ACWA Ethical Standards & Social Inclusion in Community Work Report

This report delves into the ACWA (Australian Community Workers Association) standards and ethical benchmarks for community workers, emphasizing the principles of individual worth and the right to social inclusion. It highlights the importance of adhering to ethical codes, maintaining confidentiality, and understanding the regulatory framework, including the Privacy Act 1988 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. The report also discusses the provision of services and supports, the role of community workers in promoting social justice and equity, and the effective use of NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) funds to enhance the well-being and participation of individuals with disabilities. Practical examples from a placement at Aruma illustrate the application of these principles in real-world scenarios, including addressing ethical dilemmas and ensuring compliance with organizational policies and legal requirements. The document emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and improvement of services to foster social inclusion and integrity, and it underscores the importance of respecting client rights and addressing complaints effectively.

ACWA Standards
Table of Contents

Question 1: The code of ethics of a community worker and the principles of individual worth
and individual right to social inclusion..................................................................................1
Question 2. Provision of service and supports.......................................................................3
Question 3: Confidentiality in the workplace.........................................................................5
Question 4: The regulatory framework..................................................................................6
Question 5: The regulatory framework..................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

Question 1: The code of ethics of a community worker and the principles of individual worth and
individual right to social inclusion
ACWA is tend to set out ethical as well as the practice benchmark for the community
workers that are based on and designed in accordance to the industry and expectation of the
public. Beside this, the code of ethics is tend to be the explicit set of the document which implies
and lays down the expectation and standards for the community workers working in professional
field (Verwold and et. al., 2021). Along with this, ACWA has also defined community work
practitioner standard that hold a relevant qualification and set of ethical values, knowledge and
skills that are needed within the community workers to work in independently manner and
facilitates and ensures social inclusion (ACWA: Ethics and standards, 2021.). Further, the code
of ethics of community workers tend to set out a standard which tend to guide these individuals
to professional conduct and undertake their social work. The fist and foremost code of ethics
tend to emphasise that every community profession is tend to has an obligation to articulate its
basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. Further, the ACWA has provide the ethical
Code which are tend to be relevant and need to be comply by all social workers and social work
students, regardless of their professional functions, the settings in which they work, or the
populations they serve. It has been identified and presented by the Code that its is the vital that
core values on which social works are directed and performing need to be mission is based.
Along with this, the code of ethics also summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the
profession’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to
guide social work practice (Ergenç and Göçer, 2022).
Further, an effective implication and use of the principles of individual worth and
individual right to social inclusion has been made to ensure that every human being regardless of
their race, gender, religion, age, disability or any other form of individual difference tend to have
an equal right to maximize there potential and meet there needs. Along with this, leading and
supporting social inclusion as community workers is also made and highly needed as it is
supported by the ethical code that every human has the right to have the active role in the society
along with meeting their fundamental values of equity, social justice and freedom. Besides this,
to ensure the application of code of ethics along with set principles of individual worth and
individual right to social inclusion an exact and positive nature of relationship has been designed
and developed as community worker (Koh, 2022). Along with this, it has been also ensuring that
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all information that is relevant and concerning the client should be maintain and need to operate
and used while maintaining the confidentiality level to maintain the dignity and obligation of the
client. Beside this, proper steps are also being undertaken to exercise and promote improvement
with the skill and knowledge of the client in most beneficial manner along with establishing and
effectively maintaining all the set professional boundaries with the client. Further, implication
and making use of the principles of social justice, equity, individual worth, human dignity, and
self-determination has been also made within all day to day professional practice. As a
community worker effective step are taken to purse and bring the relevant social change on the
behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals having different disability to ensure and brings
the higher social justice in the society. Along with this, dignity of all individuals and clients has
been also made by the way of having a scene of caring and respect for all irrespective of any
discrimination based on individual cultural or ethnic diversity (Gemara and Nadan, 2022).
