Misaligned Core Values & Identity

Misaligned Personal Core Values and Professional Identity Can Affect Social Work Practice?

Confused social worker

 Social work is a deeply values-driven profession. Its core requires practitioners to uphold principles such as respect for human dignity, social justice, equality, and empowerment. Social workers navigate complex and often challenging situations while maintaining professional integrity and ethical standards. However, when a social worker’s personal core values clash with their professional identity, the misalignment can significantly affect practice, outcomes, and the practitioner’s wellbeing.

Understanding Personal Core Values vs Professional Identity

Personal core values are the deeply held beliefs and moral principles that guide an individual’s behaviour and decision-making. These values often stem from cultural, religious, familial, or life experiences that influences and shape how people see themselves, the world and their role within it.

In contrast, professional identity in social work is constructed through education, training, regulatory standards, and codes of ethics. It represents the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values expected of social workers, including a commitment to uphold the rights of users of services, promote social justice, engage in anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.

Though personal and professional values often overlap, they can as well differ. When they do, the social worker faces a tension or inner conflict that can influence their actions and decisions.

Simon Duffy (The Guardian, 2015) argues that many social workers in local authorities feel disconnected from the values they trained with, performing mechanical tasks rather than relationship-based practice. This identity conflict impairs their sense of purpose and alignment with professional values Reddit+11The Guardian+11The Guardian+11.

Shorts Media describes the distinct but sometimes conflicting nature of personal and professional identities in social work. Social work ethics require practitioners to prioritise professional standards over personal beliefs, which can cause emotional tension when personal values diverge shortsmedia.org.

Impacts of Misalignment on Social Work Practice

1. Ethical Conflicts and Moral Distress

Social workers often encounter ethical dilemmas where they must balance competing interests, values, or laws. If personal values contradict professional obligations, the social worker may experience moral distress, which is a psychological discomfort of being unable to act in accordance with one’s ethical beliefs. For example, a social worker personally opposes abortion due to religious beliefs but works in a setting that provides reproductive health support, including counselling on abortion. This conflict can cause internal stress and reduce confidence in delivering unbiased care.

📌Moral distress can lead to emotional exhaustion, decreased job satisfaction, and ultimately burnout, which compromises the quality of care.

2. Compromised Professional Judgment and Decision-Making

Personal biases, even if unconscious, can influence how social workers assess, interpret, and respond to user’s needs. When personal values interfere with objective judgment, there is a risk of unfair treatment or missed opportunities to support users effectively. For example, a social worker with negative personal views about substance misuse may underestimate a user’s progress or overemphasise punitive measures rather than supportive interventions.

📌Such compromised judgment undermines the core professional value of person-centred and strength-based practice and can perpetuate stigma.

3. Lack of Empathy and Trusting Relationships

Building trust and rapport requires genuine empathy and non-judgmental attitudes. When personal values conflict with the user’s identity or choices, social workers might unconsciously distance themselves or struggle to engage fully. For example, a social worker uncomfortable with LGBTQ+ identities may find it challenging to provide favourable care, leading to separation or reduced user engagement.

📌This dynamic can negatively affect beneficial alliances, reducing users’ willingness to participate in interventions and impacting outcomes.

4. Breach of Professional Codes and Standards

Social work codes, such as those from Social Work England stipulate respect for diversity, anti-discriminatory practice, and upholding users’ rights. Personal value conflicts can lead to behaviour that breaches these standards, ranging from subtle microaggressions to overt discrimination. For example, refusing to work with certain users groups due to personal prejudice violates professional responsibilities and can result in disciplinary action.

5. Boundary Issues and Role Confusion

Misaligned values can blur professional boundaries, leading either to over-involvement or avoidance of certain users of services or situations. For instance, in case of over-identification, a social worker may project personal experiences or values onto users of services, thus, impairing objective assessment. OR in the case of avoidance, a social workers’ discomfort with particular users or issues can lead to neglect or inadequate support.

📌Maintaining clear boundaries is crucial for ethical and effective practice.

6. Hindered Reflective Practice and Professional Growth

Professional development requires self-awareness and openness to challenge personal beliefs. When social workers resist reflecting on their values or deny conflicts, they limit their growth and capacity to adapt.

Effective reflective practice helps identify value clashes and develop strategies to manage them, improving both personal wellbeing and care of users of service.

Strategies to Manage Value Conflicts in Practice

Ongoing Supervision: Regular, supportive supervision provides a space to explore and resolve value conflicts safely.

Reflective Practice: Engaging in self-reflection and professional development helps increase awareness of biases and their impact.

Ethics Training: Participating in ethics workshops reinforces understanding of professional standards and practical application.

Peer Support: Discussion with colleagues offers diverse perspectives and emotional support.

Personal Therapy: Sometimes necessary for deeper exploration of personal values that affect practice.

Person-Centred Focus: Prioritising users’ rights, needs, and empowerment above personal discomfort.

In conclusion

The misalignment between personal core values and professional identity in social work is not uncommon, given the profession’s complex ethical landscape. However, awareness of this tension and proactive management are essential to maintain ethical, effective, and empathetic practice. Social workers must strive to uphold professional standards while engaging in continuous self-reflection, supervision, and learning to ensure their personal beliefs do not hinder their commitment to serve users with dignity and respect.

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