What are values?

A value is a worth which is an intangible attribute or characteristic that is possessed by, and must be felt by, all people. Values may be defined many ways. Brian Hill (1991) in Values Education in Australian Schools describes values as the priorities individuals and societies attach to certain beliefs, experiences and objects, in deciding how they will live and what they will treasure. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (1996) in Valuing our Work Resource Kit describes values as: standards and principles for judging what is correct and incorrect behaviour, what is appropriate and inappropriate, what is worth or not worth attaining, and what is desirable or undesirable. Values are highly personal concepts that guide people's reactions to their world. Each and every one of us has his/her own view of what constitutes a value and in this respect values can seen as those things intrinsically important to the individual. The way we respond to certain issues in our society, such as starvation, pollution, war, poverty, disease or caring for others, is in essence a reflection of our values system. Some values come from within the person whilst others may be outwith the person or may be materialistic in nature. Many issues bring our values into scrutiny. The controversial issue on euthanasia is an example. Here, our beliefs are challenged in connection with how we value life. The same can be said about issues such as abortion, genetic engineering, inter-racial marriage, etc. Values can be the source of misunderstanding between societys groups as some groups may have differing values from those of others. Values can be grouped in different ways, depending on how society sees them.

Influence of values in care settings

Those values that have been embraced as forming our own value base as individual carers can be applied to care settings where our clients may be encouraged to adopt them. This facilitates the promotion of not only independence, but also anti-discrimination. This can be illustrated by the way we encourage clients to exercise rights and choices. The practice instils self-esteem and self-belief in the client. The value of acknowledging other people as worthy individuals (regardless of how different they may be from us) can be seen as underpinning anti-discrimination. The result is that subsequent behaviour towards those people may be observed as equitable. This equity is protected by anti-discriminatory legislation, sometimes referred to as equal opportunities acts.

Examples of the variety of some of the values we may acquire in our society

Common values in society

Society has an obligation to ensure that people have access to or have a right to the resources, services and opportunities they require to:

meet various life tasks alleviate distress realise their aspirations and personal values.

DIGNITY has to do with: Self-respect Distinction Stateliness Nobility Majesty RESPECT has to do with: Admiration High opinion Deference Esteem Reference Value PRIVACY has to do with: Time spent alone Space to oneself Retreat Solitude RIGHTS have to do with: Entitlements under both common (by birth) and statutory laws

CHOICES have to do with: Alternatives, e.g. menus, etc. Selections Preferences, e.g. clothing, etc. PROTECTION has to do with: Safety (physical and psychological) Security (physical and psychological) Shelter (health and safety) Safeguarding SOCIAL JUSTICE advocates that: Individuals take responsibility for wider issues in society if they are not socially and economically impoverished Inclusion, individual as well as group, should be at the core of social justice

Activity 1

Reflecting on your own values

Working in groups, discuss personal and societal values and how these may differ. This will enable you to reflect on your own values and the impact of societal values for individuals. Use the values handout to reflect on your own values.

Activity 2

The value of care planning

This next activity is a case study which demonstrates the value of care planning. Click on the link and follow the instructions to go into the Social Care Street and go into the individual beliefs house. Click on the link to open a paper copy of the document.

Anti-discriminatory practice

Anti-discriminatory practice is behaviour demonstrated by people towards others that is not seen to be equal or fair treatment. Anti-discriminatory practice takes account of how we behave in terms of: the language we use (verbal and non-verbal) advocating equality as we practice it ourselves providing information on awareness about anti-discrimination educating others about treating everyone equally enabling the people we care for to exercise their rights and choices, as we do ourselves.

Anti-discriminatory practice also includes taking the opportunity to challenge discrimination.

Anti-discriminatory practice involves: demonstrating an awareness of (both individual and institutional) 1. racism 2. sexism redressing issues surrounding discrimination on other grounds such as: 1. age 2. disability 3. religion, etc. being ethnically and culturally aware of ones own practice in relation to how sensitive this is to others working towards counteracting the impact of discrimination by implementing appropriate strategies.

Discrimination may appear in other ways, such as: information regarding what services are available may not be made available or accessible to everyone an assessment and care plan carried out may not be accessible to all information may not be available in appropriate languages, for example in Braille or on tapes for those who are visually impaired or an ethnic language, for example Punjabi, Cantonese, etc. interpreters, including signers, may not be available either at the assessment stage or through service delivery.

