Explain the Strategic Purpose of School Governors free essay sample

Other Statutory Roles, Teachers and Support Staff Roles School Governors – School Governors give direction and focus by performing a vital and strategic role. Their main role is to help raise standards of achievement. Governors: †¢Are accountable for the performance of the school †¢Help shape the school’s future direction †¢Monitor and review the performance of the school Make decisions about the school’s budget and staffing †¢Make sure the school provides for all its pupils, including those with special needs †¢Decide how the school can encourage pupil’s spiritual, moral and cultural development Governors are at the heart of how a school operates. Their job affects the interests of pupils, staff morale and how the school is seen by parents and others in the community. Governors are responsible for how the school is performing. They have to be prepared to support and challenge the head teacher and staff by gathering views, asking questions and deciding what’s best for the pupils. We will write a custom essay sample on Explain the Strategic Purpose of School Governors or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Senior Management Team – this is usually the head teacher and the deputy or and including the head of departments. The Special Needs Co-Ordinator could also be a member. Their role is to set and manage the strategic direction of the school. They also lead changes and generally make sure that the school is doing its best to deliver the strategic direction for the pupils that attend the school.Generally, the senior management of a school will be aware of the current state of the school, be imaginative in launching new and relevant initiatives in a way that can motivate the whole school behind them, be diligent in keeping track of the progress these initiatives are making and the targets achieved and be sincere in trying to lead by example. Teachers and Support Staff – Teachers are responsible for educating pupils that are in their care. In addition to that they set the tone of their classrooms, build warm environments, mentor and nurture pupils and are seen as role models.They are also responsible for listening to their pupils and looking out for signs of trouble. When a child’s behavior changes or if physical signs of abuse are noticed, teachers are required to look into the problem. Teachers – They are responsible for delivering the national curriculum effectively to the pupils according to various educational needs. The teacher has to prepare and plan for lessons as well as assess record and report on the development and progress of all the children. Where required, the teacher as to discuss any learning problems identified with SENCO.They are responsible for all of the children in their class; the teaching assistants, students who are doing their placements at the school and volunteers. As well as normal classroom teaching some teachers conduct extra focus group sessions for a selection of the children to help them reach attainment levels and gain confidence in doing their numeracy and literacy. In my school the teacher splits the children up into groups. Those that can work independently do so without the teacher or an adult and those that are struggling with the work get help from the teacher.This group is called the teacher’s focus group. The teacher also monitors the pupils reading and guides them to help them reach the expected reading attainment levels for their age. The teachers also plan and organise parent’s evenings. They feedback to parents about their child’s performance and provide information to parents on how they can help improve or maintain their child’s performance. Teachers work together as a team with their fellow colleagues and attend all training days and staff meetings as well as liaise with outside agencies.Support Staff and other statutory roles There are many different types of support roles in schools. These include: †¢Teaching Assistants or Learning Support Assistants – They complement the role of the Class Teacher and support learning for all pupils †¢Higher Level Teaching Assistants – They work closely with the teacher, complementing their role and helping free up teacher time to enable each child to work to his/her full potential †¢Cover Supervisors – They cover short-term absences of teachers such as unexpected sick leave or professional development leave.They set work for pupils in accordance with school policy, manage and supervise behaviour, collect work at the end of the lessons and report back to the appropriate senior member of staff †¢Specialist Teaching Support – They suppor t the teaching of children who have more complex learning needs. †¢Facilities Management – Caretakers and Cleaning Staff – They deal with the upkeep and maintenance of the school premises and grounds. †¢School Midday Supervisors and Assistants – They are responsible for the welfare of pupils in school during the lunchtime break.They supervise pupil behaviour indoors and outdoors, help younger children with tasks such as cutting up food, look out for the health and safety of pupils at all times, distribute and tidy away lunchtime resources, assist with play activities, deal with misbehaviour and report them to a senior member of staff. †¢Catering Staff – They plan, prepare, cook and serve meals to pupils and staff in accordance with school policy and a fixed budget. †¢Clerical and Administrative Roles – They cover a wide range of responsibilities, including being the clerical ‘face’ of the school and point of contact for staff and parents.School Administrators, Receptionists, Personal Assistants or Front Office staff will provide a key role in the day-to-day running of the school, communication between staff, pupils and parents, handling of staff rotas, parent enquiries, pupil absence and admissions. †¢Schools Business Managers (Bursars) – They manage the school’s finances, policies, resources and planning. They may also undertake a range of other bespoke responsibilities to support the smooth running of the school as a centre of the local community.

