ABSTRACT
This last chapter draws together the conclusions developed throughout the book about ethical social work practice. Over the past 40 years or so, due to our lack of clarity and analysis, social work has largely been ensnared by neo-liberalism and has been mostly silent in the face of the increasing inequality, the ever-widening gap between a growing proportion of disadvantaged people and tiny elites, and shrinking welfare resources available to the poor and disadvantaged. To become ethically empowered, social workers will understand the plural nature of ethics and keep in mind the ‘360-degree assessment cycle’ of ethical decision-making. The chapter offers a conceptual schema of how we see these themes relating to ethical practice. This is a simplified picture designed to show links in the ‘big picture’ and is not by any means an explanation of the complex relationships the book discusses.
