Ethics, Accountability and the Social

This book explores the far-reaching ethical implications of recent changes in the organization and practice of the social professions, including social work, community and youth work.Drawing on moral philosophy, professional ethics and new empirical research, the author explores such questions as:* Can any occupation justifiably claim a special set of ethics?* What is the impact of the new 'ethics of distrust' on the autonomy discretion and creativity of practitioners?* How does inter-professional working challenge conceptions of professional identities and roles?* Do 'professional ethics' act as an obstruction to constructive developments?Combing interviews with practitioners with developments in ethical theory, Ethics, Accountability and the Social Professions shows the complexity and range of issues at stake.

Sarah Banks is Senior Lecturer in Community and Youth Work at the University of Durham.

List of figures and tables

xii

Acknowledgements

xiii

Introduction: exploring professional ethics

1

(1)

Professional ethics as a topic of concern

1

(1)

The social professions

1

(2)

The nature of professional ethics

3

(1)

The themes of the book: professionalism, ethics and change

4

(4)

Exploring professional ethics

8

(2)

Outline of the book

10

(7)

1 The social professions and the calling to care Introduction

17

(30)

Approaches to the study of professions

18

(1)

The essentialist approach

19

(1)

The strategic approach

20

(1)

The historical/developmental approach

21

(2)

The ideal-typical profession

23

(2)

The social professions

25

(1)

The development of the social professions

26

(2)

Nineteenth-century philanthropy

28

(1)

The caseworkers

29

(1)

Early forms of community work

30

(1)

Community work as the third method of social work

31

(1)

The emergence of youth and community work

31

(1)

The ambivalence towards professionalisation

32

(1)

Threats to the professions: the mixed economy of welfare and increasing state control

33

(2)

Key themes in the development and work of the social professions

35

(2)

Managerialism and professionalism in public services

37

(5)

Deprofessionalisation, the 'new professionalism' and the evolving social professions

42

(3)

Concluding comments

45

(2)

2 Philosophical perspectives I: professional ethics and ordinary ethics

47

(23)

Introduction

47

(1)

'Ethics'

48

(1)

'Professional ethics'

49

(2)

The legitimacy of professional ethics

51

(2)

The social professions and their service ideal

53

(5)

The ideal of welfare

55

(2)

Social welfare

57

(1)

Trust and the legitimacy of professional ethics

58

(2)

'Professional ethics' and 'ordinary ethics'

60

(3)

Professional ethics are the same as ordinary ethics

63

(2)

Professional ethics are special ethics

65

(3)

Concluding comments

68

(2)

3 Philosophical perspectives II: professional ethics and ethical theory

70

(36)

Introduction.

70

(1)

Professional ethics as part of moral philosophy or social science?

71

(3)

Ethical theories and theoretical approaches to ethics

74

(4)

Impartial and detached approaches

78

(6)

Principle-based ethics

78

(2)

Rights-based ethics

80

(1)

Discourse-based ethics

81

(1)

Case-based ethics

82

(2)

Partial and situated approaches

84

(10)

Agent-focused ethics

85

(2)

Community-based ethics

87

(2)

Relationship-based ethics

89

(3)

'Other'-based ethics

92

(2)

The end of ethics or postmodern ethics?

94

(4)

Impartialist and partialist approaches to professional ethics

98

(2)

The impartial 'view from nowhere'

98

(1)

The partial, situated moral agent

99

(1)

The inherent replaceability and irreplaceability of professional judgements and relationships

100

(1)

The importance of impartial principles and particular relationships

101

(3)

Concluding comments

104

(2)

4 From philosophical principles to professional practice: the form and function of codes of ethics

106

(19)

Introduction

106

(1)

The rationale for exploring ethical codes

106

(2)

What is a code of ethics?

108

(2)

Examples of codes of ethics

110

(3)

Codes of ethics as a mistaken enterprise

113

(3)

Codes of ethics as codes of moral philosophy: a contradition in terms?

113

(1)

Codes of ethics as flawed statements of Kantian ethical principles?

114

(2)

Codes of ethics as unethical?

116

(1)

Codes of ethics as more than they seem

116

(5)

Codes of ethics as rhetorical devices

117

(1)

Codes of ethics as aspirational

118

(1)

Codes of ethics as educational

119

(1)

Codes of ethics as regulatory

119

(2)

The value of codes of ethics

121

(2)

Concluding comments

123

(2)

5 Practitioner perspectives I: interprofessional working - issues of identity, values and culture

125

(24)

Introduction

125

(1)

The growth of interagency partnerships and multi/interprofessional teams

126

(2)

Interviews with practitioners

128

(1)

The youth offending and community safety service: a case study

129

(2)

The practical and ethical benefits of interprofessional working

131

(2)

Promoting the welfare of service users: consistency and continuity

131

(1)

Promoting community and social welfare: effectiveness and prevention

132

(1)

The practical and ethical challenges of interprofessional working

133

(12)

Issues of different systems: hierarchies, procedures and criteria

134

(1)

Issues of professional identity, values and culture

134

(6)

What we do and who we are: issues of professional identity

140

(2)

What we believe and how we act: issues of professional values

142

(1)

Our way of being and doing: issues of professional culture

143

(2)

Professional values and ethics as obstructive?

145

(3)

Concluding comments

148

(1)

6 Practitioner perspectives II: the new accountability and the ethics of distrust

149

(30)

Introduction

149

(1)

Accountability

150

(1)

The 'new accountability'

151

(4)

Professional autonomy

155

(1)

Interviews with practitioners

156

(1)

The new accountability as practically useful and morally good

156

(4)

Practical arguments: clarity and focus

157

(1)

Ethical arguments: rights, equity, accountability and outcomes

158

(2)

The new accountability as unhelpful and morally dubious

160

(12)

Practical arguments: too many procedures

161

(2)

Practical and ethical arguments: the forms are too prescriptive

163

(2)

Ethical arguments: vocation, trust, sensitivity and context

165

(7)

Towards 'good practice': interweaving equity and empathy, or 'just caring'

172

(5)

The practitioner as designer-tailor

173

(1)

The practitioner as fair assessor

174

(1)

Balancing equity and empathic care

174

(3)

Concluding comments

177

(2)

7 Called to account: the response of the social professions

179

(16)

Introduction

179

(1)

The shiftiness of 'professional ethics'

179

(1)

The 'new technicians'?

180

(3)

The new social professionals

183

(3)

The ethical challenge for the social professions

186

(1)

Practitioner responses

187

(4)

Concluding comments

191

(4)

Appendix: details of interviewees and interviews

195

(4)

References

199

(16)

Index

215

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Ethics, Accountability and the Social Professions

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials