Palliative Care Social Work Standards of Practice – Review of Select International Protocols

The exigent and interpretive nature of palliative care social work (PCSW) emphasises the need for a palliative care social workers (PCSWers) practice protocol, also known as standards of practice for palliative care social workers (PCSWers). However, till date, there are no agreed-upon standards of practice for PCSWs in India. In this backdrop, the purposes of this paper are (a) to review the widely available PCSW standards of practice, (b) to juxtapose the commonalities and the distinct features of the same and (c) to put forth suggestions that could be imbibed in the Indian context. This paper is based on a thematic review of select prominent social work standards of practice in PC in the American, Australian, and British contexts. Among other findings, the common standards of practice spelt out by the three protocols are ethics and values, knowledge, professionalism and setting specific skills. While the American and Australian templates mention about being culturally aware and responsive, the British template mentions context and organisations. Each of the documents mentions a range of skills required for effective practice, such as assessment, intervention planning, communication and interpersonal skills and documentation skills. Based on the findings, suggestions for a standard of practice of PCSW in the Indian context are put forth. To sum up, the paper provides a thematic analysis of three international standards of practice for PCSW. The findings provide insights for the development of a similar standard in India.