Social Work Students - Northern Ireland Social Care Council

Social Work Students
Standards of Conduct for
NOVEMBER 2015
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Produced by:
Northern Ireland Social Care Council
7th Floor, Millennium House
19-25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AQ
Tel: 028 9536 2600
Web: www.niscc.info
2
Welcome
You are enrolled on an education and training programme that
is preparing you to enter a profession that carries with it great
privilege and responsibility. As a social work student, you
should be proud of the profession you have joined and look
forward to upholding its values and standards.
The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC) is here to protect
the public from poor standards of social care – we do this by helping
our registrants be the best they can be by providing standards,
guidance and advice. You can learn more about our role in the
following pages.
It is important that, as a social work student, you conduct yourself
professionally at all times to justify the trust the public places in the
profession.
Throughout your course you will learn about the behaviour and
conduct that the public expects from social workers. You will develop
and be assessed on the knowledge, skills and attitudes you need to
become a professionally qualified social worker.
About us
We are the NI regulator for the social work and social care
workforce. Our job as a regulator is to protect the public and we do
this by maintaining a register of all social workers and social care
workers and ensuring that they are properly qualified and competent
to practise.
We also set standards for their conduct, practice and training to
ensure that the quality of care provided to service users and carers
is of a high standard.
3
We provide guidance and advice to help our registrants keep their
knowledge and skills up to date. We also use firm but fair processes
to investigate any allegations made against social workers or social
care workers who may not have followed our standards.
We set standards for the social work degree courses in NI and
carry out quality reviews on both the taught elements and practice
learning opportunities provided for students.
Your registration
‘Social work’ has been a protected title since 1st June 2005, with
social workers required by law to register with NISCC in order to
be able to practise. As a social work student you are also required
within the legislation to register with the Council. You must apply to
register when you start your course.
You will be registered on the student part of the Register until you
complete your programme of study.
It is important that you notify us of any changes in your personal
details or any matters which may call your fitness to practise into
question, e.g. criminal convictions.
The Standards of conduct
We are required as part of our roles and responsibilities to produce
and publish standards of conduct for our registrants. These describe
the behaviours, attitudes and values expected of registrants and are
the benchmark of good practice. You will be required as part of the
registration process to sign a declaration that you agree to comply
with these standards. The standards of conduct for social work
students are the same as for professionally qualified social workers.
This is because we think it is important that you are clear from
the outset of your training course what is expected of you as a
registered professional.
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We have also developed standards of practice for social workers
which describe what they need to know, understand and be able to
do. These standards will apply to you from the point of qualification.
The relevant practice standards for you as a social work student are
found in the Framework Specification for the Degree in Social
Work.
On your social work course, you have the opportunity to develop the
skills and knowledge you need to become a professionally qualified
social worker. You also have the opportunity to learn about what it
means to be part of a registered and regulated workforce.
Many of the standards within this booklet relate to the direct work
you will undertake with service users and carers during your practice
learning periods. The term ‘employer’ therefore will mean the
organisation within which you are placed.
However it is important that you are aware that your behaviour and
conduct both in relation to your course and your personal life, may
have an impact on your fitness to practise. This may include for
example, concerns about cheating or plagiarism, unprofessional
behaviour or criminal offences.
The standards will be of particular relevance to you if you are:
•
a social work student;
•
a member of academic staff who is teaching students
on the social work degree programme; or
•
involved in practice education as a practice
teacher or supervisor.
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Fitness to Practise
When we say that someone is ‘fit to practise’, we mean that they
have the skills, knowledge, character and health to practise safely
and effectively. As a student studying to become a professional in
a regulated profession, you have certain responsibilities. On your
course you will be expected to meet high standards of conduct. You
should be aware that in very serious circumstances, your conduct
may affect your ability to:
•
complete your programme;
•
gain the final qualification; or
•
register with us.
Course providers are required to notify us where they initiate
fitness to practise procedures in relation to any student. Academic
institutions expect all students registered on programmes which lead
directly in to professions, to conform to the code of conduct of the
relevant professional body. You should familiarise yourself with the
student regulations and fitness to practise procedures within your
academic institution.
Where the concerns may call into question your suitability to remain
on the NISCC Register, we will consider the standards of conduct
when deciding if we need to take any action within our fitness to
practise process.
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Underpinning values
The following values inform and underpin the standards of conduct.
Social work students must:
•
respect the rights, dignity and inherent worth of individuals
•
work in a person-centred way
•
treat people respectfully and with compassion
•
support and promote the independence and
autonomy of service users
•
act in the best interests of service users and carers
•
uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion
•
ensure the care they provide is safe and effective
and of a high quality
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Standards of Conduct
for Social Workers
8
Standards of Conduct
for Social Workers
1
As a social worker, you must protect the rights
and promote the interests and wellbeing of
service users and carers.
2
As a social worker, you must strive to establish
and maintain the trust and confidence of service
users and carers.
3
As a social worker, you must promote the
autonomy of service users while safeguarding
them as far as possible from danger or harm.
