describe a situation where this has been put into practice
When contracting us to provide their care and support, clients are informed that staff may share their information with other professionals and/or their families as long as it is in their best interests and on a need-to-know basis. Clients can choose to sign to agree to this or not.
A client I work with had agreed to this, which meant that I was able to share details of his support plan with his social worker so that she could complete his assessment.
Describe how the situation would have been handled differently if an alternative consent model had been adopted
By having a cover-all consent model as long as it is best interests, the social worker was able to complete her assessment quickly without having to ask the client for consent multiple times.
What impact would this have had on the individual?
If the client were to be repeatedly asked for consent, this may have resulted in them becoming bored and lack motivation to complete the assessment. It could also result in them becoming upset or angry.
Conversely, if the client had not been asked for consent at all, as well as breaking the law this may have resulted in them feeling less valued, lower self-esteem and lower confidence.
compare the ethical and moral dilemmas involved in both models
Both opt-in and opt-out consent models allow the individual to make an informed choice.