Code of Practice

and
Ethical Dilemmas
T.Y. LEE, Fieldwork Coordinator BSW
1999 T.Y. LEE 1
 The Code of Practice for Registered
Social Workers in Hong Kong
 Prepared by
 The Hong Kong Social Workers
Registration Board

1999 T.Y. LEE 2

 The Code of Practice
 isan 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.
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 Contents of the Code of
Practice
1. Basic values and beliefs
2. Principles of practice

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 Principles of Practice
 Personal Conduct
 Clients
 Colleagues
 Agency
 Profession
 Society
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 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

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 What is an ethical dilemma? It is
a Conflict between ...
 one’s personal and professional values
 two values/ethical principles
 two possible actions each with reasons
strongly favorable and unfavorable
 two unsatisfactory alternatives
 one’s values/principles and one’s perceived
role
 the need to act and the need to reflect
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 Can ethical dilemma be avoided?

You can avoid ethical

dilemmas! But...

You cannot completely

avoid ethical dilemmas!
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 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?
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 You cannot completely avoid
ethical dilemmas!
 Itis 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.
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 What are the behaviors that
will almost always be viewed as

unethical?
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 Sexual intimacy with clients

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 Libeling or slandering a client

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 Sharing confidences without
compelling professional reasons

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 Assaulting, causing physical injuries,
or placing clients in danger

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 Discriminatory practices

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 Withdrawing services precipitously
(abandoning a client)

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 Failure to warn and protect the
victim of a violent crime

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 Failure to exercise reasonable
precautions with a potentially
suicidal client

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 Promising “cures” for problems

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 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.
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 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.
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  Make sure you are constantly keeping in
mind the mission of the profession and
 observing the client’s 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.
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 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
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 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

1999
 consult others. T.Y. LEE 25
 A Decision-Making Model: 5
Steps (M.V. Joseph, 1983)
 1. definition of the dilemma,

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

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 The End

Read the Code of Practice and

keep a copy while you
practice
1999 T.Y. LEE 31