ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the ways in which the principles of autonomy, privacy, client self-determination and the problem of paternalism affect social work practice. However, it is also necessary to consider if professional social workers have some general ethical duty to help. This might seem a surprising question to ask as many would assume that social workers do, but it is by no means certain. Social workers cannot avoid getting their hands dirty and they cannot get squeamish about the professional ethical choices they might have to make because their daily practice often requires them to make decisions that have an impact on their clients’ autonomy. When social workers talk about autonomy, it is usually with regard to clients within particular practice contexts and in relation to their taking specific decisions and actions. Like autonomy, paternalism is individualised in its application. Paternalism is a pluralistic construct, having multiple expressions.
