Code of Practice
and
Ethical Dilemmas
T.Y. LEE, Fieldwork Coordinator BSW
1999
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The Code of Practice for Registered
Social Workers in Hong Kong

Prepared by
 The
Hong Kong Social Workers
Registration Board
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The Code of Practice
an operational statement of
the central values of the social
work profession.
 Social work students should be
 is
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
lead to failure in fieldwork
assessment
 may
 if
a placement student breaches the Code,
evidence for the malpractice is
upheld,
 his/her fieldwork will be given a
 when
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


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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!
is best to prepare yourself for
them
 It
examining your own values from
time to time
 by
learning all you can about:
 how past ethical problems in your
placement settings were resolved.
 and
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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
dilemmas?
resolve
ethical
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
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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

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 consult
others.
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A Decision-Making Model: 5
Steps (M.V. Joseph, 1983)
 1.
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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)
developing options,
exploring
compromises,
evaluating alternatives
in an attempt to find a
course of action with
 4.
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
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