Introduction

Educational psychologists (EPs) in the UK are governed by the Health and Care Professionals Council Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics (HCPC, 2012) and guided by the British Psychological Society's Code of Ethics and Conduct (BPS, 2009). While professional codes of ethics offer principles for guidance, ethical practice requires EPs and other professionals to constantly engage with tension and complexity. Despite the complex nature of the work, the literature on ethics in EP practice is limited. Lindsay notes that, until recently, EP training in ethics offered little by way of ‘specific and targeted discussion’ (Lindsay, 2008, p 52). The BPS recognises the need for ‘opportunities for discourse on these issues’ (BPS, 2009, p 2). This chapter reflects on ethical complexity in EP practice and considers the importance of safeguarding space for on-going reflexivity and dialogue (and see also Chapters Eleven and Eighteen for insights from Australia and Scotland, respectively).

In line with the aims of Part One, this chapter highlights the dynamics of personal, professional and interprofessional ethics within the context of a discipline (see Figure 1.1), and uses the case study of educational psychology to illustrate these dynamics. The authors identify with the relational underpinnings of the care ethics approach. They do not, however, view care ethics alone as a sufficient basis for ethical practice. They identify the risk that over-identification with others’ perspectives may compromise the professional's capacity for principled individual moral judgement. They draw upon dialogic self-theories as a basis for professional action which can be both socially engaged and principled. They discuss examples of ethical tension in assessment practice and practitioner research. Finally, they focus on the place of organisational culture in supporting ethical practice. Before addressing these issues, some background will be provided on educational psychology in Scotland, where the authors practise.