ny service users are in some way disadvantaged and may have had to deal with poverty, social exclusion and/or discrimination. Professional social work values are part of the core competencies (CCETSW), these are defined as “having a clear set of values which actively informs your social work practice, particularly concerning promoting the intrinsic ‘worth’ or ‘value’ of another human being” (K111 aids to practice card). Valuing something means that we know its worth “this is essential in social work precisely because many service users are seen by society as ‘undeserving’ or as ‘worthless’. Indeed, some service users have this view of themselves” (K111 aids to practice card, valuing). Knowing that there are laws and regulations in place ensuring that they have rights may empower service users, Bray & Preston Shoot (1995:48 cited in Social Work, Themes, Issues and Critical Debates p.38) state that empowering a person will give them “more control over their lives, to have a greater voice in institutions, service and situations which affect them”. “Sometimes the demand to be treated in a fair manner coincides with legal requirements, for example, the laws prohibition of racist behaviour and practices supports the demand that all people are treated with respect. All service users have the right to expect to be treated in a non-discriminatory way and to be informed about their rights” (workbook p11). The course reader states that “the law can also be seen as a champion of the unprivileged and dispossessed” and Williams (as cited in course reader p.15) “sees the law and the language of rights as playing a part in the fight against discrimination: “for the historically disempowered, the conferring of rights is symbolic of all the denied aspects of their humanity: rights imply a respect that places one in the referential range of self and others, that elevates ones status from human body to social being”. Social workers may have contact with service users from a wide range of cultural, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and so must be committed to anti-discriminatory, anti-racial and anti-oppressive practice. They have a responsibility to “identify, analyse and take action to counter discrimination, racism, disadvantage and injustice, using strategies appropriate to role and context and to respect and value uniqueness and diversity”(CCETSW 1995 p.19 workbook p62). The law can be a useful tool when countering discrimination, the Race Relations Act 1976 states that “it is generally unlawful to discriminate against a person on grounds of colour, race, ethnic or national origin or nationality”. The Children Act 1989 also “requires that any services provided for children by the local authority should be responsive to religious, racial and cultural needs”(workbook p.64). ” While you will find legislation preventing discrimination on the basis of race, sex>