The Privatization or Commodification of Water

The Privatization or Commodification of Water Introduction For a long time, ethics has been seen as the study of what comprises good and bad conduct which includes the values that influence the conduct. Generally, contemporary culture has given humans unprecedented liberty and prosperity which has necessitated the growth of the concept of ethics.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Privatization or Commodification of Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business ethics on the other hand has existed in the form of reflection on the ethical dimensions of business exchanges and institutions whereby the concept has been understood in two distinctive ways, where one group views it from the background of philosophy while the other group views it from the background of business community (Brenkert and Beauchamp 3). These two approaches are not exclusive, but the philosophical approach appears to be the broader of the two. In all cases, it becomes important t o appreciate the fact that moral problems and the process of analyzing them invites different forms of useful analysis. Water forms an essential commodity that ensures continuity of life, though for a long time no systematic way has been elaborated in appreciating its value (Brown and Schmidt 3). For long, people have regarded water as a renewable commodity that has potential to develop without limit. With the larger society utilizing water in different ways such as irrigation, energy and burgeoning urban centers, the reality is now clearer that like just other renewable commodities, water is a finite resource. However, providing answers to modern water problems requires giving answers to questions of value: how should society capture, store or distribute water; at what cost; for whom; and for how long (Brown and Schmidt 4). All these questions are regarded as ethical because just like any other essential resource, determining a fair and just distribution of water has direct effects on human and nonhuman lives and also the systems that sustain them. Commodification of water Borgmann argues that the driving force of the contemporary society is the aspect of commodification which is described as, that vital structure of modern society of the market which conveys a sense of moral censure (Borgmann 143). The author, in reference to Viviana Zelizer, states that, â€Å"economic prophets have frequently warned us against global commodification and the loss of the moral-emotional fiber it brings† (Borgmann 144). Using the Marx’s concept of commodification, Borgmann first sees the concept to possess the verb to commodify, which to him is â€Å"to draw something from outside the market into the market so that it becomes available for sale and purchase† (Borgmann 144).Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marx looked at the va rious ways in which capitalism perceived the production of things such as wheat, shoes and clothing out of the hands and circumstances of the farmers, artisan and householders, stripped them of their context of skills and persons, of exchanges and uses and made them into commodities (goods) whose importance was reduced to their price. Moreover, Marx became critical of how labor was being converted into something that could be purchased and sold under conditions that only favored the capitalists and made the workers beggars (Borgmann 144); thus, commodification became purely and totally exploitation. The contemporary discussions continue to see the concept of commodification as contested. In such discussions, the broader agreement has remained that, certain goods such as justice should never be for sale (Borgmann 145). But other goods have continued to draw divided opinions. For a long time, goods at issue in this discussion have generally constituted those in Michael Walzer’s list of items which are subject to ‘blocked exchanges’: 1) Human beings; 2) political power and influence; 3) criminal justice; 4) freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly; 5) marriage and procreation; 6) the right to leave the political community; 7) exemptions from military service, from jury duty, and from any other form of communally imposed work; 8) political offices; 9) basic welfare services like police protection or primary and secondary schooling; 10) desperate exchanges; 11) prizes and honors of many sorts; 12) divine grace; 13) love and friendship; and 14) a long series of criminal sales (Borgmann p.145). The above list can be complete if addition of certain public goods is made. These public goods are; clean air and clean water, safety from crime, basic health care and public lands. The main argument in disfavor of commodification of public goods is that commodification may leads to social injustice, for instance, if education is totally commodified, th e children of the poor will get no education or for them, inferior education will be enough (Borgmann p.145). Commodification of water: Public vs. Private debate There exist two debates that continue to dominate the lives of many people concerning the issue of water. For instance, there are arguments whether water services should remain public or go private. One of the arguments â€Å"is concerned with practical issues of efficiency and economics, and the other is about principle† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox p.10). Privatizing water in a country like USA has been a hard venture to undertake. Those opposed to such move include personalities such as Barlow of the Council of Canadians and Tony Clarke of Canada’s Polaris Institute (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox 10). The two have opposed the move to privatize water in principle and they are convinced that private companies should only get involved in narrow areas of infrastructure development but not allowed to have ownership, contr ol or delivery of the basic service.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Privatization or Commodification of Water specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To them, the process or actions of commodifying water is generally wrong in terms of ethics, environmental and social (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox p.10). They are on the view that the process will, â€Å"insure that decisions regarding the allocation of water would center on commercial, not environmental or social justice considerations; privatization means that management of water resources is based on principles of scarcity and profit maximization rather than long-term sustainability† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox 10). Contrary to this position, there is a divergent view which has been adopted by Peter Cook of the National Association of Water Companies who is convinced that if market principles are applicable to other products in the market, then water as a com modity cannot be exceptional. Cook sees nothing wrong or unethical in making profits from water since the money which has been pumped into the business by the investors is used to benefit customers and provide them with services. Cook sums up