Speak Out December 2019 V2 DIGITAL EDITION

Ethics

The ethics of gift giving and receiving

As the gift giving season approaches, we are increasingly hearing from members about gifts and how gift giving and receiving interacts with ethical decision making. Speech pathologists are professionals, and it is an ethical responsibility to maintain a high standard of professional conduct in every professional interaction with clients. The Speech Pathology Australia Code of Ethics states:

more friendly to the person, leading you to make decisions based on this rather than what is the most appropriate choice based on evidence? • Is there a possibility that the gift giver might expect preferential treatment in the future as a result of you accepting this gift? • If you say yes to this gift now, is it going to be harder to say no later if you are offered another, more substantial gift? Other questions may also be applicable. Some other factors to consider might be: • Cultural norms around giving and accepting gifts: What are the cultural expectations that prompted the gift? What are the social norms around and significance of the gift itself? Does the gift giver have a different cultural context for offering the gift? What would be the result of refusing the gift? Does your company have a policy about gifts? • If you post a photo on social media or display this gift somewhere where others will see it, is it possible that other clients may think they need to buy gifts to avoid being disadvantaged? I would like to give my clients a gift as the school year ends as a part of wrapping up therapy for the year what do I need to think about? Many of the people we work with have communication difficulties, we need to think about this situation from the way they have or may interpret it, rather than our intent. Again be mindful of professional boundaries, for example, would you think it was unusual if your dentist gave you a substantial gift? Maybe it would be acceptable if they gave you something like a toothbrush, but not set of wine glasses. Is there a possibility that the client will then feel obligated to buy you something, which they may not be in the position to afford or have budgeted for? Gifts could be considered as an inducement to use your service, clients and their families should select services based on their individual needs, rather than anything else they might receive from you over another speech pathology service. If you would like to see some gift related case studies please see our brand new FAQ on this topic, and Speak Up podcast about gifts. Next time our topic will be about offers, prizes, or inducements. Do you use these? Why or why not?

"we do not directly or indirectly demand or accept any rewards, bribes, substantial gifts, gratuities or benefit in respect to our work."

Speech pathologists may develop close relationships with clients and their support networks. This is important in ensuring that clients are engaged with the therapeutic process and can integrate any strategies offered into their daily lives. The close nature of this relationship helps ensure speech pathology intervention is effective but can blur the perception of professionalism. While this is a natural consequence of the environment and the context of the working relationship, speech pathologists should maintain professional boundaries as they are imperative for a number of reasons. This can include having difficult conversations about diagnoses, progress in intervention or financial aspects of service delivery. Some things to consider as gift giving season approaches: How might accepting a gift from a client effect the relationship I have with them? Accepting a gift from a client may result in a conflict of interest. You might feel indebted or perhaps more positively towards the person, leading you to make decisions based on this rather than in an objective manner, that is, what is the appropriate choice based on evidence? The gift giver might expect preferential treatment in the future as a result of you accepting this gift. Providing or not providing that preferential treatment may affect the reputation of the profession. Other clients may consider that the person who gave the gift is receiving preferential treatment, which may be considered a demonstration of unfair treatment. A client has given me a gift. How do I decide whether to keep it? When deciding if you should give or accept gifts from someone with whom you have a therapeutic relationship, there are a number of factors that should be considered. Here is a list of questions to ask yourself before entering into this relationship: • Is this gift substantial? Has significant time or money gone into creating it? • Is accepting this gift going to change your relationship with this person going forward? Will you feel indebted or perhaps

Send your questions to ethics@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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December 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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