Part 5c: What I have learnt so far...

Upon consulting reader 5: Professional Ethics and reading the section on “Theoretical Approaches to Ethics” I have realised that several of the Ethics I have previously talked about fit in to the three approaches outlined “Consequentialist”, “Deontologist” and “Virtue Ethicist”.

As I stated in part 5b, equality and diversity is at the forefront of everything we deliver at Hertford Regional College.  If I were to summarize equality and diversity into the three approaches I would take the approach of actually imbedding it into the curriculum that I am to teach. I am going to place what I feel I have learnt in a similar table as the one on page 8 of the reader:

Approaches to imbedding equality and diversity within a classroom based lesson

Consequentialist	Deontologist	Virtue Ethicist
Imbedding equality and diversity into the curriculum will make students more aware of many different cultures, religions, sexual orientation etc. and make them value the diversity within the world.	Imbedding equality and diversity in the curriculum will offend if not delivered correctly. Also may single out people.	Imbedding equality and diversity into the curriculum is morally right when approached in the correct way and will also enlighten the views of others. It is also intended to make people “Aware”.

This approach can also be taken with safeguarding as actions that have to be taken within safeguarding could be viewed as being acceptable for a rightful cause, the approach towards the occurring matter could be seen as wrong and the intentions of the action would be clear.

As I read the reader further and read about “Professional Ethics” on page 13, I realised that the Health and Safety code of practice fit into this. It states in the reader:

 “Some professions have developed licences to practice and have professional bodies to oversee that codes and ethics are being adhered to. The ultimate censure is removal of the licence to practice... Professionally, there can be tensions between personal ethics and professional codes and employer expectations”.

This statement seems to me to be the perfect definition of health and safety. People have a different work ethic within health and safety, there may be a certain way to do something that is specifically put across in training, however the person actually doing the work may feel it is safer to take a different approach. Personally I have been in many health and safety training sessions that have lead to a debate, but at the end of it all, it is the “Professional Code” that always wins.

This approach would also relate to equality and diversity as I feel that there is no correct approach to this ethic, it will always be a delicate subject, hence why the College I work for have codes of practice in place.