Professional Obligation

Professional Obligation = Acting with

Professional Integrity
• the principle for professionals to act with integrity is described as ‘to act in accord with
the stated or implied values, undertakings and objectives of the profession
• When organisations claim to be a profession, and when individuals claim to be members
of a profession, they imply, and sometimes explicitly state, that:
1) they have the appropriate expertise, powers and resources to promote the
objectives of that profession
2) when pursuing these objectives they will comply with professional standards and
practices
3) they will keep confidentiality and respect privacy
4) they will be truthful
5) they will work for the interests of those who use their services.
• People trust professionals to fulfil these implications, and professionals act with integrity
when they strive to do so to the best of their ability
Having the appropriate expertise, powers and resources,
and complying with professional standards
• The initial responsibility of individuals for having appropriate expertise and
powers is usually a matter of them successfully completing qualifications and
training programmes before joining a profession, and the powers they need are
normally conferred upon them on joining. After joining, professionals have the
responsibility to remain up to date.
• People with managerial responsibility in professions should be mindful of their
obligations to their own professional integrity. These include: honouring the
implied promises made to colleagues in employing them honouring the implied
promises of their organisation to clients when professional services are made
available to them.
• When people’s ability to comply with professional standards is impaired in these
ways, professionals – both managers and non-managers – have an obligation to
deal with the problem.
Respecting confidentiality
• There are two main areas of confidentiality in professional life:
• 1. Confidentiality with respect to information about communities, those for whom
professionals deploy their expertise – their patients, students, clients, etc. – and
participants in research.
• 2. Confidentiality with respect to the workings of the profession (i.e. communications,
administration and policies)

• As much as possible, professionals should be honest to clients and colleagues about

confidentiality in relation to information and CAPs. They should make clear: the level and
degree of confidentiality they can offer (e.g. who is normally considered as needing access
to information on a professional/confidential basis, and why they need it) the reasons
why, and the circumstances in which, this normal level of confidentiality may be breached.
DISCLOSURE AND WHISTLE-BLOWING
Giving information about CAPs to those who would not normally have it is more likely to be
justified if:
• it is highly likely that harm and unacceptable practices will be averted by passing on the
information
• passing information seems to be the only way of averting problems
• only the amount of information necessary to achieve the ethically justified objective is
passed on, and
• personal information is withheld if at all possible
• action is taken to reduce any harm the breach of confidentiality may cause.
Whether information is given to someone external or internal, the main ethical
consideration for professionals is whether the unacceptability of what is going on justifies
the possible harm of giving information to people who would not normally have it.
Respecting privacy
• Respecting privacy is closely related to respecting confidentiality.
Whereas confidentiality gives obligations to those who have
information, privacy gives obligations to those who do not have it but
are in a position to obtain it.
• Professionals respect privacy by not pursuing ‘unauthorised access’
either to information about people, or to their families, friends or
colleagues.
• Access is unauthorised when permission for access has not been
given and when it is irrelevant to the professional process.
Respecting Privacy of…
• Privacy of clients, students, patients, the community, participants in
research, and so on
• Privacy of CAPs

Professionals should be honest about the amount of privacy that can be

guaranteed to clients and colleagues, making clear: the normal level
and degree of privacy (i.e. what processes, communications and
information are normally considered private) the reasons why, and the
circumstances in which, this level of privacy may be breached.
Being truthful
Being truthful is a very important aspect of professionals’ obligation to act with integrity.
People expect and trust professionals to tell them the truth.
The main ethical reasons for professionals to be truthful are:
• to act with integrity
• to enable those to whom they communicate – whether clients or colleagues – to make
informed autonomous decisions.
The main ethical reasons for professionals not to be truthful are to do with seeking the best
results: they may think that better consequences are likely if they do not tell the truth – or, at
least, do not tell the whole truth.
There are negative and positive aspects to professionals’ obligation to be truthful. These are:
• the obligation not to deceive intentionally
• the obligation to inform appropriately
obligation not to deceive intentionally
The obligation not to deceive intentionally
There are different ways in which we may intentionally deceive others. For example:
lying (i.e. deliberately telling people what we believe to be false)
deliberately omitting to tell them all that we know that is relevant to their situation
deliberately not putting them right when they misunderstand their situation.
If deception is ever thought justified because of other ethical considerations (e.g. in
order not to cause people unhappiness), lying is usually regarded as the most
unacceptable form of deception.
This is because making statements one believes to be false to clients and colleagues
seems to be the most flagrant abuse of the trust they put in what they are being told.
obligation to inform appropriately
• Since people seek the services of professionals to be enlightened as
well as to be helped, and since professionals usually undertake to
inform, they have an obligation to both enlighten and inform.
• There are different ways of informing: professionals could give all the
information they have, or only some. However, if all the information
they have is too much for people to cope with, the recipients will not
be enlightened by being given it all.
• It is, of course, normal for professionals – lecturers, lawyers, doctors –
to select and present information in the way they think appropriate
for their audience.
When making judgements about people’s abilities to understand, professionals should
bear in mind that their abilities may be affected by:
• their general level of intelligence
• the stress they are under
• their familiarity with the issues
• the stage the professional process has reached
• discussions that have already taken place.
So, although what is necessary for professionals to meet their obligation to inform may
vary from situation to situation, what is required is not arbitrary, but depends upon their
taking account of several factors in each situation. To be truthful in ways that fulfil their
obligation to act with integrity, professionals should:
• not intentionally deceive others
• give up-to-date information and be honest about any limitations in their knowledge
• give information that is as full as is appropriate in the situation, bearing in mind
recipients’ abilities and the objectives of the professional process.
Being truthful about professional values and
obligations
• One important topic about which professionals should be as truthful
and transparent as possible – and one that is frequently overlooked –
is their professional values and ethical obligations. To be truthful and
transparent about professional values and obligations is vital to acting
with integrity.