Role of a Code of Ethics


The role of a code of ethics is to provide a standard for governing the conduct of a person or members of a profession. The code of ethics for Child and Youth Care (CYC) provides standards addressing the responsibility of the CYC worker to self, the client, the employer or employing organization, the profession, and to society (http://www.pitt.edu/~mattgly/CYCethics.html). 

Responsibility for self means maintaining competency by taking responsibility for identifying, developing, and fully utilizing the knowledge and abilities for professional practice. Maintaining competency is also met by obtaining training, education, supervision, and experience to assure competent service. Responsibility for self also means maintaining high standards of professional conduct and maintaining physical and emotional well-being by being aware of personal values and their implication on practice and also by being aware of self as a growing and strengthening professional.


Responsibility to the client, first and foremost, means that a CYC practitioner shall not harm the child, youth, or family. This standard also means that the CYC practitioner does not participate in practices that are disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitive, intimidating, psychologically damaging, or physically harmful to clients. The CYC practitioner will provide expertise and protection by recognizing, respecting, and advocating for the rights of the child, youth, and family. The CYC practitioner will recognize that professional responsibility is to the client and advocates for the clients best interest. The CYC practitioner will ensure that services are sensitive to and non-discriminatory of clients regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, national ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, abilities, mental or physical handicap, medical condition, political belief, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status by obtaining training, education, supervision, experience, and/or counsel to assure competent service. The CYC practitioner will recognize and respect the expectations and life patterns of the clients by designing individualized programs of child, youth, and family care to determine and help meet the psychological, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual needs of the clients, and by designing programs of child, youth, and family care which address the child's developmental status, understanding, capacity, and age. The CYC practitioner will recognize that there are differences in the needs of children, youth, and families, by meeting each clients needs on an individual basis and by considering the implications of acceptance for the child, other children, and the family when gratuities or benefits are offered from a child, youth, or family. The CYC practitioner will recognize that competent service often requires collaboration, and such service is a cooperative effort that draws on the expertise of many. The CYC practitioner will administer medication prescribed by the lawful prescribing practitioner in accordance with the prescribed directions and only for medical purposes, and seek consultation when necessary. The CYC practitioner will refer the client to other professionals and/or seek assistance to ensure appropriate services for the client. The CYC practitioner will observe, assess, and evaluate services/treatments prescribed or designed by other professionals. The CYC practitioner recognizes the client's membership within a family and community, and facilitates the participation of significant others in service to the client. The CYC practitioner will foster client self-determination, and respect the privacy of clients by holding in confidence information obtained in the course of professional service. The CYC practitioner will ensure that the boundaries between professional and personal relationships with clients is explicitly understood and respected, and that the practitioner's behaviour is appropriate to this difference. It is understood that sexual intimacy with a client, or the family member of a client is unethical.

Responsibility to the employer/employing organization means that the CYC practitioner will treat colleagues with respect, courtesy, fairness, and good faith. It also means that the CYC practitioner will relate to the clients of a colleague with professional consideration, and respect the commitments made to the employer/employing organization.

Responsibility to the profession means that the CYC practitioner will recognize that in situations of professional practice the standards in this code shall guide the resolution of ethical conflicts. The CYC practitioner will promote ethical conduct by members of the profession and will seek arbitrations or mediation when conflicts with colleagues require consultation and if an informal resolution seems appropriate. The CYC practitioner will report ethical violations to appropriate persons and/or bodies when an informal resolution is not appropriate. The CYC practitioner will encourage collaborative participation by professionals, client, family and community to share responsibility for client outcomes. The CYC practitioner will ensure that research is designed, conducted, and reported in accordance with high quality Child and Youth Care practice, and recognized standards of scholarship, and research ethics. The CYC practitioner will ensure that education and training programs are competently designed and delivered. These programs will meet the requirements/claims set forth by the program and the experiences provided will be properly supervised. The CYC practitioner will ensure that administrators and supervisors lead programs in high quality and ethical practice in relation to clients, staff, governing bodies and the community. The CYC practitioner will provide support for professional growth and evaluate staff on the basis of performance on established requirements.

Responsibility to society means that the CYC practitioner will contribute to the profession in making services available to the public, promote understanding and facilitate acceptance of diversity in society, demonstrate the standards of this code with students and volunteers, and encourage informed participation by the public in shaping social policies and institutions.


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This website was created in 2011 by Jean Braun and Kristy Jackson
 students in the Child and Youth Care (CYC) stream of the Human Services Diploma program 
as a project for the "Professionalism in Child and Youth Care" course 
at Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC, Canada.