- Home
- ACADEMIC
- Social Work & Social Welfare
- Ethics and Values
- Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice
- Textbook
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice
- Textbook
Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available
- Delivery and returns info
-
Flat rate of $10.00 for shipping anywhere in Australia
Inspection copy added to basket
This title is available for inspection copy requests.
Please note our inspection copies are only available in ebook format, and are fulfilled by VitalSource™. If an ebook isn’t available, please visit our inspection copy page for more information.
You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
Description
This introductory textbook supports students and readers to critically reflect on the complex ethical dilemmas that they will face in social work practice.
Every chapter opens with an 'ethical dilemma within an object' feature which looks at a specific object and it's story from the perspective of a practitioner, person with lived-experience, social work student or social work educator. Each chapter is then framed around a detailed ethical dilemma case study that develops and supports students to reflect on the dilemma as it progresses. This is supplemented by a 'contemporary ethical dilemma' which will locate the chapter topic outside social work practice in broader real-life applicability. The conclusion will return to the object introduced at the beginning of the chapter to reinforce the core concepts covered.
Supported by guidance from ethical codes, standards and principles from around the world, the book will empower students to engage with theory and practice in a real and applicable manner, exploring the complexities that they are likely to face on practice placement and in post-qualification practice, and equipping them with the tools to approach and tackle these effectively.
Table of Contents
2. Rights and Wrongs
3. Value Conflicts and Choices
4. Power
5. Professionalism
6. Working Relationships
7. Decision-Making
8. Rules, Disobedience and Whistleblowing
9. Use of Technology in Social Work Practice
10. Conclusion
Product details

Published | 16 Apr 2026 |
---|---|
Format | Paperback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 192 |
ISBN | 9781350508873 |
Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
Dimensions | 234 x 156 mm |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
-
A very useful approach to the different philosophical understandings of ethics. Good range of key practice concerns where a nuanced ethical approach is needed. Good summary of professional responses to matters of (informed and uninformed) public social discourse. The framing of decisions around 'singularities' is good, and would help students see that, despite SW practice being guided by national codes of ethics, there is not a 'one-size-fits-all' solution. Use of image and story certainly add to students' capacity for digesting the content of the chapter. I like the idea of an 'object' and accompanying story. The curation of objects/stories has been a particularly useful teaching strategy in a number of our subjects. Whole-of-life applicability is also good, especially for our graduates who may not actually practice social work, or for international students who may return to their home countries. Cross-referencing to different countries codes of ethics as applied to sample ethical dilemmas is good. The book proposal needs to indicate that its approach can avoid the risk of teaching 'white' ways of doing social work, as most of the theoretical/philosophical positions in the first edition are grounded in Western thought. Is there a chance of including content from other cultural/religious traditions? 3-4 discussion questions at the end of each chapter would be good, particularly useful for students when they are responsible for presenting and/or leading discussion in a tutorial. The authors may be interested in linking their chapters to some of the leading worldwide social work podcasts: Social Work Stories (AUS), Social Work Discoveries (AUS), The Social Work Podcast (US) as part of recommended further reading/listening for students.
Neil Hall, Director of Programmes (Social Work and Communities), Western Sydney University, Australia
-
Written in an accessible style. Combines theoretical concepts with practical scenarios. Covers all key areas where practice dilemmas might occur, including social media. I think the introduction of an identified 'object' to illustrate the chapter's key theme is good and provides a nice way into the subject matter. I note that the authors propose to separate Professionalism and Power into two different chapters for the new edition, which makes sense. I like the expansion of 'Need and risk' to include 'decision-making' in the new edition, as this links to the fact that social workers are still required to make decisions, despite the complexity of dilemmas that they may be faced with. Also, the expansion from 'Social media' in the first edition, to include 'Technology', so covering AI developments, is a useful development. The practical application of this book would make it very popular in my view, particularly in introductory sessions to ethics and value concepts, and once students encounter such situations when on placement. There is a clear link to the PCF framework.
Peter Benbow, Senior Lecturer and Course Lead, Nottingham Trent University, UK
-
The use of 'objects' is great. I think anything that can provide the reader with a more grounded narrative is helpful for learning and memory retention. I suspect I'll go away remembering the bin bags long after reading the chapter. Hearing about the social worker and seeing their photo is a helpful technique for learning; it connects in with students sense of relatedness and therefore motivation to learn. I would look at the scenarios discussed in each chapter and, if there was a scenario relevant to the Australian context, I would consider using that chapter.
Christian Frost, Lecturer in Social Work, Griffith University, Australia
-
Engaging - The author explores ethical ideas and behaviour generatively using case examples which are thoughtfully explored and expanded upon. Global focus – supports the development of broad ideas about ethical behaviour informed by diverse cultural perspectives, moves away from a 'single truth.' Practical and thought-provoking examples and questions. I found the new draft chapter very engaging. The authors refer to a range of jurisdictions (England, India, Canada, Australia) showing that social work is a global profession but with differences depending on the location. The authors have rewritten some of the previous examples to illustrate power on different levels, and examine ethics in different forms of relationships. The revised chapter provides a little more theoretical discussion and analysis than the previous version which I valued.
Maree Higgins, Senior Lecturer of Social Work, UNSW Sydney, Australia
-
The simplicity and straightforwardness of the writing seem to make the key points easier to understand. I think that because the instructor would not have to spend significant time explaining the text time would be available for robust classroom discussions. I like the glossary of ethical terms. I love the international perspective and think this would be a strength in teaching an Ethics course in America but would like so see clarification for some of the terminology (ex: ceilidhs). I think the biographies are a significant strength of this text and are very appropriate for undergraduate social work students.
Catherine Early, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Midwestern State University, USA
-
I regularly recommend books written by Mark Doel, but I have not as yet recommended books by the second author, Paula Beesley. Mark writes in a very accessible style and has written the prefaces to both my published textbooks. I am happy with our current Reference List, but I would be very open to include a new edition of anything written by Mark Doel! I was not familiar with it until I was asked to review it. Having now read it, I wish I had known about it before! I would certainly have recommended it to students as preparation for Ethics and Values modules. I think the original format still works well, but I really like the introduction of Mark's use of 'objects' as a lens through which to initiate discussion and exploration. This is not really a weakness, but the world – and the world of social work – has changed radically since the publication of the first edition, and therefore the examples are in need of updating. The new edition certainly needs to address increased digitization in social work (following the COVID pandemic) and how this has affected social workers' ability to act within a framework of ethics and values – and how it has affected different countries differently. It also needs to speak to a new understanding of loss and grief following the COVID pandemic and how this has profoundly changed ethical social work practice throughout the world.
Sue Taplin, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, University of Winchester, UK