Shared values ​​are essential in creating a successful relationship between client and social worker. Social workers work within society, not only to assist the individual but to create a more cohesive society. Values ​​and ethics permeate the entire practice of social work and the society in which it operates (Shardlow 1989). Values ​​occupy a high position within social work, as highlighted in: “Social work is a professional activity. Implicit in his practice are the ethical principles that prescribe the professional responsibility of the social worker” (Code of Ethics of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW)). However, there is a danger that any list of values ​​becomes something cited rather than a useful tool for practice. Values ​​can be useful as they allow the social worker to analyze their practice in relation to the expectations of the law and the needs of the people they work with. What are values? Is there a place for them in contemporary social work? Is it possible to define what constitutes values ​​in contemporary social work? Biestek created a list of seven principles intended to show social workers how clients should behave. These principles may be well-intentioned, but they hardly reflect everything that happens in contemporary society. The very existence of a list of morals can be detrimental to social work because it creates a sense of security based on the assumption that the list itself contains everything that is necessary for successful practice. Values ​​determine what a person thinks he should do, which may not be exactly the same thing he wants to do. Personal values ​​allow us to evaluate the actions of others in relation to our own...... middle of paper ......) Ethical Issues in Social Work, Routledge National Association of Social Workers (1980) Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, NASW: Silver Spring, Maryland Payne, M (1997) Modern Social Work Theory. Second edition. MacMillanPlant, R. (1970) Social and Moral Theory in Casework, London, Routledge and Kegan PaulRepper, J. & Perkins, R. Social Inclusion and Recovery: a Model for Mental Health Practice, Bailliere TindalShardlow, S.M. (1989), The Values of Change in Social Work, Routledge: LondonTaylor-Gooby. P (1981) Social Theory and Social Welfare, Edward Arnold. LondonThompson, N. (1997) Anti-Discrimination Practice (2nd edition), London MacmillanThompson, N. (2000) Theory and Practice in Human Services, Buckingham, Oxford University Press.Wilson, K. et al (2008) Social Work: An Introduction to contemporary practice. Pearson, London