SCWK90055 Chap.3 The AASW Code of Ethics and Its Limitations
The AASW Code of Ethics and Its Limitations
The 2020 AASW Code of Ethics is the main professional guide for Australian social workers, and it matters more because social work is not a statutory registered profession.
This chapter sets out the Code's three core principles, respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity, and the areas of concern it addresses, from confidentiality and informed consent to dual relationships, colleagues' conduct and social media. It explains how complaints work, including the limit that the AASW can act only against members.
It then turns to the five limitations the module names: contradictions, being only one element of a decision, the danger of literal or isolated reading, a contested value base and infrequent use in practice. The chapter ends by applying the tutorial's three questions to a conduct case: was the Code breached, which sections apply, and did the Code actually help.
Because the ethics paper must show how the Code applies to a scenario, the chapter treats the Code as a working tool, read section by section and always alongside law and agency policy.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Why the Code carries weight
- 02
Respect for persons, social justice, professional integrity
- 03
Areas of concern the Code covers
- 04
Complaints and the AASW
- 05
Five limitations of codes
- 06
Breach, section and usefulness
Worked example · free
Is a gift from a client a problem?
- 1Identify the Code's concern: professional integrity and boundaries, because a valuable gift can create obligation.
- 1Check other sources the Code does not replace: any agency guidance, a supervisor's view and relevant law.
- 1Weigh the context: the value of the gift, the client's circumstances and whether the relationship has ended.
- 1Decide and record: decline courteously or follow agency advice, and note the reasons in the file.
Key terms
- Respect for persons
- Respect for persons is the Code's core principle that every human being has unique and equal worth and a right to wellbeing and self-determination.
- Professional integrity
- Professional integrity is the Code's core principle of honesty, trustworthiness and good character in professional conduct.
- Dual relationship
- A dual relationship is a second, personal or business relationship with a client alongside the professional one.
- Ethics consultation service
- The AASW ethics consultation service is the association's source of guidance and fact sheets on applying the Code.
The AASW Code of Ethics and Its Limitations FAQ
Why is the AASW Code so important for social workers?
Social work is not a statutory registered profession, so there is no AHPRA registration standard. The Code therefore does much of the work of guiding conduct and is the first place to look when an ethical question arises.
Can anyone complain about a social worker to the AASW?
Members of the public can complain about a social worker's conduct, and a complaint can lead to an ethics panel hearing. The association can act only when the worker is an AASW member, which is one limit on the Code's reach.
What are the limitations of codes of ethics?
The module lists contradictions within the Code and with law or workplace codes, being only one element of decision making, danger when read literally or in isolation, a contested value base, and research showing practitioners rarely consult it.
Should I quote the Code in my ethics paper?
Yes, but use it as one perspective. Cite the specific sections engaged, show where sections pull in different directions, and set the Code beside law, agency policy and theory rather than treating it as the final answer.
What are the three core principles of the Code?
Respect for persons in section 2.1, social justice in section 2.2 and professional integrity in section 2.3. General and specific responsibilities flow from these principles, so citing the principle as well as the specific section strengthens an answer.
Assessment move
Memorise the three core principles with their section numbers, then skim the Code's table of contents so you know which section governs confidentiality, boundaries, informed consent and self-determination. Write out the five limitations from memory and attach a practice example to each.
Practise the tutorial routine on short conduct scenarios: decide whether there is a breach, cite the sections, and comment on how useful the Code was, including any ambiguity in its wording. In the ethics paper, show the Code working alongside law and agency policy rather than alone, which is the lesson of this chapter.
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