Code Of Ethics: Ethical Framework Or Process For Resolving Dilemmas

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Section one: Describing and Defining

The development of a code of ethics in an organization or country is based on the premise that ethical behavior is at the core of every profession. The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) adopted a new code of Ethics on National Social Work Week 2005. Therefore, the Code of Ethics sets forth values and principles to guide social workers’ professional conduct but cannot guarantee because ethical behavior stems from a social worker’s commitment to engage in ethical practices. However, as much as it cannot ensure professional conduct, it is used to evaluate professional conduct among employees or social workers in organizations (Azzopardi & McNeill, 2016). Therefore, in Canada, each territory and province is responsible for the regulation of the ethical code of conduct among the social workers and ensures the protection of the public. Every social worker is therefore required to conduct any relevant regulatory body and establish if they conform to any code of ethics.

The thinking for the development of the code of ethics in Canada was due to the recognition of individual and professional diversity. This event is because there are reasonable differences of opinion which exist among social workers in which values and principles should be given priority in a particular situation. Lack of professional code of ethics, employees might end up engaging in conflicts because of behaviors that might affect the others, whether knowingly or unknowingly. These codes of ethics were therefore developed to ensure that social workers are aware of any conflicts between personal and professional values and on how to deal with them responsibly (Edwards & Addae, 2015). Second, the code of ethics was developed because ethical behavior requires due consideration of issues and judgment. It is possible to have conflict social and employee issues and therefore to respond to these issues appropriately there is a need a set of ethical code of conduct which will serve as the standards for analyzing the issues and finding solutions.

I believe these codes of ethics will help promote ethical behavior at work. In as much as they do not guarantee social worker’s ethical behavior, they provide a framework through which employee behavior can be regulated. Hey, serve as the principal code of conduct in which any behavior outside the established code of ethics is considered to be unethical and subject to an established organization or legal rules (Reamer, 2015). Currently, we have witnessed an incidence where employees have been misused in their organization, these code of ethics it will enable the management to treat all employees as equal and think from their perspective as well.

Section Two: Ethical Framework or process for resolving Dilemmas

The efficiency through which ethical dilemmas are resolved depends on the framework adopted by the organization or the party resolving the conflict, there, the regulatory authority or the labor union. A useful framework involves identifying the problems and parties involved in implementing the course of action and monitoring its progress. Different ethical frameworks have been developed to help in resolving dilemmas involving social workers in their code of conduct. Such frameworks include the ICAEW Ethical Framework and CASW Ethical Framework.

The ICAEW Ethical Framework/model

This ethical framework has been developed to govern the behavior of accountants in England and Wales. ICAEW stands for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Therefore, based on the provisions of the code of ethics for the accountants, all ICAEW members are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of professional conduct and to provide for the public interest (Stockall & Dennis, 2015). Their ethical behavior plays a vital role in ensuring public trust in financial reporting and business practices and upholding the reputation of the accountancy profession. For any ethical dilemma, this framework can be effectively be used to solve social workers’ ethical dilemmas in the code of conduct. The framework involves seven essential steps to resolving ethical dilemmas.

The first step involves gathering the relevant facts and identifying the problems. It is impossible to resolve an ethical dilemma without the right information and facts with the issues (Mullaly, 2006). This event helps in reducing common assumptions about ethical behavior. Once the relevant facts have been obtained, then the next step is to identify the affected parties and how much have they been affected. The third step in the framework is to identify the ethical issues in the dilemma being resolved, and this event is achieved by reviewing the code of ethics, which in our case, would refer to the new CASW code of ethics. The analysis of the issues rests on organizational, professional, and personal perspectives to the point. The analysis also seeks to establish if the issues are likely to affect the reputation of the organization and the social work profession and whether they affect or have the potential to affect the public interest (Eaton, 2019). The fourth step involves identification of the basic principles that are affected, such as integrity, professional competence, professional behavior, advocacy, among others. Once these have been established, the next step would be to employ the internal organization procedures of dealing with the issue with the established organization policies. The six steps would be to consider any alternative course of action such as applicable laws and regulations and finally implementing the course of action and monitoring the progress.

The advantage of this framework is that it offers the managers an efficient way of resolving dilemmas in the assessment of the issues from an in-depth analysis and hence enabling them to address the problems from a broad perspective. However, the primary demerit is that the steps may take too long before the issues have been resolved, given the analysis of the ethical issue.

CASW Ethical Framework

This framework has been developed by the National Association of Social Workers to address the ethical dilemma’s involving social workers (Catacutan & De Guzman, 2015). This event is most applicable ethical framework for resolving difficulties among social workers in Canada but can also be applicable in other professions and countries. The framework includes six steps for enabling managers to effectively resolve ethical dilemmas among involving social workers.

The first step involves the determination or company of whether there is an ethical issue or dilemma. Such an issue may arise from a conflict of rights and values or even professional misconduct. Once the problems have been established, the manager would then identify the fundamental values and principles or violated. Mullaly (2006) indicates such key values may include no upholding confidentiality when accessing organization information. The third step according to the framework, is to rank the values, or the principles identified according to the manager’s professional judgment. Then, the manager, after ranking the values and beliefs, will then develop an action plan which corresponds to the ethical priorities that have been determined as central to the dilemma. He will then later proceed with the implementation plan by utilizing most appropriate practical skills and competencies. Lastly, the manager would reflect on the outcome of the ethical decision-making process by evaluating the consequences of the process to the involved parties.

The more strength of this framework is that it can single out the ethical issues causing dilemmas and focusing on it without necessarily focusing on other issues outside the moral dilemma. Thus, it provides the manager with the ability to resolve the dilemma within the shortest time possible. However, its primary weakness is that it overlooks other social issues that might be related to the dilemma, and hence, it is possible to resolve the issue partly.

