CIH Level 5 H510 Ethical practice in housing Assignment Sample

Aim of this Unit H510

Unit level: 5
Unit credit value: 4
Unit reference number: Y/651/4190
CIH AO reference number: H510
Unit status: Mandatory
GLH/ TUT: 8/40 hours

This unit is designed to enable learners to build the skills, knowledge and behaviours they need to operate effectively in the housing sector. Supports learners in gaining an understanding of what is expected of housing professionals in relation to ethical practice, communication, team working, problem solving and continuing professional development. The unit also covers developing positive relationships with customers, colleagues and stakeholders and adapting to the evolving needs of the housing industry. This unit will enable learners to demonstrate the confidence and practical knowledge to offer high-quality housing services, to ensure that they demonstrate professional standards and that they advance their own career development within the housing profession.

Special Note:

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LO1. Understand ethical practice.

1.1 Discuss the theory of ethical practice.

Answer:

Ethical theories are guidelines that help people determine what is good or bad. In health and social care, these theories help people working in the care sector to behave in ways that help to ensure individuals' rights are upheld and promote their welfare. All theories of morality consider different elements of moral behaviour. Theories are valuable to workers because they allow them to make informed decisions in complex situations. This guide looks at the major ethical theories and how they are connected to health and social care.

1. Deontology

Deontology is rule- or duty-based. It's a system of ethics which asserts that some actions are intrinsically good or bad, regardless of whether they have positive or negative consequences. It is derived from the Greek word “deon”, which means duty.

2.  Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism is a utilitarian principle whereby the emphasis is on results, not rules. It is rooted in a principle that is “the greatest good for the greatest number. Actions are right when they bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people and the least suffering to the rest.

This implies that the benefit-harm balance is the basis of decisions. For example:

• A physician distributes his or her resources (such as prescriptions) to ensure that the most people will receive something from him or her, regardless of whether it seems fair to a few people.
• The choice of organ transplants, for instance, could be made on the basis of maximising lives saved.

3.  Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is more about character than about actions and outcomes. Asks "What kind of person should I be?" instead of "What should I do? It promotes moral values: good attributes such as compassion, kindness, and honesty.

In health and social care, this theory focuses on the importance of the characteristics of the workers. For example:

• A carer is sensitive and supportive when caring for someone at the end of their life.
• A patient nurse who is tolerant and understanding of someone with anxiety

1.2 Critically compare approaches to ethical practice between a housing organisation and an organisation outside of the housing sector.

Answer:

In the housing sector, ethical practice is motivated by a social purpose – focusing on the well-being of the people living in the house and the stability of the community. On the other hand, external partners (such as private retail or corporate manufacturing) are mainly motivated to practice ethics through commercial value, with a focus on market-driven ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) objectives, shareholder value and competitive compliance.

The following approaches are fundamental to ethical practice:

• Housing Organisations (Housing Associations, Local Authorities, etc.)
• Primary Objective: Purpose of social justice and public good. The objective is to make sure people have safe, secure, and affordable housing. 
• Regulatory Oversight: Is heavily regulated by statutory bodies (e.g. Regulator of Social Housing) and professional standards (e.g. Chartered Institute of Housing Code of Ethics). 
• Vulnerable Customer Focus: Policies are strongly based on care ethics and are based on protection, equality and prevention of discrimination. Typical ethical issues are related to resource allocation (like who gets a vacant property) and balancing commercial viability with social responsibilities. 
• The pitch for this program comes from Outside Sector Organisations such as Retail, Corporate Tech, Manufacturing, etc.
• Primary Aim: Profitability and market competitiveness. Ethical frameworks are associated with reputation management, brand loyalty, and risk minimisation.
• Regulatory Oversight: Normally based on the general corporate law and market forces. ESG reporting (e.g. supply chain audits) is prevalent, but these often take the form of meeting investors' and consumers' expectations, rather than public obligations. 
• Customer Focus: Ethical dilemmas are usually related to marketing ways, data privacy and fair pricing. These companies must constantly assess whether it is a profitable business investment to continue to act ethically in certain respects. 

