Reflective Journal: Ethics, Challenges, and Strengths in Social Work

This reflective journal explores the critical role of ethics in social work, emphasizing its importance beyond mere compliance. It highlights how ethical codes build bridges in social work, fostering teamwork and shared values. The journal discusses challenges faced by facilitators, such as lack of knowledge, disruptive group behaviors, and time management issues. It also identifies strengths like effective communication, preparedness, and passionate individuals. The author references several sources to support the arguments. The journal underscores that understanding and mitigating these challenges is vital, along with recognizing and utilizing strengths to make informed decisions in group facilitation. The author concludes that ethics provide a framework for making the right decisions at the right time.

Running head: Reflective Journal
Reflective Journal
Ethics

Reflective Journal
Importance of ethics in the practice of social work has extended merely beyond compliance
with requirements. Social work always has been a mission driven and also value driven field
of work and the code of ethics helps in building the bridge of such works in the work the
social workers do. In a group, ethics help in following a certain procedure of work and the
team would work according to the value. If same values will be worked upon, the end results
would be great. Furthermore, ethical theories always help teams to make the best use of
professional self and focus on the environment. It continuously will challenge people to work
with real people and in real situations (Barry, 2009).
There are many challenges that could be faced by the facilitator in facilitating groups.
 In case of the facilitator does not know much about the topic, issues are created.
 Issues created by people who are just present there in the process of facilitating
groups but they do not know the reason and they are not serious about this.
 People good around a lot when the discussion is going on. This unnecessarily created
issues (Smith, 2009).
 In case of multiple topics being discussed at the same time creates a challenge to
understand them all or to stop and discuss only one at a time.
 While the discussion goes on, people generally get aggressive and give threat to each
other. This is a big challenge to stop such people from creating chaos.
 There is sometimes very much minimalistic participation by the members who are
present. This is a challenge for the facilitator to choose the best one’s out of all.
 If the task is not started on time then it will be obvious that it will not end on time too.
 Trivial matter sometimes takes very long time and sue to that the important task takes
time to start or end (Diamond, 2013).
There are some strengths too in facilitating groups. They are:
 If people are good communicators, they are the strengths of the team.
 Some people do come very well prepared about the topic and they excel in
everything.
 It is easy to judge the people who have clear vision in their mind.
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Reflective Journal
 People who are passionate to do social work are always the best ones to choose
(Managementhelp, 2018).
Ethics always play an important role in any of the fields as people get the idea and the way of
working through these codes of ethics. They do not just find the way but also give the power
of making the right decision at the right time in teams. Moreover, they give people to work in
teams with same shared values. Also, the challenges that are faced by the facilitator in
facilitating groups seems important and should definitely be avoided or mitigated as they
seem small but they can create big issues and also can ruin the complete process. There are
some strengths too which can help the facilitator to take his decision accordingly after
judging right people for the right job.
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Reflective Journal
References
Barry, E., 2009. An Examination of Ethics in Social Work. [Online]
Available at:
https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/appliedsocialstudies/docs/EimearBarry.pdf
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
Diamond, J., 2013. Ten Tough Challenges Facilitators Face. [Online]
Available at: http://juliediamond.net/home-page-blog/ten-tough-challenges-facilitators-face/
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
Managementhelp, 2018. All About Facilitation, Group Skills and Group Performance
Management. [Online]
Available at: https://managementhelp.org/groups/index.htm
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
Smith, M. K., 2009. Facilitating learning and change in groups and group sessions. [Online]
Available at: http://infed.org/mobi/facilitating-learning-and-change-in-groups-and-group-
sessions/
[Accessed 11 May 2018].
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