Clients come from all sections of the community and will differ in many aspects from one another, such as age, ethnic and cultural background, gender, and disability/ability. Their needs will be different and their preferences as to how these needs are to be met will be different. Whatever the personal characteristics and needs of the individual, everyone has the same rights. Equality of care is a central value to all the caring professions and is written into codes of practice and in the government's patients charter. There are also laws designed to protect vulnerable groups from discrimination in employment, education, availability of services and/or delivery and other areas of life. Clients have a right to expect certain standards, or codes of practice, to be followed by those assessing their needs and those providing a service to meet their needs.

National Care Standards What are National Care Standards?

These are quality benchmarks for care services developed by Scottish Ministers. The standards aim to promote the quality of life for the vulnerable people under our care in the community regardless of where they reside in Scotland. The standards are based on a set of principles that highlight the importance of individuality. The standards provide guidance for people to make informed choices relating to available care services (at all stages of their journey through a service). The standards also give guidance to commendations and/or complaints procedures. Care providers must comply with the standards and the related legislation. The national care regulator, the Care Commission, inspects services to ensure that the standards are being appropriately implemented. The Care Commission The Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 set up the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care. The Commission: registers and inspects the services listed in the Act, taking account of the National Care Standards.

The Care Commission is answerable to the Scottish Ministers.

Values for social care and social work

The following values should be prevalent in social care and social work: the value and dignity of individuals the right to respect, privacy and confidentiality of clients the right for individuals and families to choose

the right to protection for those at risk of abuse and exploitation and violence to themselves repudiation of all forms of negative discrimination.

Activity 3

Raising awareness of our own prejudice

This activity relates to values. Click here to open the document on raising awareness of your own prejudice. .

Activity 4

The value of care planning

This next activity is a case study which demonstrates the value of care planning. Click on the link and follow the instructions to go into the Social Care Street, go into the values house and select Geraldine. Click on the link to open a paper copy of the document.

Activity 5

Applying values to decision making

Having looked at your values in general terms, we will move on directly to look at the way you might apply your values to a decision of a kind that you might have to make in a social work context. Click on the link and follow the instructions to go into the Social Care Street, go into the values house and select child agency.

Click on the link to open a paper copy of the document.

I am someone who values

A professional social worker or any other professional cannot be guided only by his or her personal values, but the worker cannot simply disregard his or her own personal values either. Personal values, after all, lie behind the decision to go into social work rather than some other occupation. Many people who go into social work are motivated by a belief that it is important to do something for those who are excluded or disadvantaged by society at large. Your own personal values will also inevitably influence how you do your job and the decisions and choices that you make; for this reason it is important to be aware as possible of what those values are and where they come form.

Activity 6

Values crossword
The next activity is a crossword relating to values. Click on the link to open the crossword and test your knowledge of values within a social care context. You can open a paper version of the crossword.

Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination is treating one or others differently, either favourably or less favourably than someone else or others in the same or similar circumstances on the grounds of: race colour nationality citizenship ethnic or national origin.

Direct discrimination may manifest itself in such forms as: crude racist remarks subtle differences in assessment expectation provision of services treatment

Example: A computer program was instituted by a medical school in which a much higher weighting to ethnic minority candidates was applied, making their chances of entry to the school very difficult. (St Georges Medical School 1988, CRE Report) Indirect discrimination is more complex and its manifestation may not be obvious at first. Usually, there are conditions that, although applied to all groups of people, will in effect and fact favour the majority whilst considerably disfavouring a particular racial group. There is no justification for this other than on racial grounds. Example: One of a private schools requirements was the wearing of a cap as part of the school uniform. Although this applied to all its pupils, it had an effect of excluding Sikh boys, whose religion required them to wear a turban.

This requirement was held not to be justifiable on educational grounds. (Mandla v Dowell Lee, House of Lords 1983. IRLR 209 HL, 1983 2 AC 548, 1983 1 All E. R. 1062) The Race Relations Act 1976 has been amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/20000034.htm

Activity 7

Values
Now test your knowledge of values by answering the questions in this values quiz.

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