4. Ethical Decision-Making

4. Ethical Decision-Making

Learning Outcomes

-       Recognise situations involving ethical issues
-       Use ethical decision-making frameworks

Identifying Ethical Issues

Not all care situations involve an ethical dilemma. But foster carers need to proactively assess if certain decisions demand ethical reasoning.

Warning signs include:

-       Competing regulations

-       Values-based conflicts

-       Potential disproportionate impacts

Red flags warrant pausing to deliberately evaluate ethical dimensions.

Ethical Decision-Making Process

Always handle ethical dilemmas with PEACE:

-       Ponder the facts and the ethical issue at hand.

-       Examine the regulations, values, and principles involved.

-       Assess the possible decisions and their consequences.

-       Consider the alignment of each option with ethical principles.

-       Execute the decision that best reflects the identified values.

Getting Guidance

In simple or complex situations with overlapping considerations, foster carers can seek guidance from:

-       Peers

-       Written resources

-       Supervising social workers and agency staff

Collaborative deliberation reinforces responsible ethical decision-making.

Learning from Experience

Analysing the reasoning behind judgement calls after situations are resolved represents a valuable reflective exercise for continuous ethical development.