Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Essay

I have chosen to build a temple for Poseidon in the city-state of Athens. The reason this temple is in Athens is because according to the Greek myth on the website Mr. Donn, the contest of Poseidon and Athena, the two gods compete to prove they are worthy of guarding that city-state. Athena gets the honor to guard that city-state because Poseidon thinks her gift is much better than his, but still is unhappy. To show his unhappiness, he flooded Athens. So, to show thanks to allowing her to be their guardian, I made this temple in honor of Poseidon. Additionally, Poseidon likes receiving temples and gifts from the city-states, especially the coastal city-states, like Athens, since those are closer to his true royal underwater palace. In this temple made especially for Poseidon, I have included some features that would be found in his royal underwater palace. This includes the decorative columns, fountains, and shells to add decoration to his palace above water. In the model of the temple and the drawing, I focused on only one room, the most important room to Poseidon. In this room, there is Poseidon’s throne, his Trident’s holder and a royal fountain with sparkling blue water. He has a view of the city-state of Athens, and of the Aegean Sea. Poseidon will truly be pleased by this temple for many reasons. First of all, he will be pleased because the temple is on a peninsula where he can gaze out to the Aegean Sea. At the same time, he will still be close enough to Mount Olympus so he can travel faster when needed at a meeting of the council of gods. Also, Poseidon will be able to have a private place where he can map out what city-states he still has to take guard over. This would be important to him because he wants to be the guard of the most city-states to prove he’s the mightiest.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Atheism †my personal response Essay

I can’t see how one can claim that atheism is a religion, it is impossible by the very definition. Agnostic would be more apt. A quote from a letter sent to Ruth Crowley seems fitting; â€Å"Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair colour.† It simply cannot be done. I don’t think religion doesn’t have a place in today’s society, I just think that in many cases we would be better off without it. As far as I’m concerned Jesus is just the word of choice, substitute it for any name. It works just like any superstition. While religion at its fundamental core might have some important values, there is simply no need for the complimentary ideals that churches teach. Yes it may be an onerous expectation that schools teach it, but minus parents, they seem the next logical choice. I think it goes without saying, also, that schools and religion should be kept as separate as religion and politics should be. Art has never been, and likely ne ver will be, my forte. Beyond being aesthetically pleasing, for the most part; I see a limited shelf-life for art, as anything more then that, in modern times and would happily go so far as to question its purpose beyond the aesthetic in the past. As to this notion of the afterlife, I hate to say it, but it makes me want to laugh. It is easy to see how the myth evolved. People are reluctant to accept that someone or even something (A pet) they knew and loved is gone. Bernard Shaw sums up the reality of the matter: â€Å"The fact that a believer is happier than a sceptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.† While you may have learnt skills and acquired knowledge that you have used. From my perspective, in a correct world, religion should be separated to such a degree that those who choose not to partake in it will have no occasion to have to do so. Why must a legal marriage be accompanied with a religious ceremony? Why not have a separate civil union? Allowing for the legalisation of gay unions and also for a separate â€Å"marriage† which is purely religious and confined to the actual places of worship, churches. I can’t fathom this concept of semi belief in religion, and, as of yet, no one has been able to explain it to me in such a way that I can even accept it as a logical belief. Simply, you either believe or you don’t, I can’t see how you can fall in between. If you were to say you were unsure as to which religion then I can concede that. But to simply use religion as a mental appeasement for your actions, I cannot grasp. The capacity for religions to inspire violence between each other is one of the fundamental issues I have with religion. They are at the core reasoning, or at least a participant, of almost every conflict in the recorded history of our existence on this planet. On the idea of butterfly’s being a work of god I think Douglas Adams truly epitomised my beliefs when he said; â€Å"Isn’t it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?† To end, I can’t but help to agree once more with Douglas Adams when he said; â€Å"I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.† Sorry for the doubly long response.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Enviroment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Enviroment - Research Paper Example There are varying sources of carbon dioxide especially the quantities found in the earth’s atmosphere. For example, environmentalists put the number at about 391 ppm (parts per million). Similarly, there is volcanic gassing, burning of fuels, combustion of organic matter and power generation that result to the excessive release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Kemp 145). Other sources of carbon dioxide are cited as natural especially the decomposition of organic matter found in the grasslands and the forests. There is also notable emission of the gas into the environment from the respiration existing aerobic organisms. There are several effects of carbon dioxide in the environment in respect to the health of human beings and the immediate environment. For instance, in terms of positive effects, there are plant growths especially during the photosynthesis and transpiration processes. However, the negative effects supersede the positive such as the increase of the earth temperature. This eventually leads to global warming that finally leads to acidic rain. In other words, there is a mix of rainfall of carbon dioxide that comes in form of smoke from burning charcoal. On that account, the acidic rain affects crops by depositing acids especially in the oceans when it ends up poisoning sea creatures (McMichael & World Health Organization 145). In other words, the carbonic acid also affects crops by burning their leaves leaving traces of elements such as zinc and lead. The increase in earth temperatures also results to the warming of water bodies such as lakes, seas and rivers hence affecting creatures t hat have a direct dependence on water bodies. In the same view, there are also anthropogenic health risks of carbon dioxide that are paramount apart from the environmental effects. These are the human impacts of the gas upon the biophysical environments and other biodiversity resources.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Exploring the politics of the Texas Railroad commissions regulation of Research Paper