his position by quoting the bible by stating that, the bible and especially the Ten Commandments have no provision that prohibits people from making profits, and utilities need to be operated as enterprises (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox pp.10-11). To this extent, â€Å"the practical debate over who can provide water better focuses on the issues of transparency, efficiency, rates, and sustainability† (Snitow, Kaufman and Fox pp.11).. Indeed, most of these values are possible in public controlled enterprises but far more difficult in private owned enterprises or corporations. Ethical dilemma The essence of water being a commodity that sustains life has drawn conflicting debates and reactions on whether it is ethical to commodify and therefore s ubject it to market competition principles. This particular confusion has been precipitated by the actions of United Nations to declare that water is a human right that should be accessible to everyone. The question that arises is; are their moral consequences that arise as a result of commodifying water and hence its availability and accessibility largely become determined by market mechanisms? Ethical lapse In most cases, ethical lapse can be categorized into three groups: deception, stealing and harming (Howard and Korver 13). There exists many variants to these but the mentioned three have come out as the most wrongdoings which people commit.Advertising Looking for research paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lying has been described in many ways that include: doctor, cover up, overstate, understate, misinform, misguide or stretch the truth (Howard and Korver p.14). additionally, the act of lying has psychological costs, for example, when individuals lie there is always a clash between their values and who they are; lying also creates barriers in relationships and soils self-image of an individual (Howard and Korver p.15). Moral reasoning The contemporary society is faced with a situation where people are facing dilemma on various ethical decisions and as a result there have been numerous methods of moral reasoning. Moral reasoning has taken center stage in various social issues as people continue to debate on what is right and what is wrong or what ought to be or not be done. In most cases many people are convinced that it is not necessary the principles which determine what is right or wrong, but the consequences produced by the actions in question (Rae p.81). When a particular course of action or decision produces the best set of consequences, then to majority such actions need to be allowed and accepted. In other words the action(s) that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms is the one that is considered as the most moral. Generally actions considered right or wrong (morality) should depend on the situation and also on what the cultural consensus of right and wrong is at that time. In the case of commodifying water, if the society and hence culture reaches consensus that water commodification is wrong then it would be morally wrong to commodify or privatize water. Ethical approaches Utilitarianism ethics Utilitarianism ethics postulate that morality of an act is determined by the end result. From this observation, utilitarianism conviction is that the moral choice is the one that produces the greatest good for the greatest number of people or at the same time the moral choice is the course of action that produces more good consequences than harmf ul ones. Utilitarianism sometimes is regarded as consequentialism ethics due to its emphasis on the consequences of an action. Jeremy Bentham, one of the philosophers credited to utilitarianism believed in hedonistic utilitarianism which postulates that â€Å"the most moral acts are those that maximize pleasure and minimize pain† (Rae p.85). On the other hand John Mill, another believer of utilitarianism ethics established his approach which differed from that of Bentham which was general concept of maximizing the general happiness, or what he termed as the greatest good for the greatest number. Hence ethics can be seen as the art of directing the actions of people so as to bring about the greatest possible happiness to all those who are concerned with these actions. As a result, Bentham observed that the interests of the community are simply the sum of the interests of its members. In sum the utilitarianism principle hold that, â€Å"an action is right from an ethical point of view if and only if the sum total of utilities produced by that act is greater than the sum total of utilities produced by any other act the agent could have performed in its place† (Fernando p.34). Water commodification can be analyzed within the precepts of utilitarianism ethics where business principles can take a backseat to consequences, if on balance, commodification of water provides more beneficial consequences for more people then utilitarianism ethics consider it to be the most moral choice. Evaluation of actions needs to be made on the basis of benefits or harms the action(s) will bring upon human beings. The morality of the theory is that, individual or an organization performing particular actions need to impartially take into account interests of everyone on equal basis. Kantian ethics Kant was convinced that morality should be derived from recognition that people share a common human condition and what makes humans valuable and special is their ability to re ason and that moral rules based on reason should govern human behavior. To Kant moral rules need to be based on tradition, intuition, desire, conscience, emotion and sympathy and that free will among humans comes from their ability to reason and prompts them to develop rules for moral behavior which in turn can be applicable universally disregarding utilitarianism consequences. The moral rules established needs to recognize the fact that all people have a certain human dignity and therefore they should be accorded respect as autonomous beings (Fernando p.35). According to Kant moral ethics, an action is only moral for an individual in a certain situation if, and only if, the individual’s reason for carrying out the action is one that he or she would be willing to have every person act on in any similar situation. At the same time moral worth would not be attached to an action motivated singularly to promote individual interests or for pleasure and that if an action is wrong f or other people, it is wrong for any one person. For Kant an action is regarded morally worth if it reflects a good will and it is only when individuals act from duty that their actions are regarded to be moral worth. As a result Kant believes that ethics should be grounded in reason alone and not on human nature (Fernando p.35). Ethicality in commodifying water On November 27 2002, United Nation declared water to be a human right for the first time and went a head to require states to adopt key legal mechanisms that would ensure this fundamental right is achieved (Sierra Club par. 1). From UN observation, the conviction was that privatizing water could not be achieved since it is impossible to marry