A sense of self determination has been supported by the community worker to meet the
capacity and expectation of the client to ensure and maintain high dignity level. Beside this,
social inclusion and integrity has been also supported and bright by the way of continually being
aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in
a manner consistent with them. Beside this, it has been also assured and implicated to support the
work and needs of client in honestly and responsibly manner in order to promote ethical
practices on the part of the organizations (Alqahtani, 2022). Further, it has been also seen that
some time ethical dilemma is also faced as community worker as its the right of client to refuse
to food but being a community worker it become vital to advise them to have the food which
might it be liked by client. Beside this, during my placement in the Aruma all set ethical
consideration are proper meet and all the clients are served on equality basis along with ensuring
higher level of respect and care for all to maintain integrity and social inclusion. Along with this,
the funds provided by the NDIS is being effectively used and applied to ensure the proper daily
personal activities for all clients along with supporting and leading out the transport facilities to
enable the participation in the community and social daily life activities. Beside this, the fund
provided by the NDIS is also being used to ensure their effective therapeutic supports for the
client along with meeting their behaviour supports and better health and wellbeing. Further, use
of funds of NIDS would also been made to help the client with household task and ensure their
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participation in the skilled personnel in set up training along with leading better home
modification design and construction (Purwaningrum, 2022).
Question 2. Provision of service and supports
It has been seen and analysed that the ethical code presented by the ACWA based on the
social inclusion or social justice are also vital for the community workers to the identify relevant
considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise. Along with
this the ethical code of conduct also provide implication about the ethical standards to which the
community worker is tend to be hold responsible by the general public based on the standards for
fulfilment of which the social work profession is accountable. Further, it has been also presented
and reflected by the ACWA that he community worker practitioner also need to be effectively
made and compliance with the theory of community worker along with supporting and meeting
the fundamental human rights of the individuals, families, groups and communities (Bailey,
Plath and Sharma, 2022). Further, implication and use of the communities of practice theory is
being made as community worker as it tends to service a multipurpose concept by the way of
considering a better way of learning and caring where both the perception as well as the
rectification are effectively involved to make learning and caring more meaningful. Beside this,
it has been also ensured as a community worker that provide all the set services that meet the
needs of individuals and communities and at the same time also facilitate their right to social
inclusion or social justice. For instance, by the way of implicating and caring an inclusive
community based in increased level of the disability representation and having effective
leadership that engage all the community members and abilities would support the higher social
inclusion and justice at the Aruma (Pollard and et. al., 2022). Apart from this, the service users
including the client and their family members and other community members are also
encouraged and regularly approached to have their feedback. This, practice and routine of the
Aruma as community worker facilitate tend to supports and brings a higher level of the
efficiency within the services that best meet and fit the customer needs and expectation based on
their feedback. Apart from this, it has been also seen that service users and the clients are
effectively informed and made aware about their right to complain if any form of unethical
practice or other miss conduct has taken place. The complain can be made by the client based on
the organisational policy and procedure along with implication of the disability discrimination
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act, 1992 would also be made by the client to put a complain based on discrimination against
disability (Weng, 2022).
It has been seen that the disability discrimination is based on the situation and scenario
when a person with any form of disability is being treated less or in an un-favoured manner as
compared with a person without disability under same circumstances is taken as disability
discrimination. Strict policy and procedure are being adopted and implicated at Aruma to keep a
control and check to eliminate all set of discrimination along with having strict punishment and
accountability based on the Disability discrimination act of Australia. A community worker at
the Aruma has tend to seen and conduct discrimination between two clients based on their
disability thus, as per the company law and organisational policy that community worker was
suspended and strict legal action has been also taken based on the rights of the vulnerable people.
Further, it has been also ensured that the information about the once who made the complaint
would be remain confidential to ensure that no harm or disadvantaged would never made against
them in future (Stepenko and et. al., 2022). Beside this, a community worker all the set planning
and research has been made to ensure the best providing of the community and human services
that include of the ensuring that all people and client should found a high level of stability along
with meeting all their basic needs including food and shelter in best possible manner. Along with
this, proper offering of guidance along with regular counselling and goal of promoting the higher
level of self-sufficiency and happiness is also being made as community worker to set meet and
fulfil the community and human services. Beside this, effective outcomes are also being seen in
form of improve efficiency of services lead out by the routinely monitoring, evaluating and
improving of the set services, programs, and projects. Thus, having of regular monitoring and
evaluation tend to supports a better control to ensure and lead out effective check on encouraging
social inclusion and integrity based on reduction and strict action on any form of discrimination.