Exploring the politics of the Texas Railroad commissions regulation of texas oil and gas from 1917-1941 - Research Paper Example In the 1920s, there was a sporadic pattern of cooperation between the state and federal governments. Tensions were high in the coordination of the state activities and those of the federal government over the control of resources. Mandates of the commission The commission is the central state agency with regulatory jurisdictions over the operations of the oil and natural gas industry. It also has jurisdictions over pipeline transporters in the nation. The commission controls the operations of the natural gas and hazardous liquids industry in the country. It controls natural gas utilities and the LP gas in the nation. All coal and uranium-mining operations in the U.S. are under the commission’s mandate1. The commission controls all the research and education aimed at encouraging the use of LP gas as an alternative energy form. Its operations are under the federal legislations such as the pipeline and safety act. According to the Texas archives, the commission is the first to be set in the country2. The commission’s regulatory roles are responsible for the prevention of waste of resources. It serves to protect property rights in environment. The commission operates and maintains plat and survey maps that provide information on oil and gas reservoirs in Texas. Protection of the correlative rights of interest owners’ rights is a vital role of the commission. The commission also ensures safety in the operations of gas and oil including that of hydrogen sulfide. It has a mandate to regulate hazardous pipelines. Material and natural gas pipelines should be clean and conform to standards. Oil supplied to the population should be safe and supplied at a reasonable price. Regulation of surface coal mining is under the commission’s jurisdiction. Oil boom in Texas in the 1930s Also referred to as the Gusher age, the east Texas oil boom was a historic time of economic prosperity, experienced in the state at the onset of the 20th century3. Beaumont , Texas, experienced an escalated production level of oil after drilling companies defied the commission’s conservation orders. High oil production promoted the local economy of the state and caused escalated wealth circulation. There was massive regional development in states around Texas, as well. Oil boom promoted serious industrialization and development in the U.S. The incident was unpredicted since oil gushed out when drillers almost declared failure to discover oil. This made Texas the greatest oil producing state in the nation. In October 9, oil discovery at Kilgoire strike was a success. The oil boom effect was extensive across sectors of the economy. A crash in the stock market was a serious impact of the spill, for instance. Mass unemployment was the ultimate effect of the stock crash. Independent oil firms exploited the boom to produce massive amount of oil. National oil prices changed significantly and affected the oil market in the country. The cost of oil per b arrel dropped extensively between 1930 and 1931. Independent oil firms’ high production level destabilized the world oil markets. East Texas oil reserves produced a large a massive amount of oil comparable to the total oil production in the country. The depression turned worse in 1931 and 1932 and the Hoover administration seemed incapable to solve the situation. Farmers experienced the effects of the depression and business declined all over the nation. Regulation too