the profit motive of a private enterprise and the necessity and importance of a commodity like water which many people require in order to survive (utilitarianism). The conclusion is that the issue of rendering water as a private thing should be done away from the market place since wat er belongs to earth, to all species, to the future generation and in this regard no one has the right to commodify water for personal (deontological) or corporate gain (Sierra Club par. 1). On advancing this claim, the Cochabamba Declaration of December 8, 2000, which brought together interested parties aimed at ensuring the privatization of water, was not achieved (welfare concern). To cement and solidify their claim the group came up with key points to be observed which turned out to constitute the Cochabamba Declaration (Sierra Club par. 4). To the group access to water is the fundamental right of every human and all humans are required to respect nature as they use water given by the earth. The three main points formulated were: Water was described to belong to the earth and also to all species of the world and that water need to be regarded as sacred to life, and from this view the water of the world needs to be conserved, reclaimed and put under adequate protection in order t o ensure the future generation is safe; Water was described as fundamental human right and also as a public trust that needs to be guarded by all structures of the government and as a result it should not be commodified, privatized or commercially traded; lastly Water can be best protected by local communities and people and who must be given equal respect as partners of various governments in the process of protecting and regulating water (Sierra Club par. 5). Conclusion Water ethic has developed in many societies as a result of continued efforts by enterprises and corporation to commodifying water. As a result, in most societies specifically the developed ones, water ethics commodification and privatization with marginalized access to water continue to raise key questions such as: Can water be sustainably managed while the global financial institutions and transnational corporations possess the means to do so? How can the empowerment of public and rights of people over water be r estored? How can global skills, capital and user practices are reconciled with the need and desire for control over water of local people? Such questions give an impression of how fundamental ethics has become essential in addressing the issue of water commodification. Ethical reasoning in regards to water will ensure proper, efficient and sustainable use of water despite its scarcity in nature. Borgmann, Albert. Real American ethics: taking responsibility for our country. IL, University of Chicago Press. 2006. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=fJJccik-SRECpg=PA145dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=zQZpTPagL5H34gb75pyZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDIQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=Ethics%20of%20commodification%20of%20waterf=false. Brenkert, George G. and Beauchamp, Tom L. The Oxford Handbook of Business Ethics. NY, Oxford University Press US. 2009. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=Qn1BDj7SRUsCpg=PA78dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl= enei=GvJoTPmcB4aS4gb6npCZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=9ved=0CFkQ6AEwCA#v=onepageqf=false. Brown, Peter G. and Schmidt, Jeremy J. Water Ethics: Foundational Readings for Students and Professionals. NW, Island Press. 2010. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=fwFXY-vAwNsCpg=PA161dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=GvJoTPmcB4aS4gb6npCZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CDgQ6AEwAw#v=onepageqf=false. Fernando, A. C. Business Ethics: An Indian Perspective. New Delhi, Pearson Education India, 2009. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=A-k_uWkGCEUCpg=PA35dq=business+ethics+theorieshl=enei=Od1rTLK0EcHT4wa4ncDkAgsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDYQ6AEwAg#v=onepageq=business%20ethics%20theoriesf=false. Howard, Ronald A. and Korver, Clinton D. Ethics for the real world: creating a personal code to guide decisions in work and life. MA, Harvard Business Press. 2008. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=OqnrtQFfXb0Cprintsec=fron tcoverdq=Ethics+for+the+Real+World.hl=enei=RBtqTKP8LZCl4Qan5OCaAQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepageqf=false. Rae, Scott B. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics. MI, Zondervan, 2000. 16 August 2010. https://books.google.com/books?id=n55iiynlwmMCpg=PA77dq=moral+reasoninghl=enei=1sVrTN_nHMKk4Qb9kJz3Agsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=8ved=0CFMQ6AEwBw#v=onepageq=moral%20reasoningf=false. Sierra Club. Corporate Water Privatization: Water is a Human Right not a Commodity. 2008. 16 August 2010. sierraclub.org/committees/cac/water/human_right/. Snitow, Allan, Kaufman, Deborah and Fox, Michael. Thirst: fighting the corporate theft of our water. CA, John Wiley and Sons. 2007. 16 August 2010.https://books.google.com/books?id=wyW30HVewtACpg=PA10dq=Ethics+of+commodification+of+waterhl=enei=tiNpTMXOIuTT4waqqZiZBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CC0Q6AEwATgK#v=onepageq=Ethics%20of%20commodification%20of%20waterf=false.

Policies to Reduce Unemployment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Policies to Reduce Unemployment - Essay Example It's with this in mind that the government of the UK has to change tactic in order to enable companies to remain in business and create job opportunities despite the economic recession The number of people in full time employment fell drastically between 2007 and 2009 (Arnold 2001). The rate of loosing jobs is alarming. About the same number of jobs lost the previous year were lost in just four months last year from October 2008 to the beginning of the year 2009. it better to make the assumption that those who lost their jobs were those who were being paid well from their professional expertise and could still be living on their bonuses. The number of people unemployed but actively seeking employment has increased by about one million, other people appears to have opted for part time jobs and as a result the number of part-time employees has increased by almost 1.3 million. Some people have already given up (Gilbody 1998). By the beginning of the new millennium, (the year 2000) the world was very different from the way it was in the 1900s. The United Kingdom underwent a massive change. The labour party of United Kingdom had won its second term to serve again in office. In the beginning of the year 2001, the government wanted to have enough money to be spent on public services especially the national health services which was being under funded by then (Arnold 2001). The economic growth rates have been quite stable operating at about 2-3% since the beginning of the millennium. Inflation has not been a problem to the economy of the British government. The bank of England has been able to regulate the interest rates therefore