The importance of professional boundaries
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should understand the importance of professional boundaries and the need to be clear about your involvement throughout the relationship.
Social work will constantly present conflicts which you need to navigate, and this is no less true with the professional boundaries you create. As a social worker, you may be required to wear any number of hats at different times: '...counsellor, controller, advocate, assessor, campaigner, ally or friend.' (Banks, 2006, p.14). Each time you wear a different hat you will need to consider the professional boundaries you are operating within. It is important you maintain boundaries though in order to preserve your own professional integrity as a social worker.
In the following case study, Rachel talks about how she blurred the professional boundaries when she worked with a family who had recently arrived in the UK.
- Consider the different aspects in this case which may have given rise to the confusion over Rachel's relationship with the family.
- If you were Rachel, what might have you done differently with this case?
- What dangers does this case highlight for social workers and the relationships they have with service users and carers?
- How can the professional value base influence relationships with service users?
Reference:
S Banks (2006) Ethics and Values in Social Work, 3rd edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.