Faith, ethics and social work: Framework for an Introductory Lecture

Abstract

Social work courses and practice frequently neglect religion and spirituality yet these are central to many service users’ lives and sense of identity. This article describes a teaching session that aims to address this evident gap for qualifying students, thereby legitimising the subject within the life of the course. The session aims to establish the reasons why social work should respond to matters of religion and spirituality and goes on to explore comparative religious, secular and professional ethics, students’ personal attitudes towards faith and spirituality and the implications for practice. It argues practice that is responsive and sensitive to clients’ religion and spirituality is not ‘new’ but based upon generic good practice principles. The lecture aspires to provide a single session introduction that can be incorporated into congested social work courses; readers are invited to adapt it for their own educational practice.

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