1. Unit 5: Meeting individual care and support needs
Learning aim B1

2. Learning aims
Pass: Explain how to incorporate ethical principles into the provision of support for individuals with different needs
Merit: Analyse how an ethical approach to providing support would benefit specific individuals with different needs
Distinction: Justify the strategies and techniques used to overcome ethical issues and challenges experienced by individuals with different needs when planning and providing care

3. Starter
Define ethics and morals
Discussion page 246

4. Are these ethical?
A In New Zealand, women who had pre-cancerous symptoms were divided into two groups without their knowledge, and only one of the groups was treated for their symptoms. B An anti-viral HIV drug was tested against a placebo by American companies in African, Caribbean and Asian countries. Testing in this way was unlikely to pass ethical standards in the USA. C In the UK, doctors at Alder Hey Hospital kept organs for medical research purposes from babies who had died, without asking their parents' permission to do so. The parents thought they had buried their children with their organs intact. The BBC described this practice as 'harvesting organs' and called it an 'organ scandal' (BBC 2001).

5. B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Ethical theories
Principlism – this theory is based on the four main principles or morals that underpin all other ethical theories (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice).
Teacher notes
Although each theory has pros and cons and on its own is not suitable for analysing an ethical dilemma or issue and overcoming it in the most ethical way, a combination of these approaches could help with reaching the best ethical decision.

6. beneficence: for all care and support provided to benefit individuals
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
The four main ethical or moral principles that underpin the provision of care and support to meet individual needs are:
autonomy: to respect and promote individuals’ right to make their own decisions
beneficence: for all care and support provided to benefit individuals
non-maleficence: for all care and support provided to do no harm to individuals
justice: to be fair and apply equality when providing care and support to individuals.
Refer to example A, B and C – what principles are being undermined?
Teacher notes
A whole group discussion could ensue around the connotations that learners have with the following terms: values, principles, ethics.

7. B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Ethical theories
Ethical theories based on the four main ethical principles have been developed to try and explain different approaches for managing different ethical issues.
Consequentialism – this theory states that the ethics or morality associated with a person’s action depends on the consequences of that action (i.e. good consequences underpin good ethics).
Deontology – this theory states that a person should adhere to their duties and responsibilities when overcoming an ethical dilemma.
Utilitarianism – this theory states that an ethically correct decision is one that is of the greatest benefit to the most people
Virtue ethics – this theory states that a person must be judged by their character, such as their reputation and morals, rather than by their unethical actions.
How would each type of philosopher respond to our three examples?
Teacher notes

8. Discuss and compare two ethical theories.
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Discussion page 247
Discuss and compare two ethical theories.
Which theory do you value the most?
Teacher notes
Each pair could be given two different ethical theories to discuss and compare; their similarities, differences, pros and cons should be discussed. Each pair can then share their findings with the whole group. Ensure all ethical theories are considered by the whole group. It could be reinforced that no one theory on its own is suitable, but a combination of two or more could be useful for overcoming an ethical dilemma. Learners could also group together ethical theories with common goals/aims.

9. B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Minimising risk while promoting choice, sharing information while managing confidentiality
How to minimise risk but promote individual choice and independence for individuals and health and social care professionals?
by individuals and professionals agreeing to solutions together that balance risk with individual choice and independence
by individuals and professionals having a positive approach to taking and minimising risks.
How to share information while managing confidentiality?
by individuals and professionals understanding how and when information is shared, what information is confidential and not confidential
by providing clarity about professionals’ responsibilities and duty of care for sharing information and managing confidentiality .
Teacher notes

10. B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Managing conflict with service users, carers and/or families, colleagues
Conflict with service users, carers and/or families, or colleagues may occur when providing care and support to meet individual needs. Examples can include:
a service user being angry with a carer for suggesting that more support is required to meet their needs
a service user disagreeing with a family member over their decision to remain living independently
a health and social care worker disagreeing with another professional as to how best to meet an individual’s needs.
Teacher notes

11. Read table 5.2 Did you scenarios use these skills?
How
Read table 5.2 Did you scenarios use these skills?

12. Managing conflicts of interest
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Managing conflicts of interest
Define conflict of interest Discuss the conflicts on interest on page 249 When could your personal situation affect your judgement?
Teacher notes
The quoted guide could be a useful source of information and can be accessed from: content/uploads/sites/12/2016/05/man-confl-int-guid-1214.pdf

13. Balancing services and resources
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Resources
Services
Services that meet individuals’ specific needs
Services that promote individuals’ choices and independence
Services that promote maximum benefits to health and well-being
Allocation and availability of resources
Resource costs
Balancing services and resources
Read page 239 and discuss
Teacher notes
As an additional activity, learners could work in pairs or small groups to discuss the ethical difficulties involved in balancing services and resources.

14. What skills do health and social care practitioners need to
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3, D2)
Time: 15 mins
What skills do health and social care practitioners need to
overcome ethical issues and conflicts experienced with individuals?
Discuss and share with a partner.
Teacher notes
Each pair could be given a specific ethical issue/conflict that may arise when planning and providing care and support to discuss and then the skills required to manage these (i.e. this could be an opportunity for learners to re-visit their learning for A2 and think about people skills, communication skills, the six Cs).

15. Research the Caldicott principles.
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3, D2)
Time: 20 mins
Research the Caldicott principles.
How do these promote an ethical approach to sharing information and managing confidentiality?
Share and discuss with a partner.
Teacher notes
Information about the Caldicott Principles and guidance on best practice when sharing information and managing confidentiality in the health and social care sector is available from the Health and Social Care Information Centre’s 2013 guide, A guide to confidentiality in health and social care: references. Treating confidential information with respect:

16. B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3, M3, D2)
Time: 45 mins
Present a case study of an individual who has care and support needs and:
explain how ethical principles form the basis of this individual’s care and support provision
examine in detail the benefits of using an ethical approach to meeting the individual’s care and support needs
examine in detail the ethical issues and challenges experienced by the individual and justify the approaches that can be used to overcome these.
Teacher notes
Learners will need to include a profile of the individual’s background and needs. Presentations could be verbal or in writing.

17. Summary In this lesson we:
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3, M3, D2)
Summary
In this lesson we:
looked at the main ethical principles that underpin the provision of care and support to meet individual needs
examined a range of ethical theories that are used to help analyse ethical issues or challenges that may arise when providing care and support
examined in detail different examples of ethical issues or challenges that may arise when providing care and support
looked at different skills and approaches that are used to manage ethical issues.

18. Summary: plenary activities
B: Examine the ethical issues involved when providing care and support to meet individual needs (B1, P3)
Summary: plenary activities
1. Why are ethical theories useful for analysing ethical issues? 2. What types of ethical issues can arise when providing care and support to meet individual needs?