Code of Ethics of a Social Worker Explained
What is the code of ethics of a social worker, and why is it important? Learn about social workers’ professional standards and why they matter.
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- Social workers and social work students must abide by the professional conduct standards codified in the NASW Code of Ethics.
- The Code of Ethics covers social workers’ professional responsibilities to clients, colleagues, practice settings, the profession, and broader society.
- Some social work schools and licensing bodies also use a verbal oath to affirm a social worker’s commitment to the profession. However, these are not usually legally or professionally binding.
The Code of Ethics is a set of professional standards developed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). It governs all social work roles, from entry-level positions to advanced roles.
Explore key aspects of the NASW’s ethical code and find out how it can guide social workers through complex professional situations.
What Is the NASW Code of Ethics?
The NASW Code of Ethics, updated in 2021, identifies the specific professional standards social workers are expected to follow. It is built on core values that seek to improve human well-being and advance social justice causes.
The Code of Ethics governs professional conduct for social workers in all professional settings. It also provides guidance for navigating situations that pose difficult ethical dilemmas, giving social workers a frame of reference for ensuring their actions always align with their responsibilities.
Core Values and Ethical Principles
The NASW’s Code of Ethics emphasizes six core values: community service, social justice, the dignity and worth of all individuals, the importance of human relationships, professional integrity, and professional competence.
Each of these values aligns with a corresponding ethical principle, which social workers use to inform their decisions and actions. The following table offers a high-level summary of these values and their applications in professional practice.
| Value | Ethical Principle |
|---|---|
| Service | Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. |
| Social Justice | Social workers challenge social injustice. |
| Dignity and Worth of the Person | Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. |
| Importance of Human Relationships | Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships. |
| Integrity | Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. |
| Competence | Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. |
Ethical Standards
The Code of Ethics also covers professional conduct in specific interpersonal situations and work settings. In its 2021 update to the code, the NASW identified and explained six specific sets of ethical responsibilities. They include:
- 1Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Clients
This aspect of the NASW Code of Ethics dictates that social workers respect their clients’ right to self-determination and emphasizes the importance of informed consent and cultural sensitivity. It also identifies privacy and confidentiality requirements and defines conflicts of interest.
- 2Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
The ethical code also outlines acceptable standards of respectful professional conduct. Social workers are expected to collaborate with their peers in providing services, protect the dignity of the profession, and avoid forming personal relationships with colleagues that involve power imbalances.
- 3Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities in Practice Settings
These standards cover the best professional practices in social workers’ various work settings. Specified settings include fieldwork, educational institutions, administration, recordkeeping, billing, and case transfers. This part of the ethical code also describes procedures for navigating labor disputes.
- 4Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals
Social workers play an important frontline role in delivering critical human services to in-need populations. They have an ethical responsibility to display professional competence and prevent personal issues from interfering with their work. Social workers must also avoid discrimination, misrepresentation, and other forms of dishonesty.
- 5Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to the Social Work Profession
As a social worker, you also have a duty to the profession as a whole. You must actively work to protect the profession’s integrity, and you are encouraged to contribute to policy evaluation and social work research whenever possible.
- 6Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society
By becoming licensed, social workers enter into a pact with broader society. They agree to advance the cause of social welfare, engage in civic participation, respond as needed in times of emergency, and take social and political action to fight inequality and injustice.
Tips for Navigating Complex Situations
The Code of Ethics also offers important insights into identifying the correct course of action in complicated situations. Ethical lines can blur, and the right thing to do is not always apparent.
Brittney M. Williams, a licensed clinical social worker and director of the Advocacy, Intervention, & Mitigation Division (AIM) of the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office, discussed this issue in an interview. She provided some valuable tips and insights on how to handle difficult ethical questions in professional settings.
Her first piece of advice to new social workers is to keep a copy of the NASW Code of Ethics on hand for easy reference. “I have been practicing for nearly eight years and still look at the Code on a regular basis to guide my work,” she said. “Entering the field with the mindset that you will always need to be consulting the Code will help you approach the work with humility.”
Williams also spoke about her work in public defense, in which her ethical responsibilities as a social worker conflicted with those of her lawyer colleagues. “On the legal side, our representation as an office ends as soon as a criminal case is closed,” she said. However, it is not always feasible or ethical for social work support for a client to end at that exact same time.”
To address the issue, Williams approached her office’s chief public defender with her ethical concerns. “Together, we established a ‘buffer period’ of sorts that allows social workers to have a bit more time to wrap up with clients and get them referred out,” she explained. Helping to ensure that “folks are not abandoned when they are still in need of support.”
Williams emphasizes collaboration, communication, and mentorship as the keys to navigating ethical complexities. She also encourages social workers — especially new ones — to fully utilize specialized professional resources with deep expertise in specific ethics issues, such as mandatory reporting requirements and addressing systemic injustice.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Social Work Code of Ethics
The code of ethics of social workers is a document that explains the professional standards social workers and social work students are expected to meet. It was developed by the National Association of Social Workers and was most recently updated in 2021.
Brittney M. Williams, LMSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker and the Director of the Advocacy, Intervention, & Mitigation Division (AIM) at the Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office. Her work with AIM largely centers on mitigation reporting, which utilizes storytelling and research to present clients in a way that allows the Court to see them for who they are, rather than what they are charged with. Brittney is especially passionate about advocating for the needs of Black people and other people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, older adults, and those living with mental health conditions. She is a two-time alumna of the University of Michigan, where she studied sociology and social work, and is currently pursuing a PhD in social work at Wayne State University. Brittney is an avid reader, a true crime junkie, and a proud legacy member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.
