Project website: https://www.fsd.uni-lj.si/raziskovalno_in_razvojno_delo/projekti/aktualni_projekti/2025011010275554/

Code: BI/VB/25-27-017

Beginning: 01.01.2025

End: 31.12.2026

Funding: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency

Collaborating organisations:

Durham University (UK), Department of Sociology

Coordinator: Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana

Leader: doc. dr. Ana Marija Sobočan

Associates:

doc. dr. Ana Marija Sobočan, Fakulteta za socialno delo, Univerza v Ljubljani; prof. Sarah Banks, Durham University

Keywords:

professional ethics, ethical decision-making in social work, professional identity in social work, community development, community participatory research

Summary:

Interest in professional ethics in social work has been growing steadily internationally over the last few decades and has gained a prominent place in education, practice approaches and research.

The development of ethics is closely linked to the development of the profession itself, as it is the study of professional behaviour, conduct that goes beyond common-sense theories: the development of knowledge, education, training and the design of tools in this field is aimed at improving and professionalising decision-making processes. While efforts are being made to develop the topic in Slovenia, especially through establishing it in social work education, the topic of ethics in social work needs to be strengthened, especially vis-a-vis the current socio-political-economic contexts and trends that determine the implementation of social work methods and professional values in practice.

Collaboration with one of the leading international authorities on ethics in social work, Professor Sarah Banks, is therefore a welcome and necessary process that will contribute to the development of the field in Slovenia. The collaboration is predicted in the form of exchanges and training.