The centre manager’s decision: What would you do?
Learning Objectives
After considering this resource, you should be aware of how your own ethical principles may be challenged in practice.
Social work, as a profession, is built upon a number of key principles, and these are likely to act as a guide for you through many different cases. Inevitably though, there may be times when your own values clash with the eventual outcome, in spite of your own role in the given situation.
This activity introduces the case of John, a 26-year old man with learning disabilities, the manager of the day centre John attends, and the decision whether John should be able to walk to the day centre, rather than use the minibus provided by the social services department. Consider the outline. There is no wrong or right answer as different circumstances will change how you deal with situations. You might wish to discuss your views with other students or your practice educator or lecturer and to listen to other arguments. When you select an answer, feedback will be provided that will reflect the issues at hand.
Scenario 1
John, a 26-year old man with learning disabilities who had been attending a day centre for some time, asked if he could walk to the centre on his own, rather than use the minibus provided by the social services department.
Staff at the centre judged that he was capable of doing so and they thought that this would help him develop his life skills, self-confidence and independence. However, John's parents, who he lives with, were extremely worried at the suggestion, feeling that John would not be able to cope. The centre manager had tried on more than one occasion to persuade John's parents to allow him to walk, but they stated categorically that they would not allow John to attend the centre if he had to make his own way there. Eventually, the centre manager reluctantly agreed that John should continue to use the bus, contrary to one of the key principles that he believed was important for social work - user self-determination.
Do you agree with the centre manager's decision?
John relied on his parents for care and they had therefore, a right to have their views heard. The centre manager had taken into account this family relationship. He also understood it would not be in John's long-term interests if he stopped coming to the day centre or if his parents were excessively anxious.
Although the centre manager believed that self-determination was an important principle in social work and this could be compromised if John continued to use the minibus, he had to make a choice between the principles of self determination on the part of the service user and the promotion of the greatest good of the greatest number of people.
The centre manager had gone through a process of weighing up the outcomes of the proposed change against the status quo and decided that the least harm would be done if the status quo were maintained. He was left dissatisfied with the outcome, but he accepted user self-determination is not an absolute moral principle and therefore, it can be morally right to go against that principle.
John relied on his parents for care and they had therefore, a right to have their views heard. The centre manager had taken into account this family relationship. He also understood it would not be in John's long-term interests if he stopped coming to the day centre or if his parents were excessively anxious.
Although the centre manager believed that self-determination was an important principle in social work and this could be compromised if John continued to use the minibus, he had to make a choice between the principles of self determination on the part of the service user and the promotion of the greatest good of the greatest number of people.
The centre manager had gone through a process of weighing up the outcomes of the proposed change against the status quo and decided that the least harm would be done if the status quo were maintained. He was left dissatisfied with the outcome, but he accepted user self-determination is not an absolute moral principle and therefore, it can be morally right to go against that principle.
Reflective Questions
- What issues did you consider before you arrived at your answer?
- What other ethical principles, besides service user self-determination would you need to consider in this example?
- If you were the centre manager, what plans could you have considered to answer John's parents concerns about him walking to the centre, before making the final decision?
- Do you feel the centre manager acted unethically in making the decision he did? If so, why? If you don't feel it was an unethical decision, why?