Based on the current placement all the set activities are being undertaken and implicated as
community worker to effective meet the services used need based on regular feedback. Further,
all services are put at people centric manner and all workers are tending to act in professional
manner to ensure honesty, consistency and impartiality in practises to build positive relation.
Further, a sense of mutual respect is also being created by the way of continuously informing
them about their rights. For instance: All the client is well aware about their rights and properly
informed through help of policy and procedure guideline of Aruma. Further, if there is also
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violation in the right and someone is seemed to not properly meet the set procedure and standard
than a complain can be made directly to the higher management (Costantini and La Torre, 2022).
Question 3: Confidentiality in the workplace
It has been seen and find out that the Aruma attend to have effective overseas and manager
proper privacy and confidential norms and provisions to ensure confidentiality and privacy for
the service user, colleagues and employers. The various set legalisation and laws that are being
obligate and comply by Aruma to support an effective maintenance of confidentiality and
privacy comprises of the Privacy act 1988 along with the associated 13 Australian privacy
principles and other set state legislations. Beside this, it has been also effectively ensured by the
Aruma that use of all reasonable endeavours should also be made to ensure that that the personal
information is policy collected for intent use and in a secure way and also need to be disclosed
based under the guideline of APP (Aruma: Privacy Policy and Practice Manual, 2019.). Beside
this, it has been also ensured that people and clients need to be aware about their rights under the
privacy act that includes client must know about what information Aruma holds along with being
providing with all the information about disclose and storage of information. Apart from this, it
has been also ensured that all the service user must have access to their own files and also
allowed to make the needed changes on timely bases to ensure that no important information
should not get omitted along with leading proper reminder and notation of data (González,
Santomil and Hoyt, 2022). Beside this, use of the password locked computer and files would be
made to ensure that all records are kept in a secured way together with seeking and taking an
informed consent from the services and client to maintain confidentiality of information through
having control on share and its use. Along with this, a discussion and prior consent and approval
has been also made from the clients regarding the sensitive matters and maintaining the
confidentially of the facts. Beside this, an effective and important strategy of the timely
destroying the obsolete and old records of the consent that contain confidential information has
been made. Along with this, the principles of confidentiality to information that is pertaining and
effectively need to be followed by the colleagues and employers comprises of the making for the
consent from the client before sharing and making use of any information. Beside this, it has
been also proper assured and implicated at Aruma that all employees need to consider
safeguarding of the information at priority bases and need to be aware about the information they
have and maintain its confidentiality. Further, reminder to the colleagues and employees has
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been made to employees are Aruma who are obliged under various legalisation to meet the
confidentiality and privacy laws. Aruma tend to adheres to the Australian Privacy Principles
(2012) and has a Privacy Policy in place to keep your information safe along with the fact that
the Personal information collected or received will be used, stored and disposed of as provided
for in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and associated Australian Privacy Principles. Along with this,
it has been also ensured that the Aruma would only disclose the personal information for primary
purpose along with first obtaining consent from the individual to expect and meet the disclosure
provision for that purpose base don certain health condition and other are needs (Singh and
Banerji, 2022).
Question 4: The regulatory framework
The regulatory framework tends to comprise and includes of the legal mechanism that are
exist and prevailed at the organisational level and mandatory and coercive in nature to effectively
comply with. It has been seen and find out that a comprehensive legislation is being implicated
and adopted by the Aruma that ensure that the rights of all the disabled person are effectively
meet in all aspects comprise of the political, civic, social, economic and cultural rights. Apart
from this, an effective and proper manner of equal basis of legislation and supportive framework
are also adopted and impacted at Aruma to meet the contractor framework in improved manner.