managing to stabilize the economy of Britain. The pound has maintained a stable increase in value reaching a minimum rate of 1.37 dollars against the US dollar in 2001 and rising again to about a rate of one pound going for two dollars (Arnold 2001). With the emergence of the current economic recession, the number of people loosing jobs has caused a serious setback or rather it's an impediment to the banks lending, prevention of debt deflation strategies to be implemented and to renew output growth (Gilbody 1998). There has also been a wave of rising defaults all concentrating in the riskier parts of the banks loaning documents; buy to let loans, subprine mortgages and lending money to private equity enterprise as well as the management of financial asset acquisition among other activities, Europa Publications Staff (2003). Intervention to Support Economy It's very correct to stick to the conventional parts of lending schemes as advised by senior bankers since they have been performing well till now. The problems have only emerged on the financing side of bank's balance sheets and other particular aspects of the lending side. In other parts, the process of risk management on the ability to lend has performed convincingly fine. The amount of loss encountered rose in regions where systems for management of risks and credit control schemes are purposively overridden by senior managers anxious to take over the market share or produce mortgages for the packaging as a section of the model known as

Online Travel Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Online Travel - Case Study Example The possibility of spreading the reach of the business overseas is made possible by the practically zero marginal cost incurred by online travel companies in extending their marketing to foreign countries. Europeans have actually been observed to travel more than their Americans counterpart, averaging four weeks of vacation annually while Asian travelers such as Chinese and Indians have posted a notable increase int heir frequency of travel due to the improved number of middle class consumers (Tracy). Subscribers of online travel have benefitted from the dominance of market economy and market system as we observe prices become competitive due to the presence of of more online travel service suppliers such as Kayak and Sidestep (Bhargava) . This leaves an experience of intense competition for the big three companies such as Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity, practically showing the validity of Adam Smith's theory of self-interest- that in the pursuit of business of many, self-interest can bring important sociopoliticsal evolution and economic growth (Robert B. Ekelund Jr.) Last minute dot com resides in an industry where consumers are task-oriented and highly price conscious, with many experienced travel deal seekers searching for the best deals on air fare, hotels and car rentals with the competition being concentrated mainly in two areas-the corporate travel and the package deals(Bhargava). Currently, the way of handling the travel business have been very innovative as we see site like FlyerTal being flocked by most online travelers being consumer discussion driven, having posts from travelers helping each other, trading discount certificates and talking about customer service experiences. TravelAdvisory is also one of the most trafficked sites being due to its high rankings in a location or hotel-based keyword search (Bhargava). Obviously, the industry is taking on a different phase of competition especially as the technology develops more. The use of dot travel domain has also been introduced recently but has been used slightly with hyatt.travel and solmelia.travel as the only notable sites. Lastminute.com, on the other hand, has refused to activate a dot travel domain with the belief that the dot com domain is central to its brand (Nelson). The industry is expected to tread upward in terms of usage and sales, with the many facets of technology being adapted specifically in the marketing aspect. As one of the articles in the Harvard Business Review in Management says, "if tops management wants to find ways of improving profits and growth, it must actively participate in the development of marketing plans by challenging their underlying assumptions and by contributing alternative ideas on strategy and programs (Ames). Effect of Current Political and Economic Issues Starting in 1998, last minute.com was well managed by owners Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane-Fox, expanding its services to holidays, hotels, car hire, restaurants, theater and spa. In 2005, it was purchased by Travelocity, becoming part of Saber family of travel companies (Last Minute Network Limited). The buy-out of Saber Holdings of Lastminute.com has made its share soar from "45.4 per cent, to 153.25p, putting a value of pounds 522m on the company" (Reece). The decision by Hoberman and Lane-Fox to renounce leadership of the company was made after its financial struggle, experiencing an over-all loss of pounds

Select a big data problem, evaluate what was discovered and explain Essay

Select a big data problem, evaluate what was discovered and explain how it supports the business including any challenges, oppor - Essay Example With these units being used, people faced trouble to get part of the data or use it to develop a trend of events or occurrences in an environment which can be used to ensure it becomes useful to its owner (Sathi, 2012, p4). Some of the organisations that use big data include meteorological organisations, biological and environmental research complex physics simulations among others. These find it difficult to establish amicable to capture, store transmit and analyse some of their data that are collected from different events and analyse them to have necessary deductions. Units for measuring the amounts of data have continued to be invented with time and they are moving from simple to extremely complex and large figures that require large capacity to store. To understand the problem of big data, it is good to focus on the analysis of the issues of data analysis as could be realised in different organisations within the world (O'Reilly Radar Team et al, 2012, p8). Big data problem caus es and exposition In the past, people used to measure data in megabytes and in those times, 100 megabytes of data were considered a very large. With time, there data increased and gigabytes were used to measure data, this paved way for terabyte, petabytes and the latest invention of the units of measurement of data is the Exabyte. ... The big data has not gone without considerable problems in the way it ought to be handled and processed to explain phenomenon and trends in business or in any other organisation. Some problems experienced in handling big data include collecting, processing, analysing and storing of the meaningful data for future use (Ohlhorst, 2013, p11). However, in order to expound the problems of big data, analysis of the same offers an insight into the difficulty of handling that kind of data and the risks thereof. Why analysis of big