Professional conduct: ethics under attack

Abstract

This article offers a theoretical discussion concerning three different debates that are all linked to best practice in social work from a professional practice standpoint. The first addresses the meaning given to ethics and professional conduct in social work practice. It is sought to clarify the occasionally confused terminology used among professionals in this field and to analyse, by way of example, two situations encountered in professional practice to examine whether they may be considered ethical dilemmas, strictly speaking, or rather a misunderstanding or misapplication of the profession’s code of conduct. The second debate reflects on the need for a professional association to secure best professional practice via a code of conduct, ethics committees and, particularly, in the light of the recent appearance of public authority ethics committees. The third section focuses on the need for training in ethics and professional conduct. This requirement is based on the results of research carried out for this article on the status of these topics in undergraduate social work degree study programmes at Spanish universities. The methodology used to produce the article was a review of the academic literature and relevant documentation, in addition to a critical analysis of the literature and documentation and the hermeneutic exercise, as well as descriptive empirical research consisting of analysing 40 websites from various other universities with the aim of assessing the state of training in ethics and conduct in social work qualifications throughout Spain.