The regulatory framework of the Aruma tend to includes of maintain and having the proper
health care report for the client that tend to includes and comprises of the all the key information
regarding the speech pathologist along with other vital detailed of the client. Beside this, it is also
a regulatory framework at the Aruma to ensure the health care report is mandatory present within
the medical folder of the client to have and support better future references. Apart from this, a
proper planning of the paper trail is also need to be mandatory that comprises of a paperwork
which tend to effectively explain and ensure a work safe check is performed on the property, any
hazards for the clients are checked, proper equipment is present for each client, and the start date
for all of their plans, including health, NDIS, clinical reports, finance, and so on, must be
included on the record checklist. Along with this, the other vital and essentially needed
regulatory framework of the Aruma then to includes and comprises of the sensory report,
behavioural specialist report along with the occupational therapist report (Karam, 2022).
Beside this, a doctor report is also tending to mandatory framework at Aruma that tend to
conclude a delayed information on the allied health and personnel of a client along with
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discussion of the set scenario that reflects about the client history is render to avoid any form of
the serious complications and negligence in future. Beside this, it has been also seen and
implicated that the specific health management plans, mental health plan, epilepsy plan,
participant profile, CHAPS, Behaviour support plan, OT report, swallowing assessment, sensory
report etc. are also tend to be include and maintain as regulatory framework. Beside this, a legal
limitation around the maintaining the right to the confidentiality has been also seen and faced
within Aruma that tend to includes and comprises of the set the wishes of the client and leading
them the awareness about the right to need and meet the confidentiality of information. Along
with this, an implication and use of the information of the indecent level of verification of each
of set activity system based on meeting the policy and practice requirement is being seen. Apart
from this, it is essentially ensured and lead out at Aruma that all service use must be ware about
there right of confidentiality and privacy along with ensuring that proper system based in set
regulatory framework must be effectively followed. Beside this, it has been also ensured at
Aruma that the fundamental human right of all clients based on maintaining safety of data,
integrity and inclusion being also undertaken and not be misused by an authority that has been
rated through law and policies of ACWA (Vandenberg and et. al., 2022). Along with this,
implication of the piece of legislation such as Fair work act 2009 and Health and safety act is
also needed to be implicated by the Aruma to maintain and ensure a positive workplace for
employees and healthy and safe accommodation for clients.
Question 5: The regulatory framework
It has been seen and analysed that the Aruma is a disability organisation that is operating
and having 150 SIL houses thus it tend to become essential and vital for the Aruma to have
proper regulatory framework that supports diversity and inclusion at its different houses. The
concept diversity is tending to be related and associated with the understanding the fact that each
individual is tend to be unique and have different characteristics based on the three race,
ethnicity gender, age, physical abilities and sexual orientation. Thus, implication and adoption of
the proper regulatory framework are tending to made by the Aruma to protect the rights of
people from CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) backgrounds. To acknowledge and
promote the rights of the cultural and other diverse group that adoption and implication of the
Equality act 2010 has been made that legally protects and safeguards the people from
discrimination on the basis of their attributes and also provides redress for the people who have
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been faced discrimination in any form. Along with this, the effective application and adoption of
the human rights is also tending to be made at the Aruma to recognise and protect the right of
disabled and culturally diverse people through a range of law at federal and state level to protect
the equality rights of people. Theses regulatory framework at the Aruma tend to set a control in
the organisational behaviour and also stop all form of discrimination based on the discriminate
on characteristics including ability, age, beliefs, economic, employment and housing status,
ethnicity, faith, gender and gender identity, and sexuality (Stepenko and et. al., 2022).
Beside this, implication of the personal values and effective strategy such as leading equal
involvement and proper resolution of conflict of interest based on effective communication
should be made to encourage higher level of equality. Beside this, proper mechanism is adapted
to supports and gain information from the people who belong to indigenous and culturally
diverse communities to ensure proper meeting of their expectation and satisfaction level. Along
with this, adoption and implication of effective communication method has been also made at
Aruma to effectively connect and set better networking between the range of diverse people
along with encouraging and leading knowledge building based on professional practice with
culturally diverse people. Beside this, proper adoption and implication of the culturally
appropriate verbal and non-verbal communication has been also made at Aruma to effective
engaging with individuals and community members from diverse group. The effective culturally
appropriate communication made as community worker tend to consists of the maintaining the
etiquette along with avoiding the slag language and ensuring creation of positive relationship
(Karam, 2022).
