Speak Out February 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

Ethics

Foundations for decision making in professional practice

As a profession, speech pathology has a strong reputation of professionalism and integrity. The ethical values, principles and standards described in both the 2020 Code of Ethics (Code of Ethics) and the Professional Standards inform our decisions and actions as speech pathologists, and the outcome is demonstration of those attributes. The Code was formally launched on 21 October 2020, following a comprehensive review of the 2010 Code (which has been described in previous editions of Speak Out ). The launch was in the same year that a comprehensive review of CBOS was completed. It is timely for us to consider how the revised versions of these core Association documents together guide our daily decisions in professional practice. Reading and thinking about how we use the values,

principles and standards in the Code of Ethics and Professional Standards to guide our decisions can provide confidence in those decisions. Use of the two documents to guide decision making also supports us to provide benefit to our clients. This maintains trust in the value of speech pathology as well as affirming the excellent reputation of our profession. The Professional Standards describe the minimum knowledge, skills and attributes required to practice professionally, and the Code of Ethics guides decisions necessary to apply that knowledge and those skills and attributes. Both the Code of Ethics and the Professional Standards have been written in a way that supports application to professional decision making in everyday practice. For example, consider these common scenarios on the next page.

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February 2021 | Speak Out