data is a problem Analysis of big data is problematic because there are limited methods, which can be used to store large amount of data in the same place and process desirable results using it. For this reason, analysis is one of the problems of big data in that it is difficult to combine the different bits that are making the big data. As a result, analysis of such data of great magnitude becomes difficult because there are few devices that accommodate data to a c ertain capacity and is type. It is tasking to engage in analysing big data because in their unstructured form, they indicate that people have taken part in an event but the information is decentralized into a common place for effective analysis (Best, 2008, p63). How big data is analysed To enable ease of analysis, scientist start by classifying the data into groups and categories, this can be easily analysed to give the required information. The method of analysing big data by structuring is a scientific invention that is designed to ensure that organisations do not have to delete their data from their database. Companies categorise their information into clusters that are representing data for

Understanding Of Law And Recognising Its Limitations Social Work Essay

Understanding Of Law And Recognising Its Limitations Social Work Essay [For social workers] to practise effectively it is necessary to have a critical understanding of law and to recognise its limitations alongside it strengths (Wilson et al, 2008: 191). Using the case study of Mr A, this essay will outline the legislation regarding statutory duties and guidance which needs to be understood by service providers. It will also critically analyse and explore the issues relating to funding Mr As accommodation and safeguarding requirements. There are numerous acts and guidance that need to be considered which make this a complicated exercise. The first is the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act, 1970 s1 which requires local authorities to be aware of the number of disabled people in their boundary in order to plan and develop provision of services. Furthermore, under s46 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act, 1990 they have a responsibility to publish a plan of community care services provided. As Mr B is the carer, the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act, 2004 requires Countyshire to inform him of his entitlement to a Carers assessment (Wilson et al, 2008). Whilst Mr A lived with his brother, Countyshire would have a statutory duty under the NHSCCA (1990) and the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act, 1995 to assess Mr Bs needs as main carer for his brother as Mr B is ordinary resident there. The Carers and Disabled Children Act (2000) gives Mr B the right to request an assessment even if Mr A is not involved with care services. Local Authority Circular (2004)24 s2 outlines good practice for Mr Bs involvement in his brothers assessment process. For Mr A, under s47 of the NHSCCA (1990), Countyshire would have a statutory duty to assess his needs while he was living with his brother and a further duty under the policy guidance, Fair Access to Care Services 2002, issued under s7(1) of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, to decide within a reasonable time, what community care services should be provided to meet his needs (DOH, 2010). The legislation is complex for providing services, including accommodation, for Mr A. There are overlapping and conflicting obligations and a detailed history for Mr A is lacking. This highlights the need for a thorough assessment by a Social Worker and the appropriate sharing of information between the local authorities concerned. Because funding care is expensive authorities may hide behind the complexity of the law to evade their responsibility. As Mr A was detained under s37 of the Mental Health Act, 1983 (as amended by Mental Health Act, 2007) he would, upon leaving hospital under s117 MHA (1983), receive free after-care services for his mental health for as long as is required. As Mr A was detained in Ashire, that Local Authority, Local Health Board and Primary Care Trust are responsible for financing any after-care services (DOH, 2008 and Barber et al, 2009). After-care services under s117 of MHA (1989) would not be withdrawn from Mr A if he declined them, or Ashire discharged him from care. Even if Mr A was well settled in the community, he may continue to need after-care services in case of relapse or mental health deterioration. They would only be withdrawn if Ashire local authority, Mr A and the PCT agreed that he no longer needed them (DOH, 2008). If such an agreement was made by Ashire then Mr A would be unable to get after-care free under s117 of MHA (1989) but would need to be assessed under s47 of the NHSCCA (1990) for Countyshire to provide care under the National Assistance Act (1948). The MHA (1983) does not define what aftercare is, however it is accompanied by a Code of Practice, 2008, which, although not statutory is regarded as guidance, as confirmed in the case of R (Munjaz) v Mersey Care NHS Trust (2005) (Brammer, 2010 and Barber et al, 2009). The Code of Practice under 27.13 provides a list of areas to be considered in an assessment which the Social Worker, with Mr A, should include in the written after care plan (DOH, 2008). There have been numerous disputes between local authorities over the definition of ordinary resident, within s24 of the NAA (1948), and resident in s117(3) of the MHA (1993), and, therefore, which authority is responsible for funding a persons residential care. The recent publication Ordinary Residence by the Department of Health and the case of R (on the application of M) v. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Another; R (on the application of Hertfordshire County Council) v. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (2010) have provided clarity and guidance for practice confirming that for the purposes of s117 MHA (1983) after ­care, s24(5) of the NAA (1948) does not apply (RadclifeLeBrasseur, 2010). In the case of Mr A, if he is still under s117 MHA (1989) the duty to provide after-care services, including accommodation, would remain with Ashire as the local authority where he was detained even though he is living in Countyshire (DOH, 2010). Countyshire, under s24(3) of the NAA (1948), initially placed Mr A in the residential home to provide respite for his brother. The home is registered for residents with dementia and physical disabilities. Upon the decision to stay there permanently, Countyshire would have a common duty to re-assess Mr A to ensure the home is appropriate for his needs. If it is not part of Mr As care plan to provide appropriate accommodation for his mental health then Countyshire would need to fund his accommodation, under s21 of the NAA (1948). Mr A would also meet the criteria under the NAA (1948) s29(1) for his domiciliary care services to be provided by the local authority. NAA (1948) s29(4) with LAC (93)10 also outlines what care services should be considered and s2 of the CSDPA (1970) gives the local authority the power