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Lower division capstone ip3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lower division capstone ip3 - Essay Example Following is how I start. Before we start, I would postulate that I could expect to achieve a face-to-face interview at three prominent organizations that I know and that I also know in particular as attractive and potential employers. On my list Wal-Mart is the first one. Undoubtedly this is an organization that is well known to me and comfy talking about as far as marketing is related. Continued expansion and success are attributes that make this particular firm so attracting for the job. A workable opportunity in the marketing department should be permissible as praiseworthy. The most significant of it is to categorize whether the asked opportunity is a low hanging fruit, single, or a good home run. Moreover, the most crucial thing is to assess every opportunity of marketing and after that come to an communicated decision that will mostly likely to be based on my past experiences and market research to finalize the best one out of those ideas. Foreseeing the selected idea will result positively or negatively on the organization and also deciding the importance of the opportunity would be for a financial improvement or not. My suggestion for business giant like Wal-Mart is to go for the implementation of cell phone contract with the reliable network of the country, but with Wal-Mart acting the go between to help will ease up the process for the customers as possible. It would be quite an easy objective for Wal-Mart to master; if I would have to categorize it, I will set it in the easily achievable category or the fruit hanging low in the customer domain. However, this objective will give boost to the company to compete with the other national cellular service providers who would also want to take advantage for providing this service. Second one my valuable companies would be Blockbuster. My suggestion for this company would be to upgrade in the digital area. If they are able to upgrade themselves in the field of technology and have more

Friday, July 26, 2019

Egomania Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Egomania - Essay Example Another factor that is also worth noting about egomania patients is that they are not in love with themselves per se, but with the image that they create and believe that people will accept and respect (Kernberg, 257-287). This disorder has been found to possess a higher prevalence among men and male and female narcissists tend to use different techniques which include seduction, sexuality and physique. The above mentioned traits make it very difficult for these individuals to interact with other people and this aspect of the disorder has been widely debated. The paper will be dedicated towards analyzing the impact egomania symptoms have on other individuals. As mentioned above, egomania is associated with self-obsession. These patients rarely credit or acknowledge other individuals around them. This attribute is likely push people away (Kernberg, 257-287). For example, if a group of students carries out a project together. Egomania will not accept the input of others and instead illustrate their own viewpoints. This is likely to push other students away as they will be willing to participate in the project and gain a deeper understanding of the principle involved. In addition, every individual needs accreditation for his or work and this factor is likely to push other people away (Kernberg, 257-287).... The same example may also be used for workers in company as they are likely to be closer to their bosses. They are likely to be considered as â€Å"workaholics† and are also determined to go the extra the extra mile in this setting (Miller, 640). The bosses will have confidence when they delegate work and assignments to these individuals as they are less likely to neglect their responsibility. They are also likely to volunteer themselves for certain roles to show themselves and the community their superiority (Miller, 640). Egomaniacs also feel superior to everyone around them as they feel they have capabilities that other people do not possess. This factor is likely to have a negative impact on the attitudes of work mates towards these individuals. It is human nature for one to want to feel valued and making someone feel inferior is likely to decrease a person’s self esteem and hence reduce his or her positive feelings towards the oppressor. These individuals are also different to others around them as people are normally courteous, and humility has become an admirable trait in societal norms. Therefore, the way they act is likely to place them in a separate category from the standard behavioral traits and people are often unwilling to accept these negative changes. Egomaniacs have also been found to have a higher likelihood for success. This is because the attributes associated with this condition makes the people less attentive to societal distractions. Their goals and motivations are only centered on success and they have no conceptions of failure (Ronningstam, 222-227). This is an appealing quality to individuals in different spheres of life as these people

