Ethics and Professionals Practice Research Paper 2022

Running head: ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
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ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE1
Introduction
Community service workers have been focusing on efficiently maintaining of
confidentiality in their practice. Confidentiality can be explicitly explained as form of regulation
in terms of legal and ethical, which safeguards the clients’ right of confidentiality. According to
Reame (2015), in community services, Community service workers are committed to safeguard
and preserve the confidentiality, truthfulness and security of clients, employees as well as
volunteer’s personal data and information (Wolf et al., 2015). Community service agencies have
been using practical efforts for safeguarding clients’ personal information and further complying
with the obligations imposed by the Australian Privacy Principles (APP). The following paper
aims to analyse ethical considerations of maintaining utmost confidentiality in Community
service practices.
Discussion
As per ethical practice guideline set by ACWA, individuals must exercise ethical
behaviour in every situation as per the Australian Community Workers Code of ethics.
Furthermore, community service workers have been efficiently distinguishing and effectively
addressing ethical issues related to violations of confidentiality, discretion and professional
limitations, which may take place while using digital tools for service provision. Furthermore,
workers in community services as per ACWA guideline have been working in relation to child
protection, the importance of duty of care associations have been depending greatly on the
information of each specific case. For community workers, the practice guidelines have been
recognized as key resource for service providers as well as employers. The strategies and
indicators can be used as vital part of the duty of care procedures in order to ensure workers have
the essential competencies to maintain confidentiality of clients. Studies reveal that organized

ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE2
health-care setting where community service workers identify them does not tend to determine
all of community ethical critical considerations. Karpman and Drisko (2016) mentioned in their
studies that before the concept of managed care materialized, community service workers
showed incompetence in offering their clients with utmost secrecy and confidentiality.
Meanwhile, study on the fields of psychology and psychiatry revealed that clients tend to
value confidentiality from their counsellors. Moreover, particularly in the domain of clinical
work, community service workers have shown considerable deference and admiration in support
of their clients and their need for confidentiality. According to Haley et al. (2016), trust and
reliance between community service workers and client is perceived to be imperative and tends
to rely on assurance of confidentiality of community service workers. Modern community
service workers have identified that maintaining confidentiality cannot be significantly outright.
On the other hand, there can be found several exceptions to clients’ confidentiality authorities.
Banks (2016) noted that identified exceptions linked to safeguard of third parties such as
compulsory reporting of child or adult molestation in addition to clients’ threats of self-harm,
which necessitate proper revelation of confidential information. Thus, in the view of Mänttäri‐
van der Kuip (2016), clients in domain of community service have authority to relative
confidentiality. For instance, if a client has authority to secrecy in relation to her sexual
orientation, however community service workers showing tendency to reveal information
regarding severe risks and dangers to welfare and health for example considering clients’ self-
harm attitude. Privileged communication is narrower concept. In order to comprehend the
boundaries of discretion and confidentiality, community service workers must develop
acquaintances with the doctrine of privileged communication (Unguru, 2018).