Benecia Rodrigues
P3M3D2
P3 Explain how to incorporate ethical principles into the provision of support for individuals with
different needs.
M3 Analyse how an ethical approach to providing support would benefit specific individuals with
different needs.
D2 Justify the strategies and techniques used to overcome ethical issues and challenges experienced
by individuals with different needs when planning and providing care.
Ethical theories
Working ethically includes respecting the basic values and principles that underpin practices. Ethics
also involves facing moral questions for example, whether to prolong life against the wishes of a
terminally ill patient. There are four ethical theories, consequentialism, deontology, principlism and
virtue ethics. Consequentialism theory states that the correct moral response is related to the
outcome or consequences of the act and not its intentions or motives. The deontology theory says
that you should stick to your obligations and duties to a person or society when making a decision
because it is ethically correct. It focuses on your intention rather than the outcomes of your
actions1. The principle designates an approach to biomedical ethics that uses a framework of four
universal and basic ethical principles, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice 2. Virtue
ethics focuses on the moral character or virtues of the individual. This includes making decisions
based on your morals and what you feel is the right way to behave towards patients and colleagues 3.
The early writers on the consequentialism theory were Jeremy Bentham and one of his students
named John Stuart. A modern writer of this theory is PeterSinger. This theory demonstrates that
the correct moral response is related to the outcomes or consequences of the act rather than its
motives or intentions. In a health and social care setting this theory would be used when making
decisions about a patient’s health or social care; you would look at the likely results of your decision
for the patient’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. For example, a critically ill child with a low
survival expectancy requires a very expensive surgical treatment. The consequentialism theory
would be used in this scenario as it would help question whether the NHS should do the operation
or should the money be allocated to carry out other hundreds of operations. This will help look at
the consequences of spending the money either way and which is more important 4. In this case if the
care providers go forward with the expensive operation then this would allow them to build a good
relationship with the ill child. However, if the care providers allocate the money towards many other
surgeries then they would be able to engage with more patients and build a better relationship with
more patients. An action that brings about more benefit than harm is good 5.
The writers of the deontology theory are Immanuel Kant and W.D. Ross. This theory states that
you should stick to your obligations and duties to the person or society when making a decision
because this is ethically correct; it focuses on intentions rather than outcomes of the actions. For
1 Ebook
2https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_348#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9Cprinciplism%E2%80%9D%20designates
%20an,nonmaleficence%2C%20beneficence%2C%20and%20justice.&text=Principlism%20justifies%20moral%20reasoning%20by,and%20to%20the%20common
%20morality.
3 Ebook
4 Ebook
5https://ethics.org.au/ethics-explainer-consequentialism/#:~:text=Consequentialism%20is%20a%20theory%20that,of%20this%20theory%20is%20Utilitarianism .
, Benecia Rodrigues
example, the rules about who receives what treatment are applied universally and consistently. All
patients are owed the duty of care and the duty of not being harmed. However, this theory does not
take various factors into account such as a lack of resources making it impossible to give everyone
the same care everywhere6. The deontology theory would help health professionals to build a
positive relationship with individuals as individuals would receive the right treatment and would not
be harmed or discriminated against.
The writers of the principlism theory areTom L Beauchamp and James F Childress. This approach
uses four ethical practices, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Autonomy is about
respecting the decision making capabilities of autonomous people by enabling them to make
independent, reasoned and informed choices about their own care. For example, if an individual
makes a voluntary and appropriately informed decision to refuse a treatment, the decision must be
respected. This would allow health care professionals to build a good relationship with the
individuals as the individual would feel good that their decision is respected. Beneficence involves
balancing benefits of treatment against the risks and costs, so acting in a way that benefits the patient
and promotes the wellbeing of others. For example, using the cancer drug trastuzumab costs
£22,000 to treat one individual for one year. This theory helps when deciding whether this money
would be better spent on saving many people who suffer a heart attack each year or just saving one
person per year. Non-maleficence involves doing no harm and avoiding causing any harm. For
example, by making sure that any side effects of a treatment do not outweigh the benefits of that
treatment. Justice involves being morally right and fair, disturbing a fair share of benefits, doing what
the law says and looking at the rights of the people involved. For example, a care provider may work
in the health care department of a prison, it is their responsibility to provide the same standard of
care as those accessing treatment in a doctors surgery 7. This would help build a good relationship
with the service users they would be equally treated which would be seen as ethical behaviour.
The virtue ethics theory which has its roots in the work of Plato and Aristotle focuses on the moral
character or virtues of the individuals. If using this theory as a health and social care professional the
decisions would be based on morals and what you feel is the right way to behave. For example, you
might take time to explain treatment options to a patient and find out what they want to happen 8.
Having a moral approach would allow the service users to have an ethical therefore satisfying service
users needs enabling them create a good relationship with their service users. Developing and
maintaining good relationships will lead to improved outcomes for Valerie and Billy. This will create a
better environment in which Billy and Valerie will feel their needs are being heard and understood 9.
It is important for health and social professionals such as a mental health nurse to build a good
relationship with Valerie; they can do this by following the virtue ethics theory. Using this theory
would allow professional to make decisions based on their morals and what they feel is the right way
to behave with Valerie10. For example, Valerie has mental health problems which began when her
parents died when she was six years old therefore the nurse will have to take time to explain her
6 Ebook
7 Ebook
8 Ebook
9https://www.scie.org.uk/publications/nqswtool/professionalrelationships/#:~:text=Developing%20and%20maintaining%20good%20relationships,requires
%20integrity%2C%20honesty%20and%20skill.