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Essay

Outline the process of economic and social change envisaged by Modernisation Theorists. Critically discuss their contention that the Western model of developmen - Essay Example ry have been thoroughly examined by researchers trying to identify its strengths/ weaknesses but also its role in the development of less – benefited countries (referring especially to the countries of the Third World). It should be noticed that the development of modernization theory has been quick and multi-dimensional – possibly influenced by the simultaneous development of globalization (Dtiglitz, 2002). Trying to locate the historical roots of this theory, Blaney et al. (2002) was led to the conclusion that modernization theory could have started in the previous centuries having being transformed through the years in order to meet the new political and social standards – the so-called – neo modernization theory. Regarding this issue it is noticed by the above researchers that since the putative end of the Cold War, modernization is increasingly reimagined as a global process— as an expanding liberal zone of peace, a global civil society, or as emerging forms of global governance’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). This form of modernization theory has been also characterized as being part of the International Relations – a concept developed through the years in order to explain the models of cooperation among the states, the role of governments, and the power of international authorities/ bodies to intervene in order to settle disputes of international character – being developed between members of the international community. The above role of modernization theory in the development of international relations has been explained by Blaney et al. (2002) as follows: ‘while modernization theory implicitly relies on IRs freezing of difference into geopolitical containers, it also projects a natural and universal developmental sequence through which all cultures must pass’ (Blaney et al., 2002, 103). Under these terms, modernization theory could be regarded as being part of the political efforts for the improvement of cooperation among the states

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Forthcoming Enlargement of European Union Essay

Forthcoming Enlargement of European Union - Essay Example As the experience of enlargements demonstrates what was beneficial for one members put the others in front of challenges. As 2007 will obviously be the time for Black-sea basin countries to join the Union, their joining will have the profound effects on Mediterranean basin as a whole, particularly on Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal that are already EU members (Dauderstdt, 2003). The Mediterranean region has always been one of the most specific and vulnerable areas on the planet (Lannon and Maresceau, 2001). Being the cradle of world civilization, Mediterranean countries, particularly Middle East and Northern African states (East and South Mediterranean), have also been the homes for world's major problems associated with terrorism, migration, drug and human trafficking and crimes. Also these countries are out of this research analysis, their factor need to be included while assessing specificity of the region and effects EU forthcoming enlargement may have on the EU-Mediterranean members. Additionally, the Balkan states also sharing Mediterranean basin and remaining one of the most problematic "hot spots" in Europe can not be underestimated (Aydin, 2004). With concern of the role of Mediterranean basin in the global politics EU has a specific program for the region (The EU's Mediterranean & Middle East Policy, 2005) In this project I will evaluate... I will provide the all-round analysis of effects of EU enlargement on existing member-states which includes political, socio-economic, and other angles. General effects on EU enlargement on current Mediterranean member-states The challenge of Eastern European states preparing to join the EU for current members is historic not only because it will enlarge the boarders of the Union but primarily because it will align two different types of cultures. Historically Europe has never been homogeneous; the most common understanding implies coexistence of at least two different "Europes", i.e.: Western and Eastern Europe (Dauderstdt, 2003). The watershed between "two Europes" is historical, cultural, economical, political, yet, mental. Most conventionally they are contrasted as catholic and protestant vs. orthodox countries, capitalist states vs. former communist entities, and democracies vs. totalitarian states. Turkey is an exception here as its major difference from the rest of the Europe is religions and mentality-related (Lannon and Maresceau, 2001). In the recent decade the EU will be joined by a group of countries which are dramatically different from the rest of the Europe (Welfens, 2004). However hereinafter I will directly address two countries for which the integration into EU seems to be the most probable, i.e.: Romania and Bulgaria. I will indicate specially when other countries (Turkey and Croatia) will be included in research analysis Both states, as mentioned before, are located in the eastern Mediterranean (Black-sea) basin; they both are orthodox Christian states that represent the former Soviet camp. In a word, they are

