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Ethics and Ethical Standards for Social Workers

A UK CPD Course on Ethical Values, Standards and Professional Conduct in Social Work

  • About 3 hours estimated learning time
  • 6 sections, 14 lessons
  • Checkpoints and a 15-question final assessment
  • Online, self-paced, any device

About this course

This CPD course helps social workers in England understand and apply the ethical values and standards that guide their practice. It covers the core ethical values of social work, the regulatory framework, the standards expected of social workers, ethics in practice including consent, capacity, safeguarding and anti-oppressive practice, breaches of ethical standards and their consequences, and reflection, insight and remediation.

Social work is one of the few professions whose purpose is defined by its values. Social workers hold statutory powers that can affect people's liberty, family life and safety, and they work with people at the most difficult points in their lives. This course is built around real practice dilemmas: when to share information without consent, how to respect an adult's choice to live with risk, how to work with families while protecting children, and how to recognise and challenge oppression, including one's own use of power. It is designed for all registered social workers, including those responding to a concern or fitness to practise matter.

CPD Value and How to Record It

This course is designed to provide approximately 3 hours of learning, including reading, the reflection points, the reflective account and the assessment. In the UK, CPD is generally recorded as the time actually spent learning, so you should record the time you genuinely spend, which may be more or less than the estimate.

How the course fits your revalidation or CPD requirements depends on your regulator. For example, the NMC asks nurses, midwives and nursing associates to record 35 hours of CPD over three years, of which at least 20 must be participatory; self-directed online learning such as this course usually counts as individual learning unless you complete it with others. The GMC expects doctors to reflect on CPD for appraisal and revalidation rather than setting a fixed number of hours. The HCPC, GDC, GPhC, GOC, GOsC and GCC each set their own CPD requirements, so check the current rules that apply to you. Always keep your certificate together with your written reflection.

What you will learn

  • Understand the importance of ethics in guiding social work practice.
  • Apply the core values of social work: human rights, social justice and professional integrity.
  • Understand the role of Social Work England and the BASW Code of Ethics.
  • Apply ethical standards to confidentiality, boundaries, consent, capacity and safeguarding.
  • Practise in an anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory and empowering way.
  • Use reflection, insight and remediation to strengthen ethical practice over time.

Who it is for

Social workers registered with Social Work England, including those responding to a concern or fitness to practise matter; also relevant to social workers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Standards and law covered

Social Work England professional standards; BASW Code of Ethics; Care Act 2014; Children Act 1989; Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023; Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026; Mental Capacity Act 2005; Mental Health Act 2025; Domestic Abuse Act 2021; Human Rights Act 1998; Equality Act 2010; Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998; data protection law and AI

Course content

Lessons open one after another as you work through the course. They unlock once you enrol.

1Introduction1 lesson
  • 1.1 Why Ethics Matters in Social Work
  • Section checkpoint
2Ethical Standards Expected of Social Workers9 lessons
  • 2.1 Lessons from Practice Reviews and Reform
  • 2.2 Social Justice
  • 2.3 Confidentiality and Information Sharing
  • 2.4 Maintaining Competence and Continuing Professional Development
  • 2.5 Managing Conflicts of Interest
  • 2.6 Professional Boundaries and the Use of Power
  • 2.7 Raising Concerns and Whistleblowing
  • 2.8 Digital Ethics, Records and Artificial Intelligence
  • 2.9 Pause and Reflect
  • Section checkpoint
3Professional Standards by the Social Work England1 lesson
  • 3.1 Consent, Capacity and the Mental Capacity Act
  • Section checkpoint
4Ethics in Social Work Practice1 lesson
  • 4.1 An Ethical Decision-Making Framework
  • Section checkpoint
5Results of a Breach of the Expected Ethical Standards1 lesson
  • 5.1 Pause and Reflect
  • Section checkpoint
6What to do if a Breach of Ethics and Expected Ethical Standards Happens1 lesson
  • 6.1 How Concerns Are Raised and Investigated
  • Section checkpoint
Reflection and final assessment3 steps
  • Your reflective account
  • Final assessment: 15 questions, 80% to pass
  • Certificate of completion
3 hours

Estimated learning time

This covers the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. Everyone works at a different pace, so record the time you actually spend in your CPD log. The player shows the time you have spent in the course to help you.

Your certificate of completion

When you pass the final assessment you can download a certificate showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that anyone can check on this website. Keep it with your reflective account in your CPD records.

Questions about this course

How long does the course take?

The estimated learning time is about 3 hours, including the lessons, section checkpoints, your reflective account and the final assessment. People work at different speeds, so record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log.

How do I access the course after buying it?

Log in to your FTP Courses account and open the course from My Courses. The course runs in your web browser on a computer, tablet or phone, and your progress is saved to your account so you can stop and continue later.

How is the course assessed?

Each section ends with a short checkpoint. At the end there is a final assessment of 15 questions; you need 80% (12 correct) to pass. If you do not pass, you can review the course and try again after a short wait.

What do I receive when I finish?

You can download a certificate of completion showing your name, the course title, the estimated learning time, your completion date and a certificate number that can be checked online. You can also download your reflective account for your CPD portfolio.

Is this course linked to my regulator?

No. FTP Courses is an independent education provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any UK regulator. The course is CPD-aligned: it is written to help you learn and reflect against your regulator's published standards, and on completion you receive a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time. Record the time you actually spend in your own CPD log, and decide how the course fits your CPD or any remediation plan, ideally with advice from your defence organisation, union or legal adviser.

Will completing the course guarantee a particular outcome in a complaint or investigation?

No course can guarantee an outcome. Decision-makers look at genuine insight, reflection and sustained change in your practice. The course is designed to support that learning; it does not replace it.