ISSUES & DEBATES: SOCIAL CONTROL

Social control is defined as
the regulation of individual or group behavior as a method of enforcing conformity and compliance to established norms or expectations

SOCIAL CONTROL IN THE CLINICAL STUDIES
ROSENHAN VS CARLSSON

ROSENHAN

EXEMPLAR ESSAY
How to write a 8-mark answer

Assess the importance of the HCPC guidelines for clinical practitioners. (8 marks)
  • A 8-mark “evaluate” question awards 4 marks for describing the guidelines (AO1) and 4 marks for evaluation (AO2). You need a conclusion to get a mark in the top band (7-8 marks).

Description
The Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) published its new guidelines in 2015. These set out the 15 Standards expected of practitioner psychologists.
The Standards include respecting legal and ethical boundaries with clients, understanding the importance of confidentiality and safe practice.
Clinical psychologists must register with the HPCP and show that they meet its Standards, including references and health checks. They must re-register every 2 years.
The HCPC can suspend or strike off psychologists who don't meet its Standards. For example, one psychologist was struck off for an inappropriate relationship with a client.

Evaluation
The HCPC Standards are SMART targets because they are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Based.
For example, the idea of boundaries and safe practice is clearly understood by psychologists and this is a Standard most of them attain in their work.
However, critics would say that the Standards are too vague. The psychologist who was struck off was trying to "rescue" her client and didn't think the relationship crossed a boundary.
Some critics say the HCPC acts as a "moral police force" and intrudes into its members private lives.

Conclusion
It's important that there are standards for clinical psychologists and that the HCPC has "teeth" to remove members who don't meet the standards. This ensures patients with mental disorders are not abused or neglected.

  • Notice that for a 8-mark answer you don’t have to include everything about the HCPC. You will notice I haven't mentioned ethical standards or the 30,000+ psychologists who aren't HCPC-registered. But it is a balanced answer - one half description and one half evaluation.