Section Three: Self Awareness about my Work Ethics

As part of social work, working with children who are abused and facing domestic violence cases is challenging, as I believe, would pose a big ethical dilemma. In a situation where I am requested to make a report about child abuse, and I have concerns over releasing information is a case of a moral dilemma. There, I would be faced with the tension to release the report, and the desire to respect confidentiality. However, there, by applying the NASW code of ethics, there is a provision which requires social workers to acknowledge our obligation to follow legal requirement and to protect the vulnerable then in this case it would be justifiable and ethically correct to provide the statutory report on child abuse irrespective of the confidentiality concerns.

The second ethical dilemma situation is when I am operating as a social worker in healthcare facilities by assisting the physician in handling counseling services. However, I am confronted by a patient missing the physician who requires immediate treatment and in this case, out of my level of competence of the profession. There is an ethical dilemma that this patient may not receiving any clinical attention and help if I do not intervene due to not the physician or any other healthcare professional such as a nurse. However, it is against the social work code of ethics to engage in a practice that is above, my competence level. In this case, I would only be of help to the patient up to the limit of my professional competence and not anything outside that framework.

Section Four: Working through it

After the analysis above, I believe that the second ethical dilemma situation is critical. Typically, we are presented with a job that is beyond our scope of competence. However, given the severity of the condition and the likely consequences to the party concerned, we may end in an ethical dilemma between observing the legal requirements and breaking the code due to other ethical concerns. In a situation where I am working in a clinical health care facility as a social worker offering counseling services to patients, by my professional competence and legal requirement, I am only required to undertake duties as per the limits of my professional expertise.

However, there, a patient visits the community healthcare facility where I am working as a social worker and does not find any nurse or physician available to attend to her. The distance between this community healthcare building and the next facility would worsen the patient situation. I’m faced with the ethical dilemma of helping the patient by prescribing any form of treatment, which could help remedy the situation as I contact the healthcare professions in further directions. By doing so, I would be going against the CASW code of ethics, which requires social workers to offer their services as limited to there are or competence. It is also against the nursing code of ethics for any other professional other than the nurses, and the physicians to administer treatment or any form of assessment outside their scope to the patients. The best services I would have offered would be counseling services deemed to understand the source of the patient’s problems and providing mental health services through counseling but not to offer any treatment help to the patient. It is against the code of ethics for a social work practitioners to engage in services which are outside the scope of our professional competence. However, the desire to help the patient given her condition is quite overwhelming as there is an urgency to help. The ethical dilemma there, therefore, requires an effective model or framework for resolving the dilemma and ensuring the best possible solution or course of action takes place.

After solving the ethical dilemma, I would apply the CASW ethical framework for resolving an ethical dilemma. This framework has been developed by the National Association of Social Workers to address the ethical dilemma’s involving social workers (Catacutan & De Guzman, 2015). This event is most applicable ethical framework for resolving difficulties among social workers in Canada but can also be applicable in other professions and countries. The framework includes six steps for enabling managers to effectively resolve ethical dilemmas among involving social workers.

The first step would, therefore, be to determine whether there is a moral issue or difficulty where, there, indeed, there is a professional, ethical issue. Once I have identified the problems, I would then determine the fundamental values and principles or violated. There, I would look at the violation of scope of practice while denying seeing the patient then would be potentially in conflict with our commitment to promote the well-being of clients. The third step according to the framework, is to rank the values, or the principles identified according to the manager’s professional judgment. There, I would rate the need to promote a professional code of conduct as the number one principle and value and the need to help the patient as the second value based on the impact on the parties or the public interest. This step would enable me to identify the most affected party and the code of ethics or principles and values violated and develop an appropriate actions. Based on the rankings, I would then develop an action plan which corresponds to the ethical priorities that have been determined as central to the dilemma and later proceed with the implementation plan by utilizing the most appropriate practical skills and competencies. Lastly, I would reflect on the outcome of the ethical decision-making process by evaluating the consequences of the process to the involved parties.

Section Five: Discussion

As a future social worker, I would be committed to observing the professional code of conduct in my bid to advocate for the oppressed, the voiceless, and others who are unable to advocate for themselves. However, to achieve this, I could express adherence to the social work values or promoting service, social justice, dignity, and worth of a person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. My strengths are, therefore, in the ability to uphold the values of social work in my practice. However, my more weaknesses in dealing with any legal situation which conflicts with the benefits of social work as prescribed or any situation which presents an ethical dilemma. However, I intend to improve on my strengths by focusing on how to effectively integrate ethical behavior to my social work practice, by doing so I could analyze the situation and areas which require the application of the various codes of ethics as established by CASW.

References

Azzopardi, C., & McNeill, T. (2016). From cultural competency to cultural consciousness: Transitioning to a critical approach to working across differences in social work. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 25(4), 282-299.
Catacutan, M. R. G., & De Guzman, A. B. (2015). Ethical decision-making in academic administration: A qualitative study of college deans’ ethical frameworks. The Australian Educational Researcher, 42(4), 483-514.
Eaton, C. (2019). Ethical Dilemmas with Older Adults in Health and Human Services.
Edwards, B., & Addae, R. (2015). Ethical decision-making models in resolving ethical dilemmas in rural practice: Implications for social work practice and education. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 12(1), 88-92.
Mullaly, B. (2006). Forward to the past: The 2005 CASW Code of Ethics. Canadian Social Work Review/Revue Canadienne De service social, 23(1/2), 145-150.
Reamer, F. G. (2015). 18 Ethical Issues in Social Work. Social workers’, desk reference, 143.
Stockall, N., & Dennis, L. R. (2015). Seven steps to solving ethical dilemmas in special education: A decision-making framework. Education and Treatment of Children, 38(3), 329-344.

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