When working in a social care environment, ethical practice plays an important role in every aspect of your work. This essay will explain what ethical practice is, how it impacts the social care sector and some examples of how it could play an important role in everyday work. Ethical practice is difficult to adequately define. “Social workers, supervisors and other staff should be guided by a general set of ethical standards that inform their decision-making and conduct when working with children, youth and families. Relationships with customers and colleagues should be based on mutual respect, commitment and honesty and should take into account cultural differences and the right to privacy." (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2003, Childwelfare.gov) In Ireland, the 2011 Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers which “specifies the standards of ethics, conduct and performance expected of registered social workers” divides ethical practice for social workers in five categories: • Respect for the inherent dignity and worth of people • Pursuit of social justice • Integrity of professional practice • Confidentiality in professional practice • Competence in professional practice (Irish Government, 2011, p7) Association Irish social workers have their own set of ethical guidelines, including: they must be honest, trustworthy, reliable and trustworthy, giving precedence to professional responsibility over personal interest in the performance of duty and they must report for service in a state fit mentally and physically. However, the guidelines set out in the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics for Social Workers have a more in-depth approach and more stable guidelines...... halfway through the work ......ial and the work Ethics of care . Social work and society, 2 (1), pp. 5-8. Available at: http://www.gptsw.net/papers/mghrprtn7103.pdf [Accessed: 29 November 2013].6. National Association of Social Workers. 2013. Code of Ethics (English and Spanish). [online] Available at: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/Code/code.asp [Accessed: 27 November 2013].7. National Association of Social Workers. 1997. Untitled. [online] Available at: http://www.naswma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=114 [Accessed: 27 November 2013].8. Reamer, F. 2008. When ethics and law collide. Social Work Today, 8 (5), available at: http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/EoESepOct08.shtml [Accessed: 28 November 2013].9. US Department of Health and Human Services. 2003. Ethical Practice and Client Rights. [online] Available at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/management/ethical/ [Accessed: November 26 2013].