Last week IFSW invited social workers around the world to respond to a request for accounts of some of the ethical challenges they are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With one more week to go before the study closes on Monday 18th May, we have received 264 responses to date from social workers practising in 34 countries – ranging from Iceland to China. These accounts highlight the complexities and ethical difficulties social workers are facing, some of which are unique to particular countries and settings, others of which are shared by people across the world. What is clear is that wherever they are, social workers are often having to make very difficult choices and decisions, which impact on their service users, themselves and their own families. The information we are receiving is invaluable in giving a picture of what is happening, the emotional and moral impact on social workers and what strategies they are using to support service users and maintain services online, in person or in other creative ways. From the information received, IFSW and some national associations of social work will develop more detailed ethical guidance for social workers during COVID-19 and other crisis situations.
If you haven’t yet responded, please do so by Monday 18th May 2020, and encourage colleagues and others in your networks to do so too. There are several online forms in different languages on the IFSW website, where you will also find more details of the research aims and details of privacy and how the information will be used.
The deadline for responses is Monday 18th May, 2020
The survey is available in several languages. Please click on the relevant link below, which will give you more information about the research. You can look at this before deciding whether to participate.
Chinese (simplified): https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/2019covid-19-2
Chinese (traditional): https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/2019covid-19
English: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/ethical-challenges-for-social-workers-during-covid-19-rap-2
Dutch: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/ethische-uitdagingen-voor-sociaal-werkers-in-tijden-van-co
French: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/les-defis-ethiques-pour-les-travailleurs-sociaux-pendant-l-3
Slovenian: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/eticni-izzivi-socialnih-delavk-in-delavcev-v-casu-covid-19-3
Spanish: https://durham.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/retos-eticos-para-el-trabajo-social-durante-el-covid-19-u