6 Core Values of Social Work

Core values of social work
Values are like a road map which brings about

change in one’s attitudes and direction for life
1. Service to humanity:
• The social work profession aims for the development of human
potential and the fulfillment of human needs, by working with
and enabling people to achieve the best possible levels of
personal and social well-being.
• Service to humanity is the base of social work which is aimed at
human welfare.
• Service to others is one of the core values of social work, from
which all other values stem.
• In the helping process, social work profession holds service to
humanity as a primary value and objective.
• Being a practice profession, social workers acknowledge that
serving others is more important than self-interest and place
the needs of their clients ahead of their own personal
interests.
• In general, the term “service” refers to the
variety of programs made available by
individuals, public or private agencies to
individuals, families and communities who
need special assistance.
2. Social justice:
• According to the National Association of Social Workers, social justice is an
underlying guiding principle of social work which essentially involves promoting
equal economic, political and social rights.
• Social workers try to fight against inequality and oppression in a number of
important ways, with a general focus on helping those who have the most pressing
needs (NASW, 2014).
• In simple terms social justice is promoting a just society by challenging injustice
and valuing diversity.
• It exists when all people share a common humanity and therefore have a right to
equitable treatment, support for their human rights, and a fair allocation of
community resources.
• Social workers aim to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone,
particularly those facing unjust social situations in the society
• In conditions of social justice, people are not to be discriminated against, nor their
welfare and well-being constrained or prejudiced on the basis of gender, sexuality,
religion, political affiliations, age, race, belief, disability, location, social class,
socioeconomic circumstances, or other characteristic of background or group
membership.
3. Importance of human relationships as value of Social Work
• Historically and fundamentally, a significant area of social
work practice is about addressing problems related to
humans’ social life and their existing relationships.
• Social workers can only use human relationships as vehicles
of change by practicing good relationships.
• The use of human relationships by the social worker is not
just limited to the maintaining of relationships with the
people in need or the justice seekers. While working in the
service delivery systems, social worker also maintain and use
their relationships with co-workers, own organizations,
other stakeholder organizations that are closely networked
together for the delivery of services and problem redressal
of people in need.
4. DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE PERSON AS A
VALUE OF SOCIAL WORK
• Dignity, most generally, is defined as self-worth
or inner worth
• To recognize someone’s dignity is to recognize
his or her worth as a human being independent
of his or her status or role in society.
• It is a right to be treated with respect and inner
worth as a fundamental aspect of humanity.
• social workers respect the inherent dignity and
worth of the person
• Social workers treat each person in a caring
and respectful fashion, mindful of individual
differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.
• Direct practice with person in need/ clients/
justice seekers
• Practice of dignity with organizational staff
and colleagues:
• Practice of dignity by state and structural
institutions
• 4. Practice of dignity by the society at large:
• 6. Competence: Competence refers to a potential ability and/or a capability to
function in a given situation.
• Potential ability
• • Capability to function in a given situation
• • Capable of fulfilling his/her job responsibilities
• • At work, to meet the performance expectations.
• • Also known as hard skills.
• Competence expects the professional to be well aware of the professional code of
ethics, guiding principles, values, philosophy and methods of social work.
• A professional is expected to continue to enhance his/her knowledge and skill base
of social work, the emerging knowledge on various social and environmental aspects
as well as the diversity of new problem areas.
• The profession seeks to strengthen the values of competence by way of research
studies, dissemination of such research findings among the professionals and
institutions as well as recording and exhibiting of individual and institutional
experiences.
• One’s loyalty to the profession, hard work and cultural sensitivity will enable the
professional to make valuable contribution to the knowledge base of the profession.

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Core values of social work

Values are like a road map which brings about

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