1. Code of Practice
and
Ethical Dilemmas
T.Y. LEE, Fieldwork Coordinator BSW
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2. The Code of Practice for Registered
Social Workers in Hong Kong
Prepared by
The Hong Kong Social
Workers Registration Board
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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.
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4. Contents of the Code of
Practice
1. Basic values and beliefs
2. Principles of practice
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5. Principles of Practice
Personal Conduct
Clients
Colleagues
Agency
Profession
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Society T.Y. LEE 5

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
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7. 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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8. Can ethical dilemma be avoided?
You can avoid ethical
dilemmas! But...
You cannot completely
avoid ethical dilemmas!
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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?
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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.
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11. What are the behaviors that
will almost always be viewed as
unethical?
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12. Sexual intimacy with clients
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13. Libeling or slandering a client
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14. Sharing confidences without
compelling professional reasons
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15. Assaulting, causing physical
injuries, or placing clients in danger
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16. Discriminatory practices
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17. Withdrawing services precipitously
(abandoning a client)
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18. Failure to warn and protect the
victim of a violent crime
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19. Failure to exercise reasonable
precautions with a potentially
suicidal client
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20. Promising “cures” for problems
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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.
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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.
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23. 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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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
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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
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consult others.
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26. A Decision-Making Model: 5
Steps (M.V. Joseph, 1983)
1. definition of the dilemma,
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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,
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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,
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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
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30. A Decision-Making Model: 5
Steps (M.V. Joseph, 1983)
5. choosing a
position
that you can
defend.
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31. The End
Read the Code of Practice and
keep a copy while you
practice
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