Ethical Aspects at Work of Personal Assistents

International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies
Volume 5 Issue 9 ǁ September 2020

ISSN: 2582-1601
www.ijahss.com
Ethical Aspects at Work of Personal Assistents

Lukáš Stárek
Department of Special Education, Univrzita Jana Amose Komesnského Praha, Prag, Czech Republic
Correspondence: Department of Special Education, Univrzita Jana Amose Komesnského Praha, Roháčova 63
Prag 3, 130 00, Czech Republic. Tel: +420777905823.
Mgr. Lukáš Stárek, Ph.D., MBA

ORCID iD - 0000-0002-6068-215X
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Main purpose of the text is research of the influence of social service workers,
especially personal assistents with ethical code. How is ethic code useable while dealing with ethical dilemmas
in relation to the performance of this profession. Further we search for familliarity with ethical code between
those assistents.
THEORETICAL BASE: In their almost each daily routine are personal assistents facing particular ethical
questions. Their realization, searching for answers and wondering about the questions in general, it requires
neccesary care and time.
METHODS: To answer above mentioned questions was used quantitative research strategy - through
questionnaire. Data were processed from 105 questionnaires which were filled by workers at social services.
OUTCOMES: We found out that moral orientation of workers at social services is appropriate key for ethical
dilemma processing. The research proved that there is a need of deeper orientation in this profession
meanwhile still keeping the focus on relation with the customer of the service and organization itself. This
interest is linked with practical use and the knowledge of ethical code but also value of the social service.
SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Reflection of ethical aspects may contribute to improvment of provided
social services, more precisely to professionalism of the profession or strengthening professional competencies.
Keywords: ethical dilemma, ethical code, ethics, personal assistance, professional profile.
I. Definitions
The topic of ethics in social profession isn´t the topic that has not been paid attention to in the last decade. This
issue is known as among specialists from internal environment as among specialists from the abroad. The main
object is a client, who is perceived in subject of social work as individual, who needs a specific form and
measure of help or support. „… the aim of the social work is especially support the ability of the client to take
care of the situation in which is currently located, admit and proceed all the problems which are surrouding him
and develop yourself in the particular problem to improve his actual condition …“ (Gulová, 2011: 30) We want
expand the topic of social work further from the point of view of professionalism and within this direction is
necessary systematic support of social players themselfs, it means people, who offer or want to help and support
as a professionals.
“Social work always will be reflecting values (because it´s intervening to important aspects of everyday
life) and meanwhile it always will be the subject of conflict (because it´s aim is not acceptable for every member
of society).” (Nečasová, 2001:9)
Social work is therefore tied to the values on which we should base our professional role, whether it is
a social worker or a worker in social services.
Ethical dimensions of social work are obvious from view of history evolution and new experiences. But
there were, there are and there’ll be a ethical dilemmas, which are changing with the evolution of the society.
International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies V5● I9● 151
Ethical Aspects At Work Of Personal Assistents
We have to mention who is the main player of social work. In our case these are personal assistants
who enter the profession role not only with certain knowledge, ability but mostly with their personality, which
should be in interaction with ethical aspects of this profession.
Social services providers of personal assistant deal with important tasks related to the quality of care.
For example – improving the qualities of provided services, dealing with ethical dilemmas, compliance with
regulations and internal guidelines, increasing the responsibility of personal assistants in relation to the
performed activity. It is an evolution in social structure, which leads to signs of change of applicants of care and
to change of demands of care. It is notably the increase number of seniors and retired people and the effort of
providing optimal care for a people with any disability. In everyday work usually personal assistants are facing
with particular ethical questions. Realizing questions like this and looking for answers require care and time.
Time for reflection on own´s actions require amount of attention, which personal assistants “cannot afford”.
Importance of the ethic and its influence might be belittling this way.
User of social service as is personal assistance is a person, who enter contractual relation with provider
of social service, whose job is to take care of actions which are mentioned below. Part of the provided service,
as law num. 108/2006 set Social services (2006) is:
- Help of taking care of own person on daily basis (toilet, get dressed).
- Support and development of self-service.
- Help during hygiene, securing of food and household tasks (cleaning, luxation, washing, ironing).
- Educational and activation activities.
- Providing contact with society and its background (theatre, cinema).
- Help with law application, eligible interests and as companion during client’s personal meetings (for
example attendance to office).
Judging by service accounts, which offer personal assistance is obvious that group of users is varied. It
means that user of the personal assistance can be basically every person with diverse kind of disadvantage who
is willing to reach the highest level of independence. Among frequently users are seniors, people with any kind
