclusion, poverty, and prosperity in society. The proposition states that social workers have a moral obligation to strive for just, equitable, and responsible access to valuable decision-making resources. Nevertheless, social workers often encounter obstacles such as institutional, organisational, or personal limitations, as well as systematic discrimination, racism, and several other issues that hinder them from working by their ethical beliefs. This essay emphasises the significance of ethical information for social workers in developing ethical decision-making abilities that are tailored to particular practical contexts. We contend that social work is a distinct field of study that requires a corresponding methodology that can effectively support activities such as interviewing, observation, experimentation, analysis of moral and ethical dilemmas, content analysis, and other related approaches. Our stance is that analysing ethical issues arising from social work practice is a very effective method for developing and strengthening the practical skills required to make challenging but justifiable ethical choices and decisions as a social worker. In this context, the research suggests that a social worker should gather extensive information in order to make an ethical and well-informed judgement and action plan for accountability in decision-making.