WEEK 11

1. WEEK 11 Ethical Considerations

2. What are Ethics • Ethics are concerned with what is right, fair, just or good. • About what we ought to do, not just about what is the case or what is most acceptable or expedient. • Closely linked to concepts of morality and values.

3. Values • Values may be defined as those principles or attitude to which we attribute worth (that is, we cherish or prize them) • They become guidelines for action with moral significance (such as ‘respect for life’ or ‘diligence in work practice’)

4. Values are the principles or attitudes to which we attribute worth that become guidelines for actions with moral significance. • Morality is the judgment of one’s possible actions based on some broader cultural context (like relationships) and • Ethics are the moral principles adopted to create the rules one sets oneself

5. Student Activity Take an account of your life. Think over all the important things in your life and write your own ‘This is Your Life’ Introduction. Basically this introduction covers all the positive things about a person’s life.

6. Student Activity Part 2 What things do you value?

7. 3 main ethical principles to consider Principle: Respect of the rights and dignity of people Principle: Professional Conduct with propriety Principle: Professional Conduct with Integrity

8. 1: Respect of the rights and dignity of people • Justice • Respect • Informed consent • Privacy • Confidentiality • Release of information • Collection of client information

9. 2: Professional Conduct with propriety • Competence • Record keeping • Professional responsibility • Collaboration with others

10. 3: Professional Conduct with Integrity • Communication/ Honesty • Conflict of Interest • Financial Arrangements

11. Confidentiality • Confidentiality – one of the most important ethical considerations for a counselling role. • Client must feel secure in sharing their information. • But is 100% Confidentiality even possible? • Promising total confidentiality is unethical in itself. Woolfe and Dryden (2003) state that this is becasue;

12. The need to keep records • The requirements of the practitioners own supervision • The need to protect others • Working in conjunction with other professionals • Participation in education training programs, conferences, workshops and seminars • Cases where law requires disclosure of detail.

13. Student Activity Using your textbook pp349 – 351 summarise the reasons why total confidentiality may be problematic.

14. Respecting clients right to Privacy • There are reasons why confidentiality is limited but it is the practitioners responsibility to ensure that confidentiality is maintained as far as is; • Sensibly • Legally and • Ethically possible • What a client shares with you is personal property and this must be considered at all times.

15. How to discuss confidentiality with your clients • Assure your clients that you will maintain confidentiality as far as is sensibly, legally and ethically possible. • Whatever they share will not be carelessly or unnecessarily divulged to others. • Outline the reasons why confidentiality may not be able to be maintained.

16. Respect for the client • Regardless of their behaviour, background or who they are you client has come to you for help and deserves to be treated as a person of worth.