Code%20of%20Practice%20and%20Ethical%20Dilemmas - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Code%20of%20Practice%20and%20Ethical%20Dilemmas

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Code of Practice and Ethical Dilemmas T.Y. LEE, Fieldwork Coordinator BSW The Code of Practice for Registered Social Workers in Hong Kong Prepared by The Hong Kong ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Code%20of%20Practice%20and%20Ethical%20Dilemmas


1
Code of Practice and Ethical Dilemmas
  • T.Y. LEE, Fieldwork Coordinator BSW

2
The Code of Practice for Registered Social
Workers in Hong Kong
  • Prepared by
  • The Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Board

3
The Code of Practice
  • is an operational statement of the central values
    of the social work profession.
  • Social work students should be thoroughly
    familiar with it.
  • Represents standards of ethical behavior for
    social workers.

4
Contents of the Code of Practice
  • 1. Basic values and beliefs
  • 2. Principles of practice

5
Principles of Practice
  • Personal Conduct
  • Clients
  • Colleagues
  • Agency
  • Profession
  • Society

6
Violation of the Code of Practice
  • may lead to failure in fieldwork assessment
  • if a placement student breaches the Code,
  • when evidence for the malpractice is upheld,
  • his/her fieldwork will be given a failure or zero
    mark

7
What is an ethical dilemma? It is a Conflict
between ...
  • ones personal and professional values
  • two values/ethical principles
  • two possible actions each with reasons strongly
    favorable and unfavorable
  • two unsatisfactory alternatives
  • ones values/principles and ones perceived role
  • the need to act and the need to reflect

8
Can ethical dilemma be avoided?
  • You can avoid ethical dilemmas! But...
  • You cannot completely avoid ethical dilemmas!

9
You can avoid ethical dilemmas! An Example
  • Your placement is in a school, you should give
    prior thought to how you would respond when a
    child reveals abuse or neglect.
  • Find out how your field instructor wants you to
    handle these situations.
  • What information does the school expect you will
    share with concerned teachers? The principal?

10
You cannot completely avoid ethical dilemmas!
  • It is best to prepare yourself for them
  • by examining your own values from time to time
  • and learning all you can about
  • how past ethical problems in your placement
    settings were resolved.

11
What are the behaviors that will almost always be
viewed as unethical?
12
Sexual intimacy with clients
13
Libeling or slandering a client
14
Sharing confidences without compelling
professional reasons
15
Assaulting, causing physical injuries, or placing
clients in danger
16
Discriminatory practices
17
Withdrawing services precipitously (abandoning a
client)
18
Failure to warn and protect the victim of a
violent crime
19
Failure to exercise reasonable precautions with a
potentially suicidal client
20
Promising cures for problems
21
How do I avoid rushing into ethical dilemmas?
  • Develop a working knowledge of the Code of
    Practice
  • (by necessity they cannot be specific to every
    possible ethics violation)
  • By anticipating likely trouble spots before they
    occur.

22
How do I resolve ethical dilemmas?
  • The first step is recognizing the problem and
    identifying the source of the conflict.
  • You also must keep all parties informed of your
    legal and ethical obligations.
  • Engage clients or involved parties in dialogue,
    and brainstorm the best course of action.

23
  • Make sure you are constantly keeping in mind the
    mission of the profession and
  • observing the clients right to
    self-determination.
  • If you are still unclear about what to do,
    discuss the situation with your field instructor.
  • Protect the identity of the client if necessary,
    and present the situation as a hypothetical
    case if you need external help.

24
The priority ranking of ethical principles
(Lowenberg and Dolgoff ,1992) An approach for
ordering social work values that might help you
get off the horns of a dilemma.
  • Protection of life
  • Equality
  • Autonomy and freedom
  • Least harm
  • Quality of life
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Truthfulness and full disclosure

25
How do I know whether I am doing the right thing?
  • It is not always possible to know,
  • but there is a greater chance that
  • we can feel good about the decision we have to
    make
  • if we go through a deliberate process where
  • we examine our values,
  • seek additional information, and
  • consult others.

26
A Decision-Making Model 5 Steps (M.V. Joseph,
1983)
  • 1. definition of the dilemma,

27
A Decision-Making Model 5 Steps (M.V. Joseph,
1983).
  • looking at all the relevant facts and developing
    valid arguments for various courses of action,

28
A Decision-Making Model 5 Steps (M.V. Joseph,
1983)
  • 3. consideration of practice wisdom, personal
    beliefs and values, and how these might influence
    the final decision,

29
A Decision-Making Model 5 Steps (M.V. Joseph,
1983)
  • 4. developing options, exploring compromises,
    evaluating alternatives in an attempt to find a
    course of action with the least negative effects,
    and

30
A Decision-Making Model 5 Steps (M.V. Joseph,
1983)
  • 5. choosing a position that you can defend.

31
The End
  • Read the Code of Practice and keep a copy while
    you
  • practice
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