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

'The budget is a tool of repression rather than innovation' cited by Essay

'The budget is a tool of repression rather than innovation' cited by Hope and Fraser - Essay Example Budgets also enable the measurement of actual financial operations against a forecast and establish the costs constraints of a project, operation and program (Daum 2001, p. 21). Budgets have been used as tools for aiding the planning of actual operations by ensuring managers consider changes in their environment. Additionally, budgets enable managers to outline steps and measures for ensuring the organization meets it objectives. Budgets crucially help managers to examine the relationships between the different departments and their own operations. Most importantly, budgets control resources, and help in communicating organizational plans within the different settings (Drury 2007, p. 31). It is equally crucial to mention that budgets motivate managers to work towards the achievement of the organization’s objectives, provide visibility of the organization’s performance, and help when evaluating the performance of managers. Recently, budgets and budgeting processes have f aced immense criticism consequently attract publicity. Critics to budgets and budgeting note that budgets provide barriers to successful management and utilization of organizational resources. According to these critics, budgets influence managers and employees in counterproductive ways. It is essential to note the movement of current economies and their rapid rates of maturity are negatively affected by budgets because they impede flexibility of organizations (Daum, 2004, p. 41). Since 1998, several propositions have been made for the development of a new management philosophy called Beyond Budgeting. These proposals emerge as responses to dissatisfactions with traditional management approaches. These approaches focus on management as a function of budgeting through control cultures and command influences. In recent years, organizations have faced immense pressure to change their management strategies and approaches. This has been motivated by the need to shift from traditional man agement strategies because of changing business and operational environments. It is crucial to note that company and organizational activities become complex when seeking income generation. In this case, company activities have grown in dynamics, complexity and competitiveness despite the uncertain and turbulent business conditions (Dugdale, and Lyne, 2006, p. 51). Currently, businesses are not limited to production and sales, but rather, they engage in different economic and non-economic activities. Currently, organizations need to operate with the intention of addressing quality aspects of the business spectrum to maintain their productivity and competitiveness as well as maintain contact with their customers. Therefore, companies have begun identifying internal processes that impede their functioning in order to respond to challenges within the current business environment. In the process, companies are getting rid of their inflexible processes or procedures that limit their flex ibility (Hope, and Fraser, 1999, p. 67). The Beyond Budgeting model provides an essential strategy for organizations to fill the gap left by abandoning budgeting. This strategy provides tools that enable managers to achieve their market objectives and develop plans. It also prevents managers from focusing their energies on their budget requirements. The Beyond Budgeting approach provides organizations with platforms for controlling and managing

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Operations management - Essay Example As a result of this, the company has now taken to more sustainable methods – it ships the scampi to Thailand, where it is hand peeled. This creates more job opportunities and the carbon dioxide emission in the shipping transport from Scotland to Thailand is the same as the machine co2 emissions. Thus, the company managed to successfully cut down at least one of the significant tradeoffs in its business. To remain competitive, Young’s Seafood has some strict criterion for order qualifiers and order winners so that it gets a higher edge in the market competition. Young’s seafood has been very focuses as result of which the order winners have become the order qualifiers for the company. As already stated above, the main order qualifiers for the company are faster and higher quality food with efficient services at low costs to the client. In order to achieve those order winners / qualifiers and gain an upper edge from its competitors, the company has done a number of changes in its operational chain and logistics. Better stock management, demand prediction, centralized distribution, order batching are some of the methods that were used by the management to convert itself into the main option for purchasing seafood in the market. Q3. Facility based services are those where the clients approach the company to utilize their services, while the field based services include those where the company sends its representatives to cater to clients. Young’s sea food originally started as a field based service where it used to only dispatch its food products to clients at the preferred destination. This required intelligent scheduling and dispatch management of products and representatives. At the same time, cost was... Facility based services are those where the clients approach the company to utilize their services, while the field based services include those where the company sends its representatives to cater to clients. Young’s sea food originally started as a field based service where it used to only dispatch its food products to clients at the preferred destination. This required intelligent scheduling and dispatch management of products and representatives. At the same time, cost was an overriding factor for the company. This also requires a mobile system that connects the delivery representative with the office. The mobile system reduces the paper work, manual errors, offers effective time management, however, it was not an option for the company when aiming to expand its services in the continent. Subsequently, the company has opened many outlets and restaurants ( facility services) where clients are served and can also buy the young’s seafood products. Youngs seafood has al so tied up with other retailers to keep its products and sell them. Also, this has helped in the brand building of the company in the market.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Nanotechnology in Aeviation Essay Example for Free

