Professional Boundaries - Guidance For Social Workers

Regular supervision, inthe sense of professionalcaseworker supervision ofpractice, is an importantsupport for social workers.This needs to be providedby employers, and utilisedby social workers. Socialworkers work within a specificemployment context. At timesthis context can presentdifficulties with respect toachieving effective, valuebased practice. Social workerscan be faced with suchissues as limited resources,large case loads, minimalsupport or a lack of regularsupervision. When faced withsuch difficulties, social workersshould bring these to theattention of their employer.If their employer does nottake action to resolve them,then social workers shouldbring these problems to theattention of other appropriateauthorities.6There are a number of generalquestions, set out on the right,which social workers shouldconsider whenever they haveconcerns about their ownpractice. Any such concernsshould also be discussed bythe social worker with their linemanager.General professional boundaries questions: Would you be comfortable discussing all of your actions, andthe rationale for those actions, in a supervision session withyour manager? Would you be uncomfortable about a colleague or yourmanager observing your behaviour? If challenged, could you give an explanation as to how youractions are grounded in social work values? Do your actions comply with the relevant policies of youremployer?Social Work ValuesA number of statements of social work values can be found inthe social care sector. At the time of writing this guidance, theNational Occupational Standards for Social Work (availablefrom www.skillsforcare.org.uk) form the basis of the socialwork degree. These include a section on social work valueswhich states that social workers must:a) Have respect for: individuals, families, carers, groups and communitiesregardless of their age, ethnicity, culture, level ofunderstanding and need; the expertise and knowledge individuals, families, carers,groups and communities have about their own situation.b) Empower individuals, families, carers, groups andcommunities in decisions affecting them.c) Be honest about: the power invested in them, including legal powers; their role and resources available to meet need.d) Respect confidentiality, and inform individuals, families,carers, groups and communities about when informationneeds to be shared with others.e) Be able to: challenge discriminatory images and practices affectingindividuals, families, carers, groups and communities; put individuals, families, carers, groups and communities first.General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers7

Section 2:Relationships and professionalboundariesIt is always theresponsibility ofthe social workerto ensure that therelationship remainsa professional oneand that the serviceuser understands thesocial worker’s rolein their life.A central reason for requiringsocial workers to managetheir relationships withservice users, service users’friends and families and exservice users is the existenceof a power imbalance in thisrelationship. This powerimbalance occurs because ofthe following factors: individuals may not be free tochoose whether they engagewith social workers, but maybe under compulsion to doso or may feel they have todo so, for example, in orderto gain access to resources; social workers have accessto intimate knowledge aboutservice users and about theirsignificant others; at the point when socialworkers become involved,a service user may bedistressed, confused and/orsuffering from mental illness;8General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers social workers may beworking with individualswhere the possibility ofstatutory intervention ispresent: the removal of achild from a family or thecompulsory admission ofsomeone who is mentally ill; social workers may bemaking significant decisionsregarding service users’access to resources.This power imbalance shouldnot be regarded negatively, butshould be acknowledged asa fundamental aspect of suchrelationships. The power thatsocial workers have helps toput them in a position wherethey can help service users tomake positive changes in theirlives. However, this power canalso be abused. The existenceof this power imbalance shouldbe a central consideration whensocial workers form and managetheir relationships with service

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesusers, their friends and family,and also with ex-service users.In general terms, socialworkers need to ensure thatthey act in the best interestsof service users. Service users’interests can, though, conflictwith each other - for instancewhen working with a parentand a child - and there aresituations where the broaderinterests of society must takeprecedent, such as when aservice user constitutes a riskto others. These are some ofthe complexities that socialworkers confront in their work.The relationship between thesocial worker and service usercan be misconstrued by theservice user. In some cases itmay be the service user whoattempts to act in a way that,if reciprocated, would resultin a social worker breachingprofessional boundaries.Regardless of this, it is alwaysthe responsibility of thesocial worker to ensure thatthe relationship remains aprofessional one and that theservice user understands thesocial worker’s role in their life.Working closely withindividuals in difficultcircumstances for considerableperiods of time can also resultin strong emotions, whetherpositive or negative, on thepart of social workers towardsthose they work with or viceversa. Social workers needto be conscious of, and bereflective regarding, theseemotions. Social workers needto be sure that the judgementsthat they make are professionaljudgements, grounded in socialwork values.General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers9

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesService users’ perceptions of their relationshipwith social workersService users can recognisethe power imbalance thatexists in their relationshipwith social workers. Theycan also recognise boththe positive impact that themajority of social workershave, and the risks that attach“A lot of people are quitescared of social workers.Because of the power theyhave. The power can be forgood or ill. And I have hada very positive and a verynegative experience – evenwith the same social worker.”“A social worker is partyto personal informationthat can make for anunequal footing.”“Some social workers, like the one I had,are deliberately predatory people. Butthere are probably lots of other socialworkers who find themselves slidingdown that slippery slope without realisinghow they came there. It’s incrediblyimportant to understand how they getthemselves into these situations ofblurring the boundaries. They might havegood intentions and despite themselves,find themselves in that situation.”“My social worker had apositive impact on my life andreally helped me change mycircumstances around.”(Quotations taken from various GSCC publications)10to this relationship: Socialworkers should not enter intoa relationship with a serviceuser outside their professionalrole. It should be noted thatsuch a relationship can ariseinadvertently, for instance asocial worker discovering thatGeneral Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers“I think they generally doa good job in horrendouscircumstances. The one I hadwas a very decent person.”

