Speak Out draft text june 2016

Ethics News

Respectful professional communication

Interacting and communicating with colleagues in a professional and ethical way are integral to professionally acceptable behaviour.

The Speech Pathology Australia Code of Ethics describes appropriate professional and ethical communication both explicitly and implicitly in a number of sections, such as: Values Quality Standards and Continuing Competence – we value clear and timely communication with our clients, the community and all with whom we interact. Principles Truth – we tell the truth 3.3.3 Professional Reputation – we avoid behaviour that would bring the profession into disrepute, such as disparaging the skills, knowledge or services of our colleagues 3.4.1 Professional Standards – we treat our colleagues with honesty, fairness, respect and good faith There are other standards within the code that relate to communication with clients and the community in general, however those mentioned above highlight our ethical obligations when interacting with colleagues and other professionals. Fairness – we provide accurate information Professional Integrity – we are respectful and courteous Standards

What does this mean in practice? As professionals with specific expertise in

communication we should be in the best position to answer that question. Nonetheless, calls received by National Office from speech pathologists who have experienced inappropriate or confronting communication from colleagues (within speech pathology and other professions) indicates that it is worth consciously reflecting on how we enact those values, principles and standards when having discussions with our associates, to ensure we are interacting in an appropriate and ethical manner. All of us have experienced situations where we were aware of an issue that raised questions in our mind or did not appear to be appropriate, which we wanted to discuss with a colleague, a supervisee or supervisor, or a manager. It may be best to approach the person themselves initially, and then to seek further discussion if the situation or issue is not resolved. It is worth planning those discussions to ensure that we are maintaining and demonstrating respect for the other professional by presenting information in an objective way, listening, reflecting, and being fully engaged in the discussion. Allow sufficient time to explore all viewpoints and avoid rushing, and make sure the potential for disruption is minimised, i.e. does