4
As a social worker, you must respect the rights
of service users while seeking to ensure that
their behaviour does not harm themselves or
other people.
5
As a social worker, you must uphold public trust
and confidence in social work services.
6
As a social worker, you must be accountable for
the quality of your work and take responsibility
for maintaining and improving your knowledge
and skills.
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As a social worker, you
must protect the rights and
promote the interests and
wellbeing of service users
and carers.
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1. As a social worker, you must protect the rights
and promote the interests and wellbeing of service
users and carers.
This includes:
1.1
Treating each person as an individual;
1.2
Treating people with consideration, respect and
compassion;
1.3
Empowering service users and carers to communicate
their views, needs and preferences, taking account of
their preferred language and form of communication;
1.4
Respecting and, where appropriate, representing the
individual views and wishes of both service users and
carers;
1.5
Supporting service users’ right to control their lives and
make informed choices about the services they receive;
1.6
Gaining consent as appropriate from service users
before you provide care or services, in line with your
employer’s procedures and any statutory requirements;
1.7
Explaining your role, the purpose of your involvement
and the reasons for any decision you make;
1.8
Respecting and maintaining the dignity and privacy of
service users;
1.9
Treating service users and carers fairly and promoting
equal opportunities;
1.10 Respecting diversity, beliefs, preferences, cultural
differences and challenging discriminatory attitudes or
behaviour.
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As a social worker, you
must strive to establish
and maintain the trust
and confidence of service
users and carers.
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2. As a social worker, you must strive to establish and
maintain the trust and confidence of service users and
carers.
This includes:
2.1
Being honest and trustworthy;
2.2
Communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and
straightforward way;
2.3
Being able to communicate clearly in the English
language, both verbally and in writing;
2.4
Respecting confidential information and clearly
explaining agency policies about confidentiality to
service users and carers;
2.5
Holding, using and storing records in line with
organisational procedures and data protection
requirements;
2.6
Being reliable and dependable;
2.7
Honouring work commitments, agreements and
arrangements and, when it is not possible to do so,
explaining why to service users and carers;
2.8
Declaring issues that might create conflicts of interest
and making sure that they do not influence your
judgement or practice;
2.9
Adhering to policies and procedures about accepting
gifts and money, hospitality or services from service
users and carers;
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2.10 Refusing any loans of money or property from anyone
in your care or anyone close to them;
2.11 Not engaging in practices which are fraudulent in
respect of use of public or private monies.
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3. As a social worker, you
must promote the autonomy
of service users while
safeguarding them as far
as possible from danger or
harm.
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3. As a social worker, you must promote the autonomy
of service users while safeguarding them as far as
possible from danger or harm.
This includes:
3.1
Promoting service users’ independence and
empowering them to understand and exercise their
rights;
3.2
Using established processes and procedures to
assess, respond to and manage dangerous, abusive,
discriminatory or exploitative behaviour and practice;
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3.3
Following practice and procedures designed to keep
you and other people safe from violent and abusive
behaviour at work;
3.4
Bringing to the attention of your employer or the
appropriate authority, without delay, resource or
operational difficulties that might get in the way of the
delivery of safe practice;
3.5
Informing your employer or an appropriate authority,
without delay, where the practice of colleagues or
others may be unsafe or adversely affecting standards
of care;
3.6
Complying with employers’ health and safety policies,
including those relating to substance misuse;
3.7
Recognising and using responsibly with service users
and carers, the power that comes from your work role.
15
As a social worker, you
must respect the rights
of service users while
seeking to ensure that their
behaviour does not harm
themselves or other people.
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4. As a social worker, you must respect the rights
of service users while seeking to ensure that their
behaviour does not harm themselves or other people.
This includes:
4.1 Recognising that service
4.7
users have the right to take
positive risks and helping
them to identify and manage
potential and actual risks to
themselves and others;
Abuse the trust of service
users and carers or
the access you have to
personal information about
them or to their property,
home or workplace;
4.2 Following risk assessment
policies and procedures
to assess whether the
behaviour of service users
or others presents a risk of
harm to themselves or other
people;
4.8
Form inappropriate personal
relationships with service
users;
4.9
Discriminate unlawfully or
unjustifiably against service
users, carers or colleagues;
necessary steps to
able 4.3atTaking
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minimise
the risks of service
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behaviour
causing
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actual or potential harm to
g themselves or other people;
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4.4 Ensuring that relevant
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Refle tare
outcomes
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of risk assessments in a
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R4.5 Abuse, neglect or harm
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service users, carers or
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colleagues;
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4.10 Condone any unlawful or
unjustifiable discrimination
by service users, carers or
colleagues;
4.11 Put yourself or other people
at unnecessary risk;
4.12 Behave in a way, in work or
outside work, which would
call into question your
suitability to work in social
care services;
4.13 Use social media or
social networking sites or
other forms of electronic
communication in a way that
contravenes professional
boundaries, organisational
guidelines or NISCC
standards.
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5. As a social worker, you
must uphold public trust
and confidence in social
work services.
