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Code of Ethics for Independent Social Workers

WillisPalmer subscribes to the NAGALRO code of ethics for Independent Social Workers (ISW’s).

Independence

ISWs shall maintain independence in all aspects of their work. In particular they must be seen to be independent of any other party in court proceedings. Any previous knowledge of, or work undertaken with, a child, family or individual must be declared at the outset to all of the interested parties, or at the point that previous connections are discovered. Details of any previous involvement must be noted in any written report.

ISWs working from home must take care to keep professional matters separate and confidential from their private life. A separate telephone line is advisable.
ISWs must have secure arrangements for storing current files and make arrangements for all confidential material to be safely destroyed.
If a word processor or computer is used to store information, the ISW must observe the terms of the Data Protection Act. Care must be taken when disposing of a computer to ensure that any confidential material is completely erased from the hard disk.
The ISW must ensure adequate insurance against all reasonable risks.

Notes of interviews and telephone conversations should be recordedcontemporaneously or immediately after the event. Prompt, precise recording is good practice. Notes must be retained, so they can be produced if necessary.
The ISW must maintain a confidential file for each case, including any notes made, reports, all documents from other agencies, correspondence, schedules of documents and court bundles.
The ISW must maintain a system for recording details of time spent on different types of activity to enable accurate invoicing.
The ISW should be efficient and professional with use of time.

The ISW must undertake training and professional development in order to maintain practice to a high standard, embracing new developments, current research and changes in policy and legislation.
ISWs must ensure they have access to professional consultation as necessary.

ISWs must be clear at the outset of any piece of work about their role and specify any limitations or restrictions, availability, time schedules, contact arrangements and any other commitments. Issues of accountability, confidentiality and exact terms of the work contracted should be established with the commissioning agent.
Practitioners should ensure that they have an appropriate letter of instruction from the commissioning agent. This should specify what work has been commissioned, the time scale for it, and the agreed terms. This will be provided by WillisPalmer.
Any delays or problems must be referred immediately to the instructing or commissioning agent (WillisPalmer).
Any piece of work should make reference to the letter of instruction or other agreement to clarify what work has been commissioned.
The ISW is expected to maintain appropriate confidentiality in the work carried out and to understand their duty to report child protection issues.

Reports should be prepared on time.
The ISW's report needs to be written in plain, non-discriminatory English. It is good practice to use headings and numbered paragraphs in order to make the report more accessible.
The report must be accurate and balanced. It should always be possible for the ISW to identify their source of any factual information. Care must be taken to distinguish fact and opinion and to identify issues of fact that are
contested.