The algorithm can help us to decide whether general or specific care practices are ethically sound. What it can not do is make the decisions for us. Each of us has the capacity to be autonomous and, consequentially, we retain personal moral responsibility for the outcomes of our own actions. The decisions that we make vary according to our personal evaluation of the situation. Emphasising autonomy, or following the steps set out in the algorithm, will not always lead us to the same conclusions.
Autonomy enables and good practice demands personal reflection from carers and care professionals.
A common understanding of the fundamental importance of autonomy in every day ethics helps to give an overall consistency to moral decisions. The recognition of autonomy as a reflective concept allows for the development of a non-prescriptive and liberating framework within which carer and professionals can operate with moral integrity.