Critical Comparison

• Tension between the Profit Motive and Social Responsibility: Housing organisations are caught between the need to offer affordable rents and/or invest in housing repairs and maintain the organisation's financial viability. In the meantime, corporate organisations have to strike a balance between economic interests and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their ethical approaches are either decreased or increased according to the market. 
•  Accountability and Transparency: Social housing providers are directly responsible to their tenants and public regulators. The ultimate stakeholders of corporate organisations are the shareholders and a far more dispersed set of customers.
• Professional Boundaries: Housing workers work in the communities they serve. They have to deal with many personal and professional boundaries, and they need to be impartial and free from conflicts of interest in localised environments. Typically, corporate professionals implement more general and remote policy regimes, based on transactional relationships.

LO2. Understand how ethical practices apply to housing organisations and the impact on housing customers.

2.1 Evaluate the degree to which a housing organisation complies with a code of ethics in practice.

Answer:

Respect for others

This means:

• Treat everyone fairly in all matters
• Demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity, and to treating people fairly
• Be courteous and open to listening to others, and talk to people in a way they can understand by appreciating their situation
• Make judgements based on your professional rather than your personal opinion
• Keep the information confidential – respect others' confidential information.
• Be responsible for your own actions and work.
• Know how your actions impact others, and respond appropriately.

Act with integrity

This means:

• To be aware of and comply with your professional and legal responsibilities
• Be honest and open in your work;
• Identify conflicts of interest and ensure that your professional judgement is not influenced.
• Build trust in yourself, your employer/business and your profession
• Respect your responsibility to your clients/customers, your colleagues, your organisation and the community you serve and never use your position for personal benefit
• Make sure you keep your promises
• Be fair and just with others

Take responsibility
This means:

• Before taking action, make sure you have all the required details.
• Ensure that you know the circumstances and the needs of the people involved in the situation.
• Work within your competence and role
• Make decisions and evaluate their results; learn from decisions and their results to enhance skills
• Be responsible for others' welfare
• Make sure that you think about the consequences of your decisions more widely.

Maintain professional competence
This means:

• Maintain skills and knowledge to work effectively
• Strive to achieve the highest personal standards
• Take a candid look at development needs and place a focus on personal development.
• Responsibility for development – don't wait for others to lead the way!
• Support people's development and advocate for the profession
• Learn from your experience and share good practice as well as lessons from your mistakes

Make a difference
This means:

• Use your professional judgment and don't be afraid to do something
• Ask questions if you sense something is not right
• Encouraging self-reliance and enabling people to assert themselves and take charge of their own lives
• Challenging negative stereotypes
• Being a positive contributor to those you are responsible for, colleagues, organisation and community
• Promote the use of technology in the classroom.
• Support the use of technology.
• Be ready to be creative and bring about change.

2.2 Explain how business objectives and culture are affected by ethical considerations.

Answer:

Ethical Considerations in Business

Ethics are important in the success of business. They play a crucial role in helping to accomplish the business's goals and objectives, in addition to helping to establish a favourable reputation, customer loyalty, and general growth. There are a few ways that ethical issues can contribute towards a business's success:

1. Building Trust

Trust is a fundamental element in business relationships. Honesty, transparency, fairness, and ethical practices foster trust among customers, employees, and stakeholders. This trust can result in enhanced customer loyalty, higher levels of employee morale and better relationships with stakeholders, all of which lead to the achievement of business goals.

2. Enhancing Business Reputation

A company with a good reputation will have a positive image in the market. This reputation can help bring in more business, great employees and potential investors, all of which can help businesses grow and thrive.

3. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

Ethics can often coincide with the law. By adhering to ethical standards, businesses can avoid legal issues, penalties, and potential damage to their reputation. This compliance also helps with smooth operations and achieving business objectives.

