Exploring Ethical Dilemmas and Social Work Standards: A Case Study

This case study delves into the ethical dilemma faced by Mr. V, a 65-year-old Turkish Cypriot with Hodgkin’s disease progressing into cancer, and the challenges in securing a male Turkish Cypriot carer. It analyzes the role of social workers in providing appropriate care, especially when Mr. V's son is unable to provide personal care. The study examines the impact of social work values on the tasks of social workers and identifies the relevance of Social Work England’s Professional Standards in ensuring effective and safe practice. The PCF framework is utilized to analyze the complexities of the case, particularly the need for culturally sensitive care, and addresses how social workers can navigate such dilemmas by upholding core values like integrity, social justice, and respect for individual dignity. The analysis emphasizes the importance of professional development and ethical practices in social work to create a positive impact on individuals and communities. Desklib provides access to similar case studies and solved assignments for students.

Case Study

Ethical dilemma is defined as the moral dilemma in which there are two conflicting moral
requirements which characterises the situation in which the individuals fall into (Rainer,
Schneider and Lorenz, 2018).
Therefore, the essay will analyse that the case study based on Mr V facing the illness called
Hodgkin’s Disease which has turned into cancer and this created major dilemma as Mr V is
unable to get the male Turkish Cypriot carer for taking care of him. This will be taken into the
concern as to how the social workers is able to provide the services and take care of Mr V as his
son is unable to take care of him personally. Further, social work value affecting the social
workers’ tasks will be analysed and evaluated. Moreover, Social Work England’s Professional
Standards will also be identified for knowing the care responsibilities and care provided to the
patients.
Practice dilemma identified in the case study and elaborating on the knowledge and skills
required to contribute towards its resolution
The case study here is referred and explained in the manner that what is the dilemma
which Mr V is facing. Here, the situation is that Mr V is a 65-year-old Turkish Cypriot who is
living with his son and has worked in the family business which was selling of fruits and
vegetables and grocery shop. This became worse when two years ago Mr V was diagnosed with
Hodgkin’s disease (Berg-Weger, 2019). This is the disease to which Mr V is well aware. But the
problems are lying where Mr P his son is unable to take care of his father as he is doing his job
and stays at the office for longer hours. Mr P has tried to approach adult services for his father is
becoming weaker day by day. It has become difficult for his son to manage his father’s personal
care as he is not able to take care of his father. The problem here is that Mr V is in his last stages
of illness which has turned into terminal and this situation Mr P has decided not to tell Mr V that
the cancer is no longer responding to the treatment which has been provided at large scale.
This is the dilemma is that the duty manager is asked by the team manager to assess the
needs of Mr V. The social worker which has been placed to take care of Mr V is making no
mention of the deterioration of health of Mr V also the social worker which was being appointed
was white UK female (Bowles, Collingridge, Curry and et.al., 2020). The major dilemma is that
Mr P had already asked for the carer to be Turkish Cypriot. The social worker is aware of the
situation as there are no Turkish Cypriot and currently there are no male home carers.

The role of social worker is that they should be able to take acre and provide all services
and needs which are required by the patient. In this case, the main requirements are of taking
personal care of Mr V in an appropriate manner such that there are is providence of services and
needs at large scale. The fulfilment of having the carer to be a Turkish Cypriot is much needed in
the situation such that Mr V is able to easily communicate with him. This dilemma will be solved
when once the requirement of having a male Turkish Cypriot is solved and that Mr P has no
tension while attending his father and providing him personal care as he has no time (Banks,
2020). The social worker is responsible for creating a treatment plan in an effective and efficient
manner such that there is no problem in availability of the services and needs which are required
by the Mr V in taking care of himself with the providence of carer or social worker which is
engaged in taking care at large scale. There is a framework which is being followed and is
analysing the aspects as to how effectively and in appropriate manner the dilemma can be
resolved and the providence of facilities and needs are determined and are considered to framed
in an appropriate manner so that there are no difficulties which is being faced during the
providence of needs and services at large scale.
The model which has been undertaken is the PCF Framework which is described as –
The PCF framework is the framework for nine levels of social work in England. The
Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) sets out the professional expectations of how the
social worker is interpreting their duties and responsibilities at large scale and are considering to
provide the services and facilities to Mr V such that it helps in addressing the major concerns of
how care is being provided to Mr V with the help of creating value for taking care of Mr V by
providing them male Turkish Cypriot (Craig, McInroy and et.al., 2021). The different aspects of
the framework which has been identified are described in the manner which addresses the social
worker education and is in competence with the aspects of how effectively and in appropriate
manner the social workers are learning and educating themselves. It is the core of social worker
professional career development and is concerned with how effectively and in appropriate
manner the different aspects are being addressed for gaining knowledge of being a good social
worker. There are nine aspects and levels of social worker professional development plan and
steps which helps in becoming good social worker. The different levels are –
 Point of entry to training.
 Practising for readiness.