Question 6: The workplace
It is important to understand the nature and context of the workplace in order to maintain
professionalism in the health and social care industry (Patil and Ennis, 2018). In context of the
disability service provider aruma the knowledge of policies and practices followed by the staff
played an important role in developing better understanding of the nature of the workplace. The
commitment of the company towards providing supporting making a positive difference to the
lives of people with disabilities also involves collaborating with other staff at the organization in
a professional manner. The context of aruma is that the company focuses on supporting people
with a disability to live a great life the life they want and the life they choose. The policies
implemented at the organization focus or delivering best care to people with disabilities
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specifically reconciling a better life for aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is
completed by supporting equality and guiding working groups and broader networks two
associated with core organizational values so that people with disabilities specifically who
belong to marginalized communities such as aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
are protected and supported in choosing a better life for themselves to the organization.
Professional boundaries are always maintained while working with different members of the
organization and if there are any grievance or issues between staff members that easily able to
sort this out with the supervisor and following the official grievance procedure. I have learned
about conflict management techniques in order to ensure that any kind of conflict whether it is
between service users colleagues or residents, quick action is taken to ensure that the conflict is
resolved from its root and environment where honesty respect and consideration for others is top
priority is maintained. Actions taken for ensuring that individual health and safety in the
organization is maintained involve implementing training programmers which help individuals
Including service users and staff members understand the meaning and significance of MEAN
which is short for mistreatment exploitation abuse and neglect. This helps create a safe
environment for every individual working at Aruma. In case of workplace discrimination or any
kind of abuse or exploitation at aroma policies and procedures are followed by the manager and
stuff which also involves contacting law enforcement agencies if any law has been broken.
Policies and procedures of the company which involves maintaining written record of search
incidents, contacting an advocate and starting an investigation within five days with the final
investigative report is followed in case of concerns regarding safety and protection of service
users as well as colleagues arises. Maintaining professional boundaries with service users
involves ensuring that their privacy and agency is not negatively affected because of staff
intervention and they’re given support in a way where they are able to choose their own future
path towards a better life is essential for creating a positive environment in community work
(Alston and et. al., 2021). I ensure that these policies and procedures are completed in a diligent
manner so that a professional and safe environment is built in the disability service centre to
achieve the goal of supporting individuals with disability and make a positive difference towards
making the world more equal.
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Question 7: Professional Development
I continuously focus on improving my skills and knowledge as a practitioner to ensure that
I’m able to offer best care to service users and create a positive environment for making big
difference when it comes to the life of people with disabilities. Professional development is an
important process of improving ones skills and capabilities so that they remain updated with new
developments in their field and are able to offer high quality work to their clients through
continuous expansion of professional knowledge and abilities (Boyd and et. al., 2018). When it
comes to my skills gap I have analyse that there is a need to improve cultural competence as well
as organization skills. In the current age community workers need to have high culture
competence so that they are able to create an egalitarian environment in their workplace and
offer service users high quality work even if they are from different cultural religious or ethnic
background. The positive impact of improving control competence is that it ensures let social
institutions support different communities in improving their lives while the disadvantage is that
it requires extra expenditure on training practitioners and community workers to learn about
different cultures. In order to improve my cultural competence I utilized professional support
from experienced individuals in the organization at Aruma so that I am able to learn about the
ways in which cultural differences can be mended while working with service users. I also took
advice from social workers from different communities including aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities. In addition to this I have also taken help of different online courses to
improve my organization skills. This is because it is my personal responsibility to improve my
professional capability so that my actions and decisions I always in the interest of service users
and I am able to improve my performance at the role of a community worker. I also regularly
inform myself of the latest research conducted in context of health and social care for people
with disabilities so that I am able to offer better services to individuals and service users at
Aruma disability service centre. I’ve also worked towards improving my knowledge of
community work history and micro practice so that I am able to enhance my impact on life of
service user who utilizes services offered by Aruma. Micro practice defined as professionally
directed intervention designed to bring about planned change in organizations and communities.
In addition to this I also utilize latest technologies to ensure that my knowledge is shared with
other staff member at the organization and different activities are completed in an ethical
manner. This involves following ethical principles of community work such as Trust
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