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5. As a social worker, you must uphold public trust and
confidence in social work services.
In particular you must not:
5.1
Abuse, neglect or harm service users, carers or
colleagues;
5.2
Exploit service users, carers or colleagues in any way;
5.3
Abuse the trust of service users and carers or the
access you have to personal information about them or
to their property, home or workplace;
5.4
Form inappropriate personal relationships with service
users;
5.5
Discriminate unlawfully or unjustifiably against service
users, carers or colleagues;
5.6
Condone any unlawful or unjustifiable discrimination by
service users, carers or colleagues;
5.7
Put yourself or other people at unnecessary risk;
5.8
Behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would
call into question your suitability to work in social care
services;
5.9
Use social media or social networking sites or other
forms of electronic communication in a way that
contravenes professional boundaries, organisational
guidelines or NISCC standards.
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As a social worker, you
must be accountable for
the quality of your work
and take responsibility for
maintaining and improving
your knowledge and
l skills.
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6. As a social worker, you must be accountable for
the quality of your work and take responsibility for
maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills.
This includes:
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6.1
Meeting relevant standards of practice and working in a
lawful, safe and effective way;
6.2
Taking personal and, where appropriate, collective
responsibility for quality improvement and safety in line
with your job role;
6.3
Being personally accountable for your actions and able
to explain and account for your actions and decisions;
6.4
Maintaining clear and accurate records as required by
procedures established for your work;
6.5
Informing your employer or the appropriate authority
in a timely manner about any personal difficulties that
might affect your ability to do your job competently and
safely;
6.6
Informing NISCC and any employers you work for at the
first reasonable opportunity if your fitness to practise
has been called into question. This includes ill-health
that affects your ability to practise, criminal convictions,
disciplinary proceedings and findings of other regulatory
bodies or organisations;
6.7
Seeking assistance from your employer or the
appropriate authority if you do not feel able or
adequately prepared to carry out any aspect of your
work, or you are not sure about how to proceed in a
work matter;
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y
6.8
Ensuring that if there is a conflict between the NISCC
standards of conduct and your work environment, your
first obligation is to the standards;
21
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6.9
Helping service users and carers to make complaints
where required, taking complaints seriously and
responding to them or passing them to the appropriate
person including your employer or NISCC;
6.10
Making service users and carers aware of your
responsibilities within the NISCC standards of conduct;
6.11
Being open and honest with people if things go wrong,
including providing a full and prompt explanation to
your employer of what has happened;
6.12
Co-operating with any investigation or formal inquiry
into your conduct, the conduct of others, or the care or
services provided to a service user where appropriate;
6.13
Working openly and co-operatively with colleagues and
treating them with respect;
6.14
Taking responsibility for work delegated to you,
recognising and working within the limits of your
knowledge, skills and experience;
6.15
Recognising that you remain responsible for the work
that you have delegated to other workers;
6.16
Recognising and respecting the roles and expertise
of workers from other disciplines and agencies and
working in partnership with them;
6.17
Undertaking relevant training and learning to maintain
and improve your knowledge and skills and meeting
NISCC Post Registration Training and Learning
Requirements in line with your job role;
6.18
Contributing to the learning and development of others.
Glossary
ACCOUNTABLE
EQUALITY
Being responsible for the
decisions you make and being
able to justify them.
Treating everyone fairly and
ensuring they have access to the
same opportunities irrespective
of their race, gender, disability,
age, sexual orientation, religion
or belief.
ADVERSE EVENT
Any event or circumstance
that could have or did lead
to harm, loss or damage to
people, property, environment or
reputation.
COMPETENCE
The overarching set of
knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to practise safely and
effectively without supervision.
DIVERSITY
Accepting that everyone is
different and respecting and
valuing those differences.
EFFECTIVE
To be successful in producing a
desired or intended result.
EMPOWER
To give someone the strength
and confidence to act on their
own initiative.
FITNESS TO PRACTISE
When someone has the
competence, character and
health to do their job safely and
effectively.
NEAR MISS
An unplanned event that did not
result in injury, illness or damage,
but had the potential to do so.
POST REGISTRATION
TRAINING AND LEARNING
REQUIREMENTS
These are the learning and
development activities you must
undertake to maintain your
registration.
PREFERENCES
A person’s preferred option or
choice.
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PROMOTE
To support or actively encourage.
RESPECT
To have due regard for someone’s
feelings, wishes or rights.
RIGHTS
The entitlements that individuals
have legally, socially and ethically,
including human rights.
SERVICE USER
Any individual who receives social
care services.
WELLBEING
Enjoying a good quality of life
characterised by keeping well
and healthy, feeling safe and
secure, being able to participate
in purposeful activities and social
networks and realise one’s full
potential.
24
25
Produced by:
Northern Ireland Social Care Council
7th Floor, Millennium House
19-25 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AQ
Tel: 028 9536 2600
Web: www.niscc.info
Scan here to find out more about NISCC
and for the full text and guidance for the
Standards of Conduct and Practice