10 Ebook
P3M3D2
P3 Explain how to incorporate ethical principles into the provision of support for individuals with
different needs.
M3 Analyse how an ethical approach to providing support would benefit specific individuals with
different needs.
D2 Justify the strategies and techniques used to overcome ethical issues and challenges experienced
by individuals with different needs when planning and providing care.
Ethical theories
Working ethically includes respecting the basic values and principles that underpin practices. Ethics
also involves facing moral questions for example, whether to prolong life against the wishes of a
terminally ill patient. There are four ethical theories, consequentialism, deontology, principlism and
virtue ethics. Consequentialism theory states that the correct moral response is related to the
outcome or consequences of the act and not its intentions or motives. The deontology theory says
that you should stick to your obligations and duties to a person or society when making a decision
because it is ethically correct. It focuses on your intention rather than the outcomes of your
actions1. The principle designates an approach to biomedical ethics that uses a framework of four
universal and basic ethical principles, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice 2. Virtue
ethics focuses on the moral character or virtues of the individual. This includes making decisions
based on your morals and what you feel is the right way to behave towards patients and colleagues 3.
The early writers on the consequentialism theory were Jeremy Bentham and one of his students
named John Stuart. A modern writer of this theory is PeterSinger. This theory demonstrates that
the correct moral response is related to the outcomes or consequences of the act rather than its
motives or intentions. In a health and social care setting this theory would be used when making
decisions about a patient’s health or social care; you would look at the likely results of your decision
for the patient’s wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. For example, a critically ill child with a low
survival expectancy requires a very expensive surgical treatment. The consequentialism theory
would be used in this scenario as it would help question whether the NHS should do the operation
or should the money be allocated to carry out other hundreds of operations. This will help look at
the consequences of spending the money either way and which is more important 4. In this case if the
care providers go forward with the expensive operation then this would allow them to build a good
relationship with the ill child. However, if the care providers allocate the money towards many other
surgeries then they would be able to engage with more patients and build a better relationship with
more patients. An action that brings about more benefit than harm is good 5.
The writers of the deontology theory are Immanuel Kant and W.D. Ross. This theory states that
you should stick to your obligations and duties to the person or society when making a decision
because this is ethically correct; it focuses on intentions rather than outcomes of the actions. For
1 Ebook
2https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-09483-0_348#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9Cprinciplism%E2%80%9D%20designates
%20an,nonmaleficence%2C%20beneficence%2C%20and%20justice.&text=Principlism%20justifies%20moral%20reasoning%20by,and%20to%20the%20common
%20morality.
3 Ebook
4 Ebook
5https://ethics.org.au/ethics-explainer-consequentialism/#:~:text=Consequentialism%20is%20a%20theory%20that,of%20this%20theory%20is%20Utilitarianism .
, Benecia Rodrigues
example, the rules about who receives what treatment are applied universally and consistently. All
patients are owed the duty of care and the duty of not being harmed. However, this theory does not
take various factors into account such as a lack of resources making it impossible to give everyone
the same care everywhere6. The deontology theory would help health professionals to build a
positive relationship with individuals as individuals would receive the right treatment and would not
be harmed or discriminated against.
The writers of the principlism theory areTom L Beauchamp and James F Childress. This approach
uses four ethical practices, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Autonomy is about
respecting the decision making capabilities of autonomous people by enabling them to make
independent, reasoned and informed choices about their own care. For example, if an individual
makes a voluntary and appropriately informed decision to refuse a treatment, the decision must be
respected. This would allow health care professionals to build a good relationship with the
individuals as the individual would feel good that their decision is respected. Beneficence involves
balancing benefits of treatment against the risks and costs, so acting in a way that benefits the patient
and promotes the wellbeing of others. For example, using the cancer drug trastuzumab costs
£22,000 to treat one individual for one year. This theory helps when deciding whether this money
would be better spent on saving many people who suffer a heart attack each year or just saving one
person per year. Non-maleficence involves doing no harm and avoiding causing any harm. For
example, by making sure that any side effects of a treatment do not outweigh the benefits of that
treatment. Justice involves being morally right and fair, disturbing a fair share of benefits, doing what
the law says and looking at the rights of the people involved. For example, a care provider may work
in the health care department of a prison, it is their responsibility to provide the same standard of
care as those accessing treatment in a doctors surgery 7. This would help build a good relationship
with the service users they would be equally treated which would be seen as ethical behaviour.
The virtue ethics theory which has its roots in the work of Plato and Aristotle focuses on the moral
character or virtues of the individuals. If using this theory as a health and social care professional the
decisions would be based on morals and what you feel is the right way to behave. For example, you
might take time to explain treatment options to a patient and find out what they want to happen 8.
Having a moral approach would allow the service users to have an ethical therefore satisfying service
users needs enabling them create a good relationship with their service users. Developing and
maintaining good relationships will lead to improved outcomes for Valerie and Billy. This will create a
better environment in which Billy and Valerie will feel their needs are being heard and understood 9.
It is important for health and social professionals such as a mental health nurse to build a good
relationship with Valerie; they can do this by following the virtue ethics theory. Using this theory
would allow professional to make decisions based on their morals and what they feel is the right way
to behave with Valerie10. For example, Valerie has mental health problems which began when her
parents died when she was six years old therefore the nurse will have to take time to explain her
6 Ebook
7 Ebook
8 Ebook
9https://www.scie.org.uk/publications/nqswtool/professionalrelationships/#:~:text=Developing%20and%20maintaining%20good%20relationships,requires
%20integrity%2C%20honesty%20and%20skill.
10 Ebook
