The internationally agreed definition of social work focuses on how we support change, development, empowerment, social justice and uphold human rights. As the online world is just another public space in which we all live our lives, it is important that we consider ethics, human rights and our social work standards within these spaces as much as we would in our face-to-face interactions with others, including our service users. As the social work profession is underpinned by values and ethics we are well placed to lead the way in modelling such within our practice both online and offline.
What are ‘digital ethics’ and ‘ethical digitalisation’?
Ethics are broadly defined as moral codes, standards, values and behaviours that are expected to be displayed in certain settings. In NI, we are guided by our NI Social Care Council Standards of Conduct and Practice which consists of underpinning values and standards that relate to how we behave (conduct) and how we undertake our social work role (practice). These not only relate to our professional behaviour but also apply to our conduct outside of our social work employment.
As an extension, ethical digitalisation relates to how we use technology within practice and what considerations have been made to ensure this has the interests and wellbeing of service users and carers at the fore – reflecting our Social Care standards. It’s important to acknowledge that because technology improves and changes so rapidly, policies, legislation or indeed research cannot keep pace. Indeed experts such as Virginia Eubanks would argue that, “our ethical evolution still lags behind our technological revolutions” and ‘going digital’ without a consideration of ethics could lead to,
social exclusion, algorithmic bias, loss of narration and context, managerialisation, depersonalisation, boundary problems and data protection violations. Some of these concerns are eloquently depicted in the movie I, Daniel Blake.
However, it’s equally important to ensure we are balanced about the benefits and necessity of technology in our practice. Whilst this was expedited due to the pandemic, it is also prudent to be aware of the demographics and aging population in Northern Ireland and harness technological solutions to support the work we do. Digitalisation will improve regional consistency, data security, service sustainability, real-time service provision and responsiveness. Person-centred and information-enabled care, reduce inefficiencies, improve access as time/space/travel is not a hindrance and can reduce costs and increase quality of care.
Social Care Standards
The Social Care Standards of Conduct and Practice apply to all social workers and students working in Northern Ireland and outline what is expected of us personally and professionally. It creates the foundation of what is expected in terms of values, behaviours and standards- all of which cut across our personal and professional lives. In particular, the standards require that we maintain personal and professional boundaries and this is no less important in online spaces. We are also required to ensure we do not behave in a way, in work or outside work, which would call into question our suitability to work in social care services. This would include how we behave online and our ethical use of technology. In particular, we should not use social media or social networking sites or other forms of electronic communication in a way that contravenes professional boundaries, organisational guidelines or the Social Care Council standards. This may include having very clear guidelines on how we use online ‘data’ in our practice.
The Social Care Standards both individually and as a whole can clearly be mapped to the overall concept of digital professionalism, as described in the All-Ireland Digital Capability Framework
“Health and care professionals demonstrate attitudes and behaviours reflecting recognised professional standards when utilising digital tools both professionally and personally”.
Developing digital professionalism and ethics
The sub-domains for digital professionalism provides a useful road-map on how to consider your own starting point in this area:-
1.1 Professional Development
Health and care professionals use digital tools to achieve and maintain professional development requirements
1.2 Procedural Knowledge
Health and care professionals use of digital tools in health and care aligns with procedural, policy, legal, ethical, security and privacy requirements
1.3 Digital Identity
Health and care professionals use digital tools to develop and maintain their online identity and reputation
In summary, as society becomes increasingly networked, it is necessary to reflect on your own digital ethics and ethical digitalisation within your organisation to ensure we all uphold fundamental Human Rights, Rights for Persons with Disabilities, NI Social Care Council Standards and the BASW’s Code of Ethics for Social Workers both online and offline. If you work with children, you may also wish to explore the 5 Rights Foundation and how Children’s Rights have been updated to include their Digital rights. Whilst we should embrace technological solutions to support relationship-based social work practice, this should occur through an ethical lens to ensure we are upholding core social work values and standards to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members in our society.
Reflective learning activity
Complete the exercises below and keep a record of your reflections.
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