of disability, people with sensory handicap, people with mental handicap, people with chronic illness etc. We do
prove the diversity of these users in research, where we´ve co-operated with organizations who had a different
sort of users.
Law num. 108/2006 Set Social services (2006) define personal assistance as “social service happening in
terrain which is providing to people who have a decreased independence due to age, chronic illness or disability,
whose situation require a help of another physical person. The service can be offered without any time limitation
(it means 24 hours per day – 7 days a week), in their natural social background and during actions which are
necessary.” Personal assistance goal is to keep the person´s integrity and secure worthy care and help “despite
disability resulting from disability, old age and illness” as said mrs. Hrdá (1997:4)… “Important idea is this
notion of paying respect to users dignity and life style. To reach this idea it is necessary for services to allow the
user live at home by the way which is the closest to normal standard.” Through personal assistance, social ties
are maintained with the family and the environment and this action work as a prevention of social exclusion of
users. Personal assistance can be combined with another service, such as sheltered housing or home health care,
depending on the user's needs.
With regard to the researched goal, it is necessary to focus on the professional profile of a personal
assistant. This focus is intended primarily to discuss the responsibility for quality care, then to focus on
professional attitudes and values. The professional relationship and responsibility in providing quality care is
closely related to the ethical behavior and actions of a personal assistant. Organization - the provider of social
services delegates a specific relationship - the relationship of care with the user- to a specific professional - in
our case to a personal assistant. However, the responsibility of the institution / provider for quality care does not
end here. The organization is still supposed to support the work of the employee.
The joint responsibility for team care implies the definition of the role of the employee and the institution.
This can be directly operationalized into specific measures that motivate the worker in his work: salary, job and
administrative support. The institution is content-friendly, that is, it has its own responsibility for the content
commitment, and this is recognized in its policy. This results not only in ensuring quality care for users of social
services, but also in ensuring the institution's care for the employee. Only in this connection can shared
responsibility take the right shape. Quality care and support from the organization provide for the employee
good background for performing his direct work with the service user. (Laan van der, 1998) Such support
requires time and quality – it means freeing the time introductory and working interviews, possibility of learning
other types of mastery and further education.
This offer cannot be “non-binding” because the institution as a moral actor has to bear its own part of the
responsibility for quality care. So the institution forms its own responsibility for quality care through the content
management of employees. The starting point to provide quality care is the increasingly specified demand of the
applicant for care. This requires a different way of thinking for helpers and carers, who judges the demand and
try to adapt it for the applicant. We have to ask: “What kind of applicant is requiring my work and what really is
his demand?” The development is also related to sufficient attention in solving mental problems for all users and
to greater use of compensatory aids. Accepting the idea that the job is satisfying and brings a certain happiness
and taking it as a life meaning is a guide to identifying with work and accepting this activity as your own. The
character of the work by side with the personality of the individual and with social factors can positively
influence the identification with the profession. Jurovský (1980) and Laan van der both agree about diverse job,
feedback and opportunity of participation in decision-making makes it easier for the employee to identify.
Values and expertise depend on personal and professional ethics. The professional ethics of workers in social
services but also social workers, include above all the fact that they responsibly draw attention to moral
inconsistencies when they are confronted with it. Professional attitude is based on the professional code, which
is part of the professional standard. These attitudes are a summary of views on human and society behavior. It
means that certain standards and values which are connected to work have to be maintained. An important
element of professional attitude is still the requirement that the personal assistant should be able of his own
actions, which will be tested in a relation assistant´s work performance. Generally valid professional attitude is
getting this way a individual hue. This attitude is important in every situation and moment of care. Different
situations of care-giving are taking a different demands on competencies that are related to the professional
attitude. Also, may happen that the environment itself will delimit the actions. Personal assistants are
increasingly finding themselves in situations where ethical issues play a role. Professions which are given by
their value, require in addition to expertise and skills, also a relationship to the performance of the profession.
Value character of the profession then require an ethical attitude. “We don’t have to doubt, that relationship with
the client in helping professions is essential part of the job.” (Kopřiva, 2013:15) Profession values are usually
unwritten. An exception is the gradually evolving codes of ethics and professionalism in which professional
values are captured together with the characteristics that define the profession, especially in relation to users. By