4.  Promoting Sustainability

Ethical concerns frequently include taking sustainability commitments. Companies that value ethical sourcing, sustainability and societal value are more likely to be sustainable in the long-term. This is a sustainability that can support businesses in realising their long-term goals.

5. Encouraging Innovation

Ethical companies have an innovative atmosphere. Through fairness and respect, businesses can foster an atmosphere where employees are free to share their new ideas. This innovation can have a positive impact on business growth and can aid in achieving business goals.

2.3 Evaluate the implications of operating ethically and unethically for a housing organisation and its stakeholders.

Answer:

Ethical business practices in the housing industry foster trust and resilience in the community, while unethical actions can cause significant legal and reputational harm. The following are the main implications for housing organisations and their stakeholders.

Implications of Operating Ethically

• Children: Enjoy secure, maintained and safe surroundings. They enjoy simple rental policies and prompt repairs.
• Reputation: Builds a positive reputation, which increases tenant retention, access to funding and staff morale.
• More widely: Fosters social integration, sustainable communities and equal access to housing. 

Ethical consequences of being an unethical employee.
The poor living conditions, unfair evictions, or financial exploitation of residents. This disproportionately affects vulnerable groups and hurts their physical and mental health. 

• Organisation: Faces significant financial penalties, action (such as regulatory intervention), loss of funding from the government, and significant disruption to operations. 
• Wider Community: Suffers from neighbourhood decline, growing homelessness and lack of public trust in providers of housing.

The Regulator of Social Housing and the suggested code of best practice and standards of regulatory practice by the Chartered Institute of Housing provide authoritative guidance on ethical standards and regulatory compliance in the UK.

2.4 Critically compare the impact of operating ethically and unethically on housing customers.

Answer:

Ethical business conduct fosters trust, creates safe spaces, and provides equitable service provision for housing consumers. On the other hand, unethical practices like poor maintenance, discriminatory practices, hidden fees, etc., bring huge monetary losses, immense mental and physical stress and result in the exploitation of the customers. 

A comparison of these impacts is critical and shows the huge differences between the customer outcomes:

Impact Area

• Operating ethically
• Operating unethically
• Trust and relationship

Customer empowerment: Promotes clear, equitable, respectful relationships, consistent with the principles of the Chartered Institute of Housing's code of conduct and ethics. 

Lacks the trust of residents and fails to respect their vulnerability, leaving them feeling powerless, unheard, and fearing they will be treated unfairly or retaliated against. 

Physical Well-being

• Safe living conditions: Makes sure properties are safe, clean and meet health and safety requirements. 
• Health Hazards: Lead to poor living conditions, mould, and unaddressed disrepair, and negatively affect the physical and mental health of tenants. 

Financial Security

• Fair pricing and transparency: Transparently charges costs, safeguards the security deposit, and fairly distributes housing options. 
• Financial Exploitation: Charges customers unfair amounts, increases rent without notice, and obtains money from customers' bank accounts, particularly from those of vulnerable groups. 

Resolution and Redress

• Accessible communication: communicates effectively and in an empathetic way to others, and handles complaints effectively and objectively. 
• Disenfranchisement: Blocks customers from having the proper avenues to grieve, which leads to unresolved differences and substantially raises the prospects of homelessness or eviction. 

LO3. Understand how ethical practices apply to a leader or manager in housing.

3.1 Explain how a leader can influence the culture of ethics and behaviours within the organisation. 

Answer:

Leaders create a clear culture for an organisation by setting the “tone at the top”; their behaviours, decisions and communication set boundaries for behaviour. They have an impact on workplace ethics, they set up accountability systems, they link the rewards to the desired conduct, and they promote open communication. 

Leaders make this impact through:

• Leading by example: Staff model leadership behaviours. Foundational trust is established through consistent, empathetic, and kind leadership. 
• Core values: Defining, communicating, and then setting clear expectations makes it clear what is acceptable. 
• Maintaining standards: Consistently enforcing policy and fairly addressing misconduct will ensure standards are maintained. 
• When incentives are aligned, it rewards integrity and ethical behaviour, which teaches that doing the right thing is important rather than the results. 
• Promoting psychological safety: Open lines of communication for feedback and whistleblowing without fear of repercussions will enable ethical issues to be safely addressed. 