and duty to provide such services. If the accommodation is provided for Mr As health needs, the NHS are responsible as the local authority is not able to provide health services as defined in s21(8) NAA (1948). If Mr A funded his own accommodation he would be classed as a self-funder and require an ordinary residence with Countyshire, in line with the settled purpose test in Shah v London Borough of Barnet (1983). NAA (1948) s22(2) allows Countyshire to charge Mr A for the accommodation. When carrying out the financial assessment they must use the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations (1992) in conjunction with Charging For Residential Accommodation Guide, which is updated annually (DOH, 2010). At present there is no specific legislation in England for vulnerable adult protection. The law regulating the safeguarding of vulnerable adults is taken from a number of relatively recent policies, guidance and case law (Clements and Thompson, 2007). Safeguarding has only recently become recognised as an area of work in its own right. It is an increasingly important part of a Social Workers responsibilities, as policy and guidance has given social service authorities the lead role in dealing with safeguarding issues (Mandelstam, 2008). The local authority as a public body, under the Human Rights Act 1998 s6, has a duty of care towards its citizens, to protect them from harm and uphold their human rights (Braye, 2010). In Z and others v UK (2001) the European Court of Human Rights found the local authority to be in violation of s6(3) HRA (1998), having failed to take reasonable steps to prevent serious ill-treatment when they were aware of abuse (Clements and Thompson, 2007). Safeguarding Adults procedures should be put in place, in line with HRA (1998), to support a person to live a life that is free from abuse and neglect (ADASS, 2005). As the local authority has been made aware of Mr As recent behaviour towards the other residents it is important that they appoint an Investigating Officer and take reasonable steps to prevent any abuse. The Care Standards Act, 2000 standard 18, stipulates that local authorities and care homes must have a written safeguarding policy which would apply to Ashire, Countyshire and the private care home. Also in 2000, the Department of Health published the No Secrets policy document, which provides guidance to local authorities on how to protect vulnerable adults and implement policies to protect them. The policy requires local authorities to have written multi agency safeguarding procedures and policies (Brammer, 2010). No Secrets is regarded as statutory guidance because the LASSA (1970), s7 requires a local authority to act under such guidance. The case of R v Islington LBC, ex p Rixon (1996), demonstrated that an authority is acting unlawfully if they deviate from the guidance (Mandelstram, 2008). The Association of Directors of Social Services in 2004, published the Protocol For Inter-Authority Investigation Of Vulnerable Adult Abuse. This protocol with reference to s3.8 of No Secrets (2000) and National Assistance Act 1948 LAC (93)7, clarified the responsibility and actions of the host and placing local authorities with regards to safeguarding. In the case of Mr A, although the residential home contacted Ashire, it would be the responsibility of Countyshire, as the host local authority, to take the lead in safeguarding procedures. However, a link person from Ashire would be invited to attend any adult protection strategy meeting, if it is the local authority funding his accommodation, as it would still be expected to have a duty of continuing care for Mr A (2004: 1-2). In 2005, ADASS published Safeguarding Adults, providing a national framework for good practice in adult protection work, including giving clear time frames, multi agency working and details of responsibilities (Clements and Thompson, 2007; Brammer, 2010). Whilst following safeguarding procedures it is important for the local authority to keep to the Data Protection Act, 1998. However, No Secrets states, It is inappropriate for agencies to give assurances of absolute confidentiality in cases where there are concerns about abuse, particularly in those situations when other vulnerable people may be at risk (2000: 24). A criticism of the No Secrets policy is that vulnerable adults are defined as people in need of community care services who are unable to protect themselves from abuse so it does not take into consideration people who do not require community care services (Clements and Thompson, 2007). Safeguarding Adults framework introduced the term safeguarding and moved away from the description of protection and vulnerable (Brayne and Carr, 2010). ADASS defined Safeguarding Adults as, This phrase means all work which enables an adult who is or may be eligible for community care services to retain independence, wellbeing and choice and to access their human right to live a life that is free from abuse and neglect (2005: 5). Using the ADASS definition, the vulnerable adults in this case, would be Mr A, and all the other residents in the residential home, given his current and previous behaviour. As Mr A is residing at a private residential care home, the home, along with the local authority, will be regulated by The CSA, 2000, supported by National Minimum Standards. Standard 18 of the NMS states that the registered person at the care home needs to ensure that service users are safeguarded from abuse (Clements and Thompson, 2007; Brammer, 2010). The registered person and possibly other care staff from the home would, therefore, be invited to the safeguarding strategy meeting. Under the Care Homes Regulations 2001, it is the responsibility of the care home registered person to inform the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of any suspected abuse (Brammer, 2010). Hampshire County Council Safeguarding Policy states that although the CQC should be informed and invited to a safeguarding strategy meeting, it is not routinely necessary for them to attend (2010: 52). However, following the CQC Safeguarding Protocol Procedures they should provide any relevant information for the meeting (2010: 11). Safeguarding Adults framework provide guidance on police involvement; if a crime is alleged to have taken place then they should be involved as soon as possible and decide whether they will be taking action (2005: 34). However, as Mr A has committed no crime, the police may not need to be invited to a strategy meeting. The care-co-ordinator, psychiatrist and GP for Mr A would be invited to attend a strategy meeting (Dorset For You, 2007). If a safeguarding assessment strategy is decided at the strategy meeting, Mr A, as he is deemed to have mental capacity, could also be involved with the assessment process and his views taken into account. However, Countyshire must act to uphold the human rights of all citizens and as other residents potentially are at risk, this duty will take precedence (ADASS, 2005). The case of Mr A has shown that although local authority social services have a legal duty and obligation to provide, fund and safeguard the most suitable care, this is a complex task involving an understanding of overlapping and conflicting obligations, from a wide range of primary legislation, secondary legislation, directions, guidance and case laws (Wilson et al, 2008). The case of Mr A supports the Law Commissions current work to create, under one act, a coherent legal framework for the provision of adult social care similar to the Children Act, 1989 (Law Commission, 2010). Word Count: 2196

