Ethics Buddy Service
The ICAS Ethics Buddy Service enables a CA with an ethical dilemma, where deemed appropriate, to have confidential, informal, discussions with an experienced ICAS Member – a ‘sounding board’ – in order to explore your issue and assist you in considering how you might approach the dilemma.
Often people caught in a dilemma don’t have perspective, and it can be difficult for them to see the wood for the trees. If you have an issue which is troubling you, the ICAS Ethics Buddy Service enables you to have access to constructive input early in the process to help delineate the issues and prevent matters from escalating.
The Buddy's role is to listen
The ethics buddy’s role is to listen, to encourage a dialogue, and to help as part of the thinking process. They might ask you questions like, “Have you thought about …?”, to help you to consider alternatives, but they will not be party to all the information and so are not there to offer solutions.
The Ethics Buddy Service provides an opportunity to talk, but it does not provide advice. You will also need to seek any legal advice independently. Ultimately it is up to each CA to reach their own decision on a way forward.
Supplementing other ICAS ethics services
The nature of ethical issues is that they might take several weeks or months to resolve but then an individual might not encounter any again for years. The ICAS Ethics Buddy Service – which could be limited to a one-off call or a series of chats but in a more time-limited way – essentially sits between the ICAS Ethics Helpline Service, which tends to address more specific questions at a particular point in time, and ICAS’ mentoring options, where on-going relationships are developed between two individuals over a longer period of time.
The Ethics Buddy Service is therefore a supplement to the ICAS Ethics Helpline Service as well as access to the confidential helpline of Protect, the independent whistleblowing charity.
How to access the ICAS Ethics Buddy Service
If you would like to access the ICAS Ethics Buddy Service, please contact James Barbour (Director, ICAS Policy Leadership) in the first instance either by email (ethics@icas.com) or call 0131 347 0234.
Disclaimer
The Ethics Buddy Service seeks to be as helpful as possible but it is not, and is not intended to be, a substitute for Members' own professional judgement, for independent research or for professional advice. The Ethics Buddy Service cannot provide opinions or offer advice. Members are therefore advised to conduct further research or obtain professional advice where they consider this appropriate.
The views expressed are the personal views of the Ethics Buddy and should not be taken necessarily to represent the views of the Institute.
Neither the Institute nor its staff, nor the Ethics Buddy, are liable for breach of contract, negligence (including negligent misstatement) or otherwise for:
- any loss resulting from any error, omission or inaccuracy in the information supplied; or
- any loss resulting from any act done (or not done) in the reliance on the information supplied.
We operate strict data security and confidentiality protocol. Please refer to our privacy policy.