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesthey and a service user they areworking with have a child in thesame class at a school. A socialworker who finds themselves insuch a situation should bringthis to the attention of theiremployer immediately.In addition to the points forreflection in the conduct caseexamples that follow, thereare general questions whichsocial workers should considerwhenever they have concernsabout their relationships withservice users and professionalboundaries.Relationship questions: Is your relationship focused on promoting the wellbeing ofthe service user? Are your personal needs being met through your contactwith the service user? Has the service user ever behaved in a way that suggeststhat they have misunderstood your professionalrelationship? Is your relationship with the service user, their friends orfamily, adversely influencing your professional judgement? Is the only relationship you are having with the service user,their friends and their family a professional one? If not, haveyou made your employer aware of this?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers11

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesConduct hearing examplesWhat follows are examplesof conduct cases involvingrelationships, both sexual andnon-sexual, and professionalboundaries. In all examplesthroughout the guidancethe regulator found that thesocial worker concerned hadcommitted misconduct.12Example 1The social worker had beenallocated the case of a youngwoman who was sufferingfrom depression. Prior to theincident in question, althoughno formal decision had beenreached to close the case, thesocial worker had discussedwith his line manager whetherhis role was due to end. Thesocial worker had a meetingwith the woman at his placeof work towards the end of anafternoon. During the courseof the meeting, the womanbecame upset when the socialworker made reference to hercase closing. The social workersuggested that they continuedthe session elsewhere. He didnot inform anyone else of hisintention. At the social worker’ssuggestion, they continued themeeting at a local public house.General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesPoints for reflection: What constitutes an appropriate locationfor a meeting with service user?During the course of their meeting, the socialworker suggested that he could see thewoman as a private client. Was his suggestion that the service usercould become a private client wrong? Why? Is it ever appropriate for a social worker tosuggest a service user becomes a privateclient?Furthermore, during their time in the publichouse the social worker complimented thewoman on her physical appearance. Is it ever appropriate for a social workerto compliment a service user on theirappearance? Is it ever appropriate for social workersto tell service users about their views onsubjects like marriage? Are there circumstances when it isacceptable for a social work to offer to usetheir own money to help a service user? What impact could this behaviour have onthe service user?The social worker made negative commentsabout the institution of marriage to theservice user, who was married. He alsosuggested that he could pay for the serviceuser to go to university.The social worker frequently touched andplayed with the woman’s hands during themeeting in the public house. As they leftthe public house, the social worker huggedand kissed the woman. There was no furthercontact between the social worker and theservice user after this evening. Which aspects of social work values havebeen breached in this example? Which parts of the regulator’s standardsfor the profession might have beenbreached in this example?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers13

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesExample 2A social work student wasallocated the case of twochildren, siblings, who wereliving with their parents. Aspart of this role the socialwork student gained access toconfidential information aboutthis family. This included beingprovided with information bythe mother of the children,who was herself regarded as avulnerable individual.Whilst she was on placementworking with these children,she met by chance the fatherof the children at a nightcluband began a relationship withhim. She did not inform heremployer about this ongoingrelationship. Her professionaljudgement in her role as theallocated social worker for thetwo children appeared to beinfluenced by this relationship.She allowed the children to stayat her house whilst the motherof the children was in hospital.14Points for reflection: Why is this behaviour misconduct? If the social work student had been qualified would thishave made any difference? Should the social work student have discussed thisrelationship with her employer? Why? What would you do if a service user approached you andbegan talking to you in a nightclub or public house? What would you do if a service user approached you in anightclub or wedding function and asked you to dance withthem? What, if anything, should a social worker do if they findthemselves attracted to a service user? What do you think the potential impact that the socialwork student’s behaviour could have, both on the childrenconcerned and their family? Which aspects of social work values have been breached inthis example? Which parts of the regulator’s standards for the professionmight have been breached in this example?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers

Example 3The social worker was theallocated case worker for anadult service user. This serviceuser was suffering from severelong term health problems andhad discussed with the socialworker his personal care needs.In the course of her role ashis allocated case worker,the social worker becameincreasingly personal with theservice user, discussing herown experiences and views.She asked him if she couldsee him on a non-professionalbasis and provided him withher personal mobile phonenumber and email address. Thesocial worker did not inform heremployer of this relationship.The relationship was not asexual one. It was, though,a relationship outside of herrole as his social worker. Therelationship involved personalmeetings at the service user’shome, outings, the exchangeof gifts, discussion of spiritualmatters and other commoninterests.Points for reflection: Why is this behaviour misconduct? Should the social worker have informed her employer aboutthis developing relationship? Why? What could the impact of this behaviour be, both on the serviceuser and on their significant others? Is it ever acceptable to give or receive gifts from service users? Should a social worker discuss their religious or spiritual beliefswith a service user? Is it appropriate for a social worker to disclose to a service useran experience they have had in their personal life? Why? Could this relationship have impacted upon the professionaljudgement of the social worker? How? Is it ever acceptable for a social worker to instigate a personalrelationship with a service user when they are that individual’ssocial worker? Which aspects of social work values have been breached in thisexample? Which parts of the regulator’s standards for the professionmight have been breached in this example?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers15

Example 4The social worker was employedas a team manager in a fosteringteam. Whilst working in this role,the team manager engaged in anumber of activities with lookedafter children whose cases wereallocated to members of histeam. His actions included: taking a child to a footballmatch; taking a child out for a meal; taking a number of childrenswimming; buying one child an Xbox; paying a child to clean his car; taking a child to his homeaddress.There was no professional reasonfor any of these actions – theywere not part of any care planand had not been discussed withthe allocated social worker. Theteam manager did not recordthese actions in the relevant carefiles and did not inform his ownmanager about them.16The team manager’s motivationin all cases was one of helpingthe children concerned. Therewas no evidence to show that anylooked after child had suffereddirect harm as a result of theteam manager’s actions.Points for reflection: Why is this behaviour misconduct? Would any of these actions would have been acceptable if theyhad been undertaken by the looked after children’s own socialworker? Why? What potential impact could the team manager’s actions haveon the children concerned, their friends and family? Why might it have been important for the team manager to havediscussed his actions with his employer? Why might the team manager’s failure to record these actionsbe significant? Which aspects of social work values have been breached in thisexample? Which parts of the regulator’s standards for the professionmight have been breached in this example?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers

Section 2 - Relationships and professional boundariesExample 5The individual was a registeredsocial worker. However he wasworking in a non-social workrole - as a leader in charge witha youth club. Whilst in thisrole, the registrant formed aclose relationship with a youngfemale, under 18 years of age,towards whom he was in aposition of trust.On a number of occasions thesocial worker took the youngwoman out to public housesand purchased alcohol for her.He did not inform his employersthat he was doing this.Points for reflection: Why is this behaviour misconduct? Does it matter that the registrant was employed in a non-socialwork role? Why? What could the potential impact of this behaviour be on theyoung woman? Which aspects of social work values have been breached in thisexample? Which parts of the regulator’s standards for the professionmight have been breached in this example?General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers17

Section 3:Upholding public trust and confidencein social care servicesThe ability toundertake this rolebecomes difficult ifsocial workers do nothave the trust andconfidence of serviceusers or of the publicmore generally.Social work requiresintervening in the privatelives of service users – havingaccess to information aboutand making decisions thatwill affect service users’relationships, finances,personal problems and,potentially, liberty. The abilityto undertake this role becomesdifficult if social workers do nothave the trust and confidenceof service users or of the publicmore generally.‘Professional boundaries’,as used in this guidance,does not only cover the directrelationship between the socialworker and the service user. Italso covers other standards ofbehaviour that are expectedof professionals inside andoutside work. There is oftena requirement placed onprofessionals by regulators thatboth inside and outside workthey will behave in a way whichwill ‘uphold public trust in theprofession’, or wording to thiseffect. At the point of draftingthis guidance, the relevantstandard for social workersin the United Kingdom wasthat “as a social care worker,you must uphold public trustand confidence in social careservices”. 8This broad requirement, or itsequivalent, is not intended toplace unreasonable restrictionson social workers’ behaviour.For instance, it is not intendedto prohibit social workers frombeing able to go out socially.The key issue in this respectis whether the behaviour of asocial worker, whether insideor outside work, is such that itcould potentially damage thereputation of the professionunless action is taken bythe regulator. In this sectionexamples are given of conductcases which involved suchissues.8. Codes of Practice for Employers – Code 5. Shared in common when this guidance was being written by the four UK social workregulators (Care Council for Wales, General Social Care Council, Northern Ireland Scottish Social Care Council)18General Social Care Council - Professional Boundaries - guidance for social workers

Section 3 - Upholding pub

A number of statements of social work values can be found in the social care sector. At the time of writing this guidance, the National Occupational Standards for Social Work (available from www.skillsforcare.org.uk) form the basis of the social work degree. These include a section on social work values which states that social workers must: