Ethical standards
It is not unlikely that
guardians find themselves in highly sensitive situations where they have to
make difficult decisions that will have a lasting impact on the child’s life.
In difficult situations and in every-day decisions, ethical standards provide
orientation for the performance of the guardian.
Ethical standards may be
regulated by national law, through codes of conduct or other reference guides
for guardians. Where specific ethical standards for guardians of unaccompanied
children are not in place, guardians may obtain orientation from ethical
standards of social workers, health care professionals or other professional
groups.
Ethical standards are
rooted in international human rights law. Human rights and child rights
principles are guiding guardians in making ethical decisions, in particular, the
imperative to
-
act in compliance
with national law,
-
uphold the human rights
of the child,
-
respect the dignity
of the person,
-
respect the
diversity of persons,
-
treat the person
with respect for their physical, psychological, social and spiritual
characteristics.
Having
a solid knowledge of ethical standards and how to apply them in practice in
guardianship services for unaccompanied children is important for guardians to
exercise their role with confidence.
See
also:
Level 1: Child rights principles
Level 5: Mandate and tasks of the
guardian
Reference:
EU training and learning platform for guardians of
unaccompanied children
Chapter 4: Session 4.2. Ethical standards in guardianship services
Literature:
FRA (European Agency for Fundamental
Rights) (2014), Guardianship for children deprived of parental care, A handbook to reinforce guardianship systems to
cater for the specific needs of child victims of trafficking, Luxembourg, Publications
Office of the European Union (Publications Office), pp. 44-46.