exercising a specific expertise, the employee also assumes the unwritten moral and legal responsibility that his
actions and behavior will be in accordance with the professional code. Profession values symbolizes wide
system, which is for more effectiveness of work in some organizations defined. (Kárníková, 1997)
Professional ethics exists within the general principles of civil morality. It means that personal assistant has
to face with his own conscience, integrity and civil morality. The questions of ethics in practice are often very
complex. It is important to pay attention to the moral content of the work, although it is a time-consuming task.
Methodic work´s performance references to systematic way by which are performed tasks focused on user´s
demands. The process of personal assistance is a common way of systematic, methodical and targeted action.
Care, according to Haterd van de (2000), is provided through 4 steps:
- determination of care;
- planning;
- performance;
- care evaluation.
The process of personal assistance is not a static process, but a dynamic process. We constantly evaluate
and observe at all stages of the process. With the obtained data the service becomes portable, verifiable and
controllable. New information or unexpected findings might lead to a change of personal assistant´s attitude.
Evaluation of the overall process may also lead to adjustment of provided care.
According to Mlčák are competencies defined as:
- Communicative and social skills that appear in different situations.
- Respecting the user regardless of his social and economic status, life beliefs (attitudes), political beliefs,
education, race, gender and age. However, we pay respect of the values and norms, wishes and habits as
well as the feelings of the care applicant.
- We can enter the functional relationship with applicant, keep it or terminate the relationship.
- Be able to work with different types of interests, such as the interests of the applicant and the institution.
- The ability to take responsibility for own activities and the ability to defend own boundaries. Manage large
workload and difficult work circumstances. Initiative in solving changes.
- Realize own values and norms. The skill of think of own behavior and experiences and be able to talk about
it.
Practical competencies are a summary of what and how an employee does when work with a user. Practical
competencies in this sense are described as: “Its nothing else then summary of the very obvious behavior of
social worker (woman), who will work with client with interest while using the full range of possibilities,
contacts and knowledge.” (Havrdová, 1999:48) We can only add that it´s concerned not only about women but a
men also as social workers.
Both, social work and ethics have the common issues. Ethics places a general claim that a person's actions
should be in harmony with society. Social work as a professional discipline reflects the specific requirements of
a socially shaped contract. “Both of these dimensions of ethics for social work are based on one so-called social
ethos. Their conflict, let us understand the conflict between the general requirement for the quality of action and
the requirement for the fulfillment of the social contract through the profession of social work, is at the heart of
the problem, which also affects even the last social worker.” (Fischer, 2008:9)If it is the ethics of social work as
a profession and the ethics of a worker in social services/social worker as a professional, then it is possible to
distinguish several levels in which ethics plays a role. Ethics of social work contains three elements. In the first
place is the value on which is the job focused. It is the application of people in their social relationships. The
social recognition of this value lies in the legitimization and determination of the goals of the profession. In the
second place there are behavior rules for job performance, which are derived from the norms generally
applicable in society. These norms are reflected in the Code of ethics of the society of social workers of the
Czech Republic. In the third place we present area of problem solving and decision making. Social workers are
of the opinion that applicants have their own responsibility for any kind of matters that concern them and for the
decisions they have to make. But the realization of this own responsibility is always in the field of interests,
(im)possibilities and needs. The opinions of the applicant and other participants in care, on what "should" be
done in a given situation also play a role here. This gives all participants the opportunity to consider and
evaluate the different values and norms that appear in decisions. The social worker /worker in social services
points to facts that the user overlooks. In addition, the views of all participants - including the social worker -
the worker in social services - can be critically evaluated. This presupposes a confidential knowledge of the
ethical component in people's daily activities. What is and what is not ethical for a worker in social services can
in several cases be clarified within the social task of social work. The social task of social work creates a scope
that provides meaning for professional behavior. This gives an understanding of social work and at the same
time what users of social services and others may require. The worker achieves that people develop better in
interaction with their enviroment, according to their own nature, needs and opinions. An illustration of the
relationship between ethics and the task of social work may relate to the confidentiality and secrecy of
information that a social worker receives from users. Social work understands itself as a profession of providing
assistance, which includes a relationship based on trust. Therefore, it is no coincidence that confidentiality and
secrecy play an important role in the professional code. In order to be morally acceptable, it is necessary to
distinguish the following aspects that are crucial for mapping ethics and its acceptability:
- Values, norms, morality;

- Decision making – problem solving;
- Profession ethic;
- Personality and opinions.
(Haterd van de et. al, 2000)
Focus on value orientation - value orientation means “a hierarchical system of values which is created
during life and that reflects the real order of importance of values.” (Průcha et al., 2009: 92) According to
Tugendhat (1998) man is a being who according to his abilities, he can and wants to act responsibly in relation
to his enviroment. This view of man forms the basis of the value orientation of the social work profession.
Sentence that "persons apply themselves together with others" shortly characterizes this orientation. Where
people live together, there is the responsibility of one person for another, the shared responsibility of the whole
for its members, and the responsibility of each member for the whole. However, where people live together,
there are also disorders in their relationships. Some are overwhelmed by the situation in which they find
themselves, while others are unable, for some reason, to provide what can reasonably be expected of them. But
even the improvement of broken relationships is possible. The more complex a company becomes, the more is
expected of participants in their interaction with others.
Value orientation (Homola, 1972) sets three basic requirements:
- The value orientation should be internally consistent with the whole personality of the individual. It should
form a hierarchy according to the importance of individual values for individuals.
- The value orientation should be realistic and flexible, but at the same time it should remain relatively stable.
Values in value orientation are practically applied in the world around us.
- The value orientation which someone live up to, should bring satisfaction to everyone. If it is part of an
individual, it has a greater influence on the personality and is more complete.
The value level becomes law and legislation. By its nature, it is more a matter of adhering to the limits of
our behavior. Legislation is the subject of social development, in which the occurrence of isolated non-standard
situations also plays a role. The social sphere is closely linked to human rights. It is not necessary to specify the
users of the service, but it is necessary to apply the essence of legal documents and their practical use. These
may be for example, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of
Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, the European
Social Charter and existing internal rules (codes) in the field of personal assistants. If we want to establish social
work as a human rights profession, we must overcome the narrowly defined right to help and service as a result
of civil rights and move towards a universally conceived right that derives from human rights. Although in
practice we are bounded by a number of restrictions and norms that we will not affect by our own, we should
learn that the offer of social assistance or services is basically aimed at the person as a person and not at the
citizen, member of this or that group.”(Tomeš, 2001:207)
We can assume that personal assistants are constantly facing with moral issues. In practice, these are
specific moral issues and how they are handled. It is about setting priorities, defining problems and solving
them. We also mention mutual respect, privacy and the right to be different. Everyday practice allows us to learn
about moral dilemmas, then translate them into words and make them easier to control. The sum of professional
moral norms is professional morality, the aim of which is to ensure quality performance. In the case of personal
assistants, in addition to skills and knowledg, part of professional competence is necessarily also the ethos of
the profession. This means the moral attitudes that the employee has to take in his profession.
The code of ethics is one of the nature elements for the profession and determines professional values and
standards. The code specifies the direction of the employee's behavior and thus places demands on his behavior
and actions. The Code determines the space and manner of action, which it also anchors and directs. "The Code
of Ethics expresses the mission of the profession, provides guidance and inspiration to members, creates and
maintains a professional identity, emphasizes the status of the profession, serves as a benchmark for current
practice, protects clients from abuse of power as is law and care neglect, provides comprehensive lessons on
ethical dilemmas and protects profession before external regulation. ”(Nečasová, 2010: 93)
Ethics is not just a code, a disposition and an intention, but it is the people we can reach through their
actions or inactions. Not only personal assistants are burdened with the moral task of care for which they are
responsible. This emphasis on responsibility takes place not only in what the organization or institution requires
of the employee, but also in relation to the values and standards that people adhere to. So everyone has an idea
of what is good, right and therefore worth following.
Code is valid for selected members of professional group. It is important for group to make its professional
values and norms transparent and explain them. To this purpose is there code. The code determines the direction
of professional actions. In order for an employee to be able to solve not only ethical dilemmas in practice, he
should know his own code and be able to apply it. Both service users and the company should claim that
employees act professionally. The values and norms contained in the code are variable and depend on the socio-
cultural status of the society. Ethic code of Society of social workers of Czech Republic (2006) guide how to
deal with ethical dilemmas. It says:
- The main right of the employee is a discussion, not only with his colleagues, but also with the users affected
by the problem.
- Serious ethical problems are addressed within the Society of social workers of the Czech Republic.
- The Society of social workers of the Czech republic may adapt the code to the field of social work in
terrain, where are ethical problems complicated and serious.
Model of ethical decision making is consisted of several questions. By answering these questions should
eventually make an ehtically responsible decisions. When using this model as personal assistant, should learn
how to work with ehtical dilemmas and beside that should retrospectively evaluate his decisions. Then we can
talk about the care/service which is reasonably provided. In practice usually happens that ethical questions are
not mentioned. Personal assistants are increasingly being called upon to approach them objectively and
effectively. We talk about growing “care taylorism” = conveyor belt in the welfare land. It would mean faster
results, fewer interviews and fewer time for care performance. Standardization and work with protocols are
intended to increase work efficiency and many matters are carefully recoded using develop systems. (Haterd van
de et al., 2000)
Even with the help of the model of ethical decision-making, it is not realistic to create a certain formula, full
of data, which will lead us to a clear solution. If we take the principle that ethics is a process, not a solution in
itself, questions that seek to identify the essence of a given ethical problem become the starting point. A
separated point of ethical decision-making is a logical analysis of the problem in connection with the solution of
the whole situation. The model of ethical decision-making is rather a tool that will make it easier for us to solve
dilemmas without direct instructions to a specific decision.
It is necessary to realize that the potential user of the service turns to the institution for a certain purpose,
the need for help or support, and comes with a problem or a burden. It is not enough just to listen to a potential
user of the service and let him say what is his issue. The employee comments on what the potential user of the
service is talking about.
During each action which personal assistant do will deal with unconscious questions:
“Is it possible or not?”
Next author, who beside Haterd van de (2000), tries to emphasize a systematic approach in the process
of solving dilemma situations is Reamer (2006). He suggested a systematic procedure to help workers who find
themselves in a dilemmatic or ethically problematic situation in which a decision needs to be made. This
approach consists of these seven following points:
1) identification of the ethical problem, the dilemma occurring in the conflict, including the values and
responsibilities of social work;
2) identification of individuals, groups or organizations who is most likely the decision needed to make about;
3) think of the potential benefits and risks of action for all involved; at the same time, we can determine more
variants of the solution;
4) examination of the advantages and disadvantages of each solution variant with regard to: - ethical code
and valid legislation,
-ethical theories, principles and directions,
- practical theories and principles of social work,
- personal values, including culture, religion and ethical values;
5) consultation with colleagues and relevant experts;
6) providing documentation for the entire decision-making process;

7) monitoring, evaluation and documentation of decision-making.
From the above mention model is obvious, that one of the tasks of a professional is the skill to solve
and decide in situations, which can we say are problematic or ethically dilemmatic. Ethical decision-making or
the systematic procedure for solving ethical dilemmas is not a guaranteed guide to the correct solution of
decision, but rather should help us facilitate the work that brings a few difficult situations. The personality of the
employee, his experience and knowledge also have a part. Experienced employee should pass his knowledge to
a fresh employee and that way try to eliminate the mistakes that happened to him. The importance of the ethical
question then grows along with professionalization. Ethical approaches are part of the ethical principles and
values of the whole society, and every professional is faced with a choice and should be responsible for that
choice.
II. Research
If we say that workers code and professional profile together form a “pillar” of the worker in social services then
we need to find out the influence of the familiarity of workers in social services, specifically personal assistants
following the ethical code. What is the applicability of the code of ethics in solving ethical dilemmas in relation
to the performance of the profession?
Selected research tool - questionnaire. It is a frequently used technique not only in the pedagogical,
sociological and psychological field. In the questionnaire, we used questions that were created with an effort to
provide a clear answer and that correspond to the topic. These are understandable questions in the context of the
research topic. Respondents were informed about the possibility of using a consultation on the topic or to clarify
some questions that they would not be able to understand and deal with.
The questions in the questionnaire are organized into three basic thematic areas, which are not clear in
advance. The main thing is that we did not want to confuse the respondent with a wide division of questions.
The questions are numbered chronologically. The ethical code of the Society of social workers of the Czech
Republic (2006), which consists of thematic areas trying to cover various professional areas in the performance
of the work of a personal assistant, served us to create the mentioned areas and subsequent questions. The
questionnaire was made up of partial areas of the ethical code of the Society of social workers of the Czech
Republic with the fact that the wording of the questions was specified. We concretized the questions mainly due
to the clarity of the descriptions of situations for personal assistants, so that their answers have the best possible
informative value.
First section of the questionnaire contains information about personal assistant – it is a introductory
part, which is there to briefly introduce the employee and answer common questions as is gender, age,
education, how long he does the job and whether he has qualifications required by law. The first part should be
interesting for the respondent to motivate him cooperate and give us more detailed information about his
personality.
Second section of the questionnaire follows previous part with focus on researched questions. We
consider that research of ethics of personal assistance requires experience in working directly with users of the
service. This experience may give the employee some ethical knowledge or other valuable experience. Because
of that was this area part of our research. This main part of the questionnaire has three thematic areas which are
based on the ethical code of the Society of social workers of Czech Republic (2006):
Ethical behavior of personal assistant in relation to user of social service – mention the possible ethical
issues in relation to the user. Obtaining information about whether is the employee aware of a certain ethical
imperative.
Ethical behavior of personal assistant in relation to employer – focused on information about whether
was employee informed of ethics problematic and ethical code. How does he understand the relationship with
his employer?
Ethical behavior of personal assistant in relation to colleagues – in this section we will find out the
collegiality of employees. Information about on whether employees have any expectations from the profession
of worker in social services.
The last, third section of questionnaire offers a possibility of owns opinion or any other comments to
questionnaire or the topic. Here we gather opinions about the questionnaire itself and the topic of the
problematic ethics of work of personal assistant.
The total number of distributed questionnaires was 145, of which 95 questionnaires were returned. The
return reached 66 %. We also included data from 10 questionnaires, which we obtained as part of the pilot
verification, in the data analysis. In total, we evaluated 105 completed questionnaires.
The target group of respondents was not limited in any way by gender, age, skin color, religion,
educational attainment or length of service in the position of personal assistant – worker in social services. In
order to answer the research questions, we obtained information from a certain group of people. These are
workers who are included in the job position "worker in social services - personal assistant" and perform the
terrain service of personal assistance. The variety of choices was in the age of the respondents, gender,
education and also in the diversity of the work - what users these personal assistants work with and whether they
solved or are solving ethical dilemmas.
Researched sample consists employees from personal assistance, from two non-profit organizations
that primarily offer personal assistance services. These organizations are different. Especially because one of
them offers services not only in Prague, but also in other regions of Czech Republic. Main goal of this
organization is effort to involvement of its users in their natural social environment and society itself. Second
organization is offering services in Prague and sometimes in Central Bohemian region and has limited capacity
of 40 users of the service. Main goal of this second organization is to support social inclusion of children with
disabilities.
2.1 Partial findings
Portion of women in this questionnaire was 78 % of all respondents (it is 86 personal assistants). The rest of 22
% of respondents (its 24 personal assistants) was made of men.
Diversity of age and gender of personal assistants helps satisfy the more frequent and specific demands
of users of the personal assistance service. Some users who want use the service sometimes already come up
with specific requirements for the age and gender of assistant. Most workers are in the age group from 45 to 60
years. Through the research we also found that personal assistance in organizations where we did the research is
most often provided by employees with secondary school only.
The research brought interesting results, for example that 97 % of respondents were acquainted with
the ethical code when singing the contract. And about 52 % of respondents, so it is more than half, provided
information about the user of the service to the third person without client´s knowledge, which we consider to be
manifestation of unethical behavior. On the other hand, the results confirm that the higher the education of
assistant is, including qualification required by law, the greater the tendency in practice do adopt the ethical
code and its use. The results also show that the length of the practice, both in position of a personal assistant and
in the position of a worker in direct work with service users, is not directly related to the ability of assistants to
identify ethical dilemmas in practice. The ability to identify ethical dilemmas is likely to be influenced by other
factors. The questionnaire survey shows that 58 % of respondents did not encounter the feeling/impression that
the service user would treat them badly. But need to say, that the rest of 42 % had such impression. It is useful
to say what second group most often faced in practice – these were “verbal assault as insults; verbal insults with
derogatory meaning; there was also a physical attack by the user; blame for something the personal assistant did
not do; service user rapidly changed his behavior – for assistant without unknown reason; physical aggression
towards oneself; anger and fury.”
It was found that 65 % of respondents did not find themselves in a situation where the user of service
would ask them for a service that they could not provide. But about 35 % of respondents dealt with this
situation. Respondents listed the following: health services; technical services as is repairs in the apartment;
bathing is bathtub, which was not possible due to physical demands and where the personal assistance user had
not tools for that matter available; transportation to the doctor by the client´s car or by assistant´s car; foot care
as is pedicure.
The relationship between the user of a social service and a worker in social services or a social worker,
is one of the topics in social work that is often addressed. There are many factors that influence the development
of problem behavior. According to Emerson (2008: 17), problem behavior is defined as: “It is culturally
abnormal behavior of such a degree, frequency and duration that the physical safety of a person or other people
is likely to be compromised, or behavior that is likely to significantly reduce or banning access to common
equipment. "According to Jůn (2010), the problem of behavior is determined mainly by what is considered the
norm in a given society and also by the "community”. There is no list of specific examples of behavior that we
call problematic. Jůn therefore gives a second definition: “Problem behavior is any behavior that personnel
evaluate as problematic.” The third definition which is based on Emerson´s definition says that …” problematic
behavior is a behavior which we consider as not normal.” (Jůn, 2010:16,17) We can say by this definition that
what is problematic behavior or not, is not decided by the user's own behavior, but by the staff who evaluates
this behavior. As problematic behavior, we can consider, for example, aggression and manifestations of
violence, which may not only be physical, but also through verbal assault or threats; inappropriate sexual
behavior - whether physical or verbal; theft; use of addictive substances - alcohol, drugs, etc.; lies or
psychological blackmail.
From the questionnaire survey we know that 72 % respondents share information about their
performance with colleagues. Personal assistance is a service based on individual approach towards user, it
means that lot of assistants do not even know each other. Question is if organizations do realize this fact, and
offer to assistants group meeting of all employees. The remaining 28 % of respondents do not use the possibility
of sharing information with colleagues. The reasons might be different, but the basic one is a high degree of
independence in the performance of the service, as well as not encouraging the organization to meet employees.
Respondents further confirm that information sharing is essential for quality care of service users and in this
respect does not matter the length of practice or the level of education. From the above information, it can be
deduced that personal assistants mostly use telephone or e-mail to transmit information. This fact is given by the
speed of information transfer in connection with the need for a quick response within the personal assistance
service. Respondents in the area of information transfer did not point to the possibility of ethical dilemmas.
However, the benefit is the fact that meetings take place outside working hours, which can positively affect
relationships in the workplace and it also testifies to the atmosphere in the organization and the culture of the
organization. One of the points of the Code of ethics of the society of social workers of the Czech Republic
(2006) is respect for differences in opinions and practical activities of colleagues. Insufficient communication,
which can be from a fast pace of work, causes work problems and inconsistencies. The main reason is the lack
of time, high work commitment, but also the fear of communicating to your colleagues specific requirements for
their behavior or evaluating their work results. Regularly given and received feedback will allow colleagues to
understand each other's work interests, wishes and developmental needs of individuals. 47 % of respondents
never encountered the fact that colleagues had a different opinion/attitude towards the actions/activities
performed by the respondent. This means that colleagues would choose the same work procedures, actions or
activities. When communicating with colleagues, the majority of 53 % of respondents found that they had a
different opinion on a given work matter, which is logical in terms of human thinking and actions. However, the
question is how the personal assistant works with the information:
-The expression and hearing of such an opinion led to the discussion with several colleagues, during
which the positives and negatives of individual actions, attitudes or activities were evaluated. A total of 54 % of
respondents answered this way, and this number testifies to the trust between colleagues and the possibility of
sharing their opinions and attitudes, which is an important finding given the topic of this work.
-The expression and hearing of the opinion from colleagues took place, but did not in any way
influence the decision itself or the performance of the activities of a personal assistant. A total of 27 % of
respondents answered this way.
- The expression and hearing of opinion from colleagues took a place and did influence the decision
itself or the performance of the activities of a personal assistant. A total of 19 % respondents answered this way.
55 % of respondents used ethical code in practice. Following this fact, we present this sub-question of
attitude to ethical code. 59 % answers were expressed positively and appreciate, that organization has ethical
code. 35% of respondents expressed that they were not able to use the ethical code in practice. And total of 6 %
of respondents used an ethical code after a consultation with their colleague. Respondents also answered, what
was the situation about. Then we found out a new area, which can be a source for employees of possible ethical
dilemmas. It is:
- refusal to use the tools by the service user (the user asks the assistant not to use rubber gloves during
hygiene);
- how to dress up as assistant;
- attitude of assistant in relation to the user of the service in order to preserve human dignity;
- how to refuse a service user who offers me to perform services outside the organization;
- clarification of the responsibilities of assistant;
- emerging relationship with service user - what is beyond my profession;
- how to deal with the rude behavior of family members towards the service user disproportionately demands
of care by service user;
- how and whether is possible to receive a gift from user;
- interference with intimacy;
- comparison of the code from old and current employment.
III. Conclusion
Every profession has its development. This development is also evident in the profession of personal assistant -
there is talk of new areas, topics where personal assistant can be used (for example- sexual personal assistance).
In each profession, the personality of the individual and his attitude to moral values and morality are
intertwined. It follows that the moral duty of a personal assistant is to remain a constantly learning professional,
to participate in education and training in verified training centers, to follow professional literature, to consult
with colleagues, to learn from past cases, to share knowledge and work on moral judgment skills. Thinking and
discussing ethical issues in personal assistance does not come by itself. In addition to time, helpfulness,
empathy, but also a certain degree of discipline is essential. This discipline includes, among other things, the
readiness for our own ideas and beliefs to become the subject of an exchange of views to which we will respond
with respect.
As part of the fulfillment of the objectives of the text, it was primarily aimed at examining the influence
of the level of familiarity of social workers, specifically personal assistants, with the code of ethics. This
measure, at first glance, may have a positive effect. Respondents confirmed that they know about the existence
of a code of ethics, but subsequently, from partial questions that specifically map general thematic ethical areas,
it is clear that respondents do not know or do not want to use the code. This finding is alarming, as the situation,
whether in relation to oneself, in relation to the user, organization or colleagues, that deserves ethical insight and
the usability of the code or the need to address the topic is innumerable. We can also look at the level of
familiarity here from a positive point of view, where the basic pillar is the mentioned fact that employees know
that the document exists. How it is further worked with, whether it is a priority of the organization, what is the
degree of motivation of work in relation to the document are areas that were not identified. Subsequently, we
responded to another research area - What is the applicability of the code of ethics in solving ethical dilemmas,
in relation to the performance of the profession? The usability of a professionally oriented document, which is a
code of ethics, is therefore minimal. The aim is not to point out the lack of respondents in the professional
orientation to ethical aspects, but rather to the fact of the importance of the topic of ethics in social work or