Career path

The skills that I think are necessary for success in college are being self-motivated, having effective time management and a strong dedication and willpower to want to succeed. The desire to succeed can only come from you. There are people to help you along the way, but you are the only person that can make a change for yourself and for the better. Self-motivation is the number one factor in having a successful college experience. Once you have made a decision to further your education you must realize that there will conflicts throughout.Conflicts with work or family may arise. If you lack self-motivation, there is a possibility you will lose sight of what your goal is. There must be a balance between school and other obligations. You are responsible for finding that balance to ensure a successful college experience and a happy personal or work life as well. Effective time management is imperative in college. There are many times when tests and papers are due at the same time for e ach class. It is important to know what lies ahead in each class.A monthly calendar allows you to note upcoming due dates, midterm and final dates. It is helpful to have a visual so you can plan on a teeth to allow yourself adequate time for each class. Some people may be good at procrastination but when taking multiple classes, I don't think waiting until the last minute is effective. You made a decision to invest time and money to enter college. You have a goal in mind. In order to reach that goal you need a strong dedication and willpower to succeed. There will be bumps along the way.Each class will introduce new ideas and responsibilities; when those responsibilities conflict with other responsibilities, I think you need the willpower to push through it. You need the dedication to the lasses and program you enrolled in. Keep the end goal in sight. The skills that I already have are being self-motivated, having effective time management and a strong dedication to being successful in college. I am a lifetime learner. I enjoy attending my classes and what is involved to succeed. Part of what helps me succeed in my classes is being effective with time management.I have learned how to handle a full time class load, working and having a happy family. My last Job required you to be great at multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is useful when attending college and having a young family. I have learned how to study while my hillier are occupied or napping. I also have my husband's support which is crucial when attending school. In order to write a paper or study for an exam I will either go to the library, my parents' house or at times my husband will take our children somewhere, Just to give me the time I need.I don't think you could succeed in college and in personal life if you don't have the dedication to school. I want to succeed and do well in college to better the life for my family. I am dedicated in accomplishing my goal and I know I will succeed. I have developed these skills through experience. I graduated from high school in 999 and have been attending college since, taking breaks to start my family. I have an associate degree already but have always wanted to pursue nursing. Since graduating with my associates degree, I have always taken part time classes, while working full time and having a family.However, I made the decision to enroll full time and complete my degree. I have three young daughters, all less than six years old. I know that to better their lives I must finish schooling. I want them to see that a higher education is something to strive and work toward. I want them to see my self-motivation and my dedication, to only to them but to school. Effective time management is a necessity when raising my children, being a spouse and being a successful student. I have learned to love my calendar. I write everything down.I have to see lies ahead for my family and for school. One weakness that I have is being committed to too many dif ferent things with my children, all while I am trying to finish school. I sign up to help with a lot of their events and organizations. I need to realize that I am only one person and cannot do it all. I need to only sign up for a select number of events and commit myself to those instead off little bit here and there. I also have bad test anxiety. I am hoping that I can alleviate the anxiety I get by allowing myself adequate time to study and prepare for tests.I also need to have confidence in myself to know that I will succeed on the test. I try to go into each test with a positive attitude. I will be taking the TEAS test on 11/16/12. I have heard so much negativity towards the test from peers that I try to distance myself from the negativity. I know that going into the test Friday that I have done all I was able to do and look forward to seeing my results. I have chosen a nursing career. The same skills listed for a college experience are also needed for a successful nursing care er.In addition to these, strong interpersonal skills and critical thinking skills are needed. I have worked in the health care field for over 10 years, so I have seen first hand what skills are needed and already have knowledge of medical terminology and Anatomy and Physiology. This is only my first semester at Bryant & Stratton. I still need to pass my TEAS and am looking forward to being accepted in the nursing program. I would like to improve upon my confidence. As a nurse you don't have time to second guess yourself. I need to realize that I know the answer and stick to it.I also need to stop being afraid of failure. I need to set little goals and as those are accomplished, celebrate them. This will make my long term goal seem not so far out of reach. I previously stated that I like to avoid negativity. I do not want to be surrounded by negative people or situations. This only brings my confidence down. I also want to remain an active learner. Whether this means taking continuin g education courses or reading a health Journal related to my field; I know that this will increase my confidence because I will be full of knowledge.In conclusion, it is important to understand that the decision to enter college is a life changing decision. Dedication, time management, and the desire to succeed and take responsibility for what needs to be are commitments that must be made upon making the decision to enroll in college. The approach I took when writing this paper is following the outline given and responding to each question. The outline style was effective for this paper since a list of skills were required. I did not forget to expand on any skill since I had it in the outline format.