ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING

ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING 

Introduction

In almost every child protection case, the professional encounters significant ethical dilemmas that can shape the decision made to guarantee the wellbeing of the children involved while also considering the other people involved in the case (Hamilton & Bundy-Fazioli, 2013). Child protection cases demand excellent decision-making abilities from the practitioner involved because the alternatives taken over others often have short and long-term implications for the children, parents, relatives, and others involved in the case. The current child protection scenario features children from troubled families. The mother has a history of drug addiction, worked in the sex industry, and had a boyfriend who sexually assaulted the children. This paper applies the inclusive, ethical decision-making model to determine the most ethical and justifiable decision on the custody of Jeannie’s children to ensure maximum protection and wellbeing.

Discussion

Child protection cases present major ethical dilemmas and demand excellent decision- making skills from the practitioner because the validity of the decisions made is dependent on the quality and truthfulness of the information available to the practitioner (Brown, Trevino & Harrison, 2005). For example, in the child protection case involving Jeannie’s children, Patricia, the child protection worker, gave a contested report, noting that she took the children to see the boyfriend that sexually assaulted them. The questionable information also indicates that she promised the boyfriend that he should return to her home after he is released from prison, which would expose the children to the risks of abuse and sexual assault (Meysen & Kelly, 2017). Based on the best and verified information relating to the case, as reported in the scenario, this report applies the inclusive model of ethical decision-making, one of the useful models in guiding decision-making to guarantee informed decisions (Hardy & Rundle, 2012).

The inclusive, ethical decision-making model is grounded on four key platforms that can be conceptualized as guiding principles. The four include accountability, which refers to the standards, guidelines, and potential legal and social issues that should be given due consideration (McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008). The second platform is consultation, which refers to the interest groups and stakeholders that should be engaged in the process to supply the required information, counsel, advice, and support, among other necessary information. The third is cultural sensitivity, which refers to the importance of considering any pertinent or applicable cultural practices and traditions and the competency required to deal with them (McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008). The fourth is critical reflection, which refers to integrating previous experience and the information learned to make the best decision possible. With the four principles in focus, it is possible to apply the five-step process of ethical decision-making to the child protection scenario (McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008).

Order a well-written high-quality paper!