social services from the perspective of the profession.
Findings for practice are evident in the very basis of the professionalism of social work. If we support
the idea of professionalization, then ethics and professional ethics are an integral part of this process. The
research points to the realistic use of codes of ethics in particular. The question therefore relates to the form,
setting and content of these documents, which are currently an integral part of social work, but are very
superficial. The current recommendation is to take into account the professional profile of the workers, who are
not only social workers or social workers, but become experts in the field with regard to the focus of assistance
and support of a certain target group (children, seniors, people with disabilities, etc.) or certain areas (social
work in health care, education, etc.). It is therefore necessary to modify and specify the area of ethics with
regard to the professional orientation of the employee or specialization in the target group. Subsequently, the
worker can better identify possible pitfalls not only in relation to the work as such, but also to himself.
From the point of view of social work research, we can focus on several different areas or topics. If we
stick to the essence of professionalism and the need for development, then the research area is evident, in
connection with the partial findings of the above, the competencies of employees. An interesting research area
that can build on our research is ethical thinking at the professional level and situations that, due to their
possible diversity, make social work so unequal.
Professions and ethics are key components for quality social work. The ethics of professional life
should correspond to the ethics of overall life. It is essential to value the personal qualities and moral position of
each co-worker. In addition to the codified rules and ethical principles that must be observed, it is important and
indispensable for the social work profession that a worker has a high level of moral and personal values. Ethics
is an integral part of personal assistance. Ethical awareness is an essential part of the professional practice of
social workers. Their ability and commitment to act ethically is a fundamental aspect of the quality of social
work services.
It is not the case that there is a single specific area / situation that would be a source of ethical
dilemmas for all personal assistants. However, there are situations, such as the behavior of the service user in
relation to personal assistants or the attitude of the service user in relation to his own life attitude, which most of
the respondents deal with.
The moral orientation of personal assistants - workers in social services is in a key position in the field
of origin and subsequent processing of the ethical dilemma. We point out the need for a deeper orientation in the
profession itself while constantly supporting the interest in the relationship with the user of the service and the
organization. This interest is linked to the practical use and knowledge of the code of ethics, but also the values
of social work.
Ethical challenges are an integral part of social work. Social work can therefore become an indicator
for the professionalism and education of workers, especially in the field of ethics or code of ethics. With regard
to the partial development of, for example, SQSS, ethical practice, knowledge must be renewed or supplemented
and practical experience reflected. Strict demarcation of appropriate and inappropriate professional conduct.
Then use these areas for the educational process, when we know from a historical point of view that ethics was
not primarily an area that would be automatically taught in social work. Over time, however, it has become an
integral part of education and today the ethical aspect is educated for the fields of study of social work or for
partial qualification courses for workers in social services. We should therefore go further and focus this model
on areas of practical knowledge that should be heard in educational processes. We have outlined above the area
of specialization of social workers or workers in social services and this is an interface that encourages
concretization not only in the field of ethics. Discussions on ethical issues should be heard more frequently,
especially today, both to provide social workers and social workers with feedback on the usefulness of their
profession, and to provide incentives for the general public to strengthen interpersonal solidarity and strengthen
social justice. From this general recommendation we can move to a specific concept of the importance of the
method and forms of communication, which should be a powerful tool for the employee, not only in relation to
clients, colleagues, but also the organization.
Task for social work is also a technology development field and the tendency to recognize the
complexity of practical issues in the context of cultural and social diversity not only of clients but also of
employees.
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International Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Studies

Volume 5 Issue 9 ǁ September 2020

Ethical Aspects at Work of Personal Assistents

Mgr. Lukáš Stárek, Ph.D., MBA

According to Mlčák are competencies defined as:

- Communicative and social skills that appear in different situations.

- Values, norms, morality;

(Haterd van de et. al, 2000)

Value orientation (Homola, 1972) sets three basic requirements:

“Is it possible or not?”

-ethical theories, principles and directions,

- practical theories and principles of social work,

- personal values, including culture, religion and ethical values;

5) consultation with colleagues and relevant experts;

6) providing documentation for the entire decision-making process;

7) monitoring, evaluation and documentation of decision-making.

2.1 Partial findings

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