3.2 Explain an ethical issue that could affect a leader or manager in housing. 

Answer:

One of the main ethical questions in housing is the conflict between the business concept and social responsibility. To maximise the financial performance, property maintenance and investment for their properties, leaders are under pressure, but this pressure can clash with their moral obligation to ensure safe, affordable and respectful housing for vulnerable residents. 

Key ethical challenges

• Resource allocation: Determining a balance between investing in the existing housing supply (such as repairs for dampness and disrepair) and in new development. 
  
  
• Eviction vs Support: When balancing the need to run a viable business with the obligation of care towards vulnerable, high-risk tenants and dealing with rent arrears or anti-social behaviour. 
  
  
• Profit vs affordability: The impulse to increase rents or to convert properties to market rates, which can lead to the loss of the clientele base the organisation is intended to support. 
  
  
• Resident Voices: Make sure that residents' complaints and safety concerns are addressed openly, not ignored because of expedience, or not addressed at all. 

3.3 Apply the CIH ethical decision-making model to the issue.

Answer:

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) ethical guidelines should be used to guide housing professionals in making decisions when facing a moral dilemma, thereby engaging them in critical thinking. To address the specific problem, compare the implementation of your proposed solution to the CIH core values: Integrity, inclusion and ethical consideration, applying these values in relation to customers, professional boundaries and organisational policies. 

In your assessment, you should take the following five steps to put the model into practice:

• Collect data and context: Assess responsibility: Make sure there is enough information and background before making a judgement. Recognise personal and emotional boundaries and seek help when needed if the situation is beyond your scope. 
  
  
• Look for unintended consequences and ethics: Ask yourself if the idea you want to implement is inclusive. Does it cause undue difficulty for the tenant, or are your opinions tainting your judgment? 
  
  
• To make sure that your proposed judgment is consistent with the industry standard of fairness, honesty and professional boundaries, please consult the Code of Ethics: Review the CIH Code of Conduct and Ethics. 
  
  
• Review options: If a situation cannot be resolved satisfactorily within the current organisational structure, meet with peers to discuss other options or take it up with a senior manager. 
  
  
• Make the decision, record the reasons for the decision and reflect on what happened as a result of your decision: Make your decision, clearly record the reasons for your decision, and consider what has happened as a result of your decision, whether this was in the best interest of the person and the community.

3.4 Evaluate the impact of the decision-making process.

Answer:

The following elements are part of the process for assessing the effectiveness of a decision.

• Achievement of Objectives: The key criterion of the effectiveness of the decision is to measure its attainment of objectives. Effective = if the chosen decision results in the desired outcome.
  
  
• Efficiency: how resources are used in the decision-making process. A good decision is a decision that accomplishes the goals of the decision with the least amount of resources.
  
  
• Timeliness: Effective decisions are made in a timely fashion. Making the wrong decision can result in lost opportunities.
  
  
• Acceptance: A more effective decision when accepted and supported by those who are affected by it. This can result in a more seamless implementation.
  
  
• Ethical considerations: Decisions should be made with an eye towards the ethics of the situation. An effective decision has to be ethical and fair.
  
  

Consider the following factors in assessing the decision-making process's effectiveness:

• RSS: All related stakeholders are involved: An effective decision-making process involves all the relevant stakeholders. This will make sure that every viewpoint is taken into account and that the decision is accepted.
  
  
• Appropriate Use of Relevant Information: The information should be relevant and accurate for decision-making. This makes it more likely that you'll make a good choice.
  
  
• Clarity of Process: The steps involved in the decision-making process need to be clear and transparent. This will help everyone understand the process used and the decision made, as well as make it fair.
  
  
• Flexibility: The process of decision-making needs to be flexible and can evolve with changing situations. This can help ensure that the decision is relevant and effective in the long-term.