 First placement end process.
 End of completion/placement.
 Newly qualified social worker (Burton, 2020).
 Social worker.
 Experienced social worker.
 Advanced social worker.
 Strategic social worker.
The different aspects of PCF framework are described as – value and ethics, diversity,
knowledge, intervention and skills, professionalism, rights etc. These are some of major aspects
which are addressed for how the social worker is having the professionalism and skills which are
required for taking care of Mr V and this is how effectively major concern is being analysed for
taking acre and providing services and facilities for Mr V who is facing and is going through
major illness. This helps in addressing the major concern as to how the care facilities and social
worker is appointed for Mr V in addressing the aspects of care to be provided by having the
appropriate appointment of the carer and social worker which is a male Turkish Cypriot (Beck,
2022). This framework is used in the thinking process as it helps in knowing that Mr V needs
major care for recovering if proper needs and requirements are fulfilled which are having a male
Turkish Cypriot so that it becomes easy for him to communicate by being comfortable. The
framework helps in analysing and evaluating the professional development and career of how the
social worker is engaging into the services and is providing major concerns of effectively
providing care concerns in an appropriate manner.
This framework helps in analysing how effectively the social worker responsibilities and
roles are addressed. Now, the complexities in the case are that there is requirement of Turkish
Cypriot for taking care of Mr V and the carer which is appointed for him is a UK white female.
And due to this, Mr V is facing the communication difficulties. The social worker advances in
their career, the framework highlights which is required at large scale (Hughes, 2019). There are
aspects which helps in addressing the major concern as to how the care services provided to Mr
V such that he is able to take care of himself with the aspects of addressing and concerning the
major social work. There is a need of appointment of male Turkish Cypriot which is required in
taking care of Mr V. The framework of PCF helps in knowing that there are certain skills,

competencies which are required by social workers and this helps in addressing as to how the
care services are provided at large scale in an effective and significant manner.
The social work value affects the social worker’s tasks which is addressed in the manner
as to how the social worker is taking care of the services and care being provided to the patients
in which in this case, there is Mr V as he is struggling and is incapable of taking care of himself
and is having the problem and issue of having the carer to take care of him appropriately without
any hindrances in the services and facilities to be provided to Mr V (Goldberg and Warburton,
2021). The social work values affect the tasks and performance of social worker as they may find
some major difficulties in addressing to their roles and responsibilities at large scale. Some of the
major core values which social worker should follow and implement in their profession are –
 Integrity
 Significance of human relationships
 Competency
 Social Justice (Specht and Vickery, 2021).
 Worth and dignity of an individual.
 Serving the best services.
These are some major core values which should be followed by the social worker such that they
are able to analyse their roles and responsibilities in an appropriate manner and are making their
performance more valuable at large scale. This will also not affect the tasks and performance of
social worker. The tasks and performance of how effectively and in appropriate manner the tasks
and performances of social worker is being affected and this is how the social worker should be
valuing the core values and performances in an appropriate manner (Ferguson, 2018). When
there are wrong practices which are followed, the social workers task and being affected and due
to this there are major concerns of pointing out the performance and scales of how the social
workers should be able to engage into providing facilities and services more to the patients by
solving their issues and problems regarding their diseases and illness as in case of Mr V. The
social worker in this situation should be able to take care of the patient such that Mr V recovers
soon and is not facing any dilemma.
Along with this, there is Social Work England’s Professional Standards which is being
addressed and are concerning the major aspects such as -

The professional standards are the standards for social workers in England. They are
responsible for all roles and settings which are applied to registered social workers. The
standards are the threshold standards which are applicable for safe and effective practice (Abbot
and Wallace, 2020). These are the standards which helps in reflecting the diversity and value of
the social work practice which is needed in maintaining the professionalism and diversification
to create positive impact on families, communities and individual’s lives. The Social Work
England follows some major professional standards which are –
 Promoting strengths, wellbeing of people, communities and families.
 Maintains and establishes confidence and trust of individuals.
 Maintaining professional development.
 By being accountable for the quality of practice and decisions made in an effectively and
in appropriate manner (López Peláez and et.al., 2018).
 Promoting the ethical practices and concerning the reports of the patients within the care
system in an effective and significant manner.
 To act within professional dignity in a respectful and safety manner.
With the help of following and taking concern of these six standards which the Social Work
England is following is following helps in addressing the different aspects of growth and
development is framed at large scale. These standards are in relation to taking care of how
effectively the in appropriate manner the care services and standards a social worker should
follow within the care facility (Featherstone, Gupta and Mills, 2018). There are aspects as to
how the standard is being framed and is concerning the following it so that there are aspects as to
how the social worker is enabling it in more processed and continued manner to follow it more
skilfully.
Thus, it is concluded from the above essay that the case study was being analysed which
was based on Mr V facing the illness called Hodgkin’s Disease which had turned into cancer and
this created major dilemma as Mr V was unable to get the male Turkish Cypriot carer for taking
care of him. This was taken into the concern as to how the social workers is able to provide the
services and take care of Mr V as his son was unable to take care of him personally. Further,
social work value affecting the social workers’ tasks was being analysed and evaluated.
Moreover, Social Work England’s Professional Standards were also identified for knowing the
care responsibilities and care provided to the patients.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Abbott, P. and Wallace, C., 2020. Health visiting, social work, nursing and midwifery: a history.
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