Nanotechnology in Aeviation Essay †¢Nanotechnology in Aerospace Materials †¢Introduction Figure 1. The aerospace industry is under pressure to improve its environmental footprint, primarily by making aircraft more efficient. Image credit: Bureau of Labor Statistics. †¢There are few industries where the applications of nanotechnology are so clearly beneficial as in the aerospace industry. The primary development goals match almost exactly with the advantages offered by using various nanomaterials in the place of traditional bulk metals like steel. †¢The aerospace industry is one of the most important heavy industries in the world. Countless companies rely on the ability to ship products and people around the world with the speed that can only by achieved by air. The aircraft manufacturing market was worth xxx billion in 20xx, and the bulk of this was accounted for by military spending. †¢Along with this huge economic value, however, comes huge consumption, and one of the largest carbon footprints on the planet relative to the size of the market. For this reason, the major drivers in current aerospace RD are towards lighter construction materials and more efficient engines the overall goal being to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions associated with air travel and air freight. The significant interest in nanotechnology for the aerospace industry is justified by the potential of nanomaterials and nanoengineering to help the industry achieve this goal. †¢This article will review some of the nanomaterials which are already being applied in aerospace manufacturing, and the benefits they can provide. †¢Nanostructured Metals †¢Bulk metals with some nanoscale structure are already widely used in aircraft manufacturing. It is now well known that nanostructured metals exhibit considerably improved properties compared to their counterparts with microscale or larger grain structure. †¢This is particularly noticeable for properties which are crucial for materials used in aircraft primarily yield strength, tensile strength and corrosion resistance, coupled with low density which helps keep the total weight of the aircraft down. †¢ †¢Figure 2. Bulk nanostructured metals exhibit much better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance than their counterparts with larger crystal structures. Image credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory. †¢Polymer Nanocomposites †¢Various nanomaterials have been used as filler materials to enhance the properties of structural and non-structural polymers used in aircraft construction. The most commonly used nanomaterials include nanoclays, carbon nanotubes, nanofibres, and graphene. †¢Carbon nanotubes in particular have been shown to give excellent advantages when used as fillers in various polymers, due to their exceptional stiffness, toughness, and unique electrical properties. †¢Nanocomposites typically have superb weight-to-strength ratios, and enhanced resilience to vibration and fire, making them ideal for use in the aviation industry. The properties of the nanofillers, like the conductivity of nanotubes, for example, can create interesting opportunities for multifunctional materials. †¢The properties of polymers enhanced by nanomaterial fillers are so well-tuned to the requirements of aircraft manufacturers, that they are actually being used to replace some of the metals used in the airframes. This obviously brings along huge weight savings, and often cost savings as well. †¢Tribological and Anti-Corrosion Coatings †¢Another major trend in the materials used in aircraft is towards nanocoatings to enhance the durability of metals. In particular, magnesium alloys, which are far lighter than steel or aluminium, are prone to corrosion, due to the high chemical reactivity of magnesium. Coatings can help prevent corrosion, but the type typically used contain chromium complexes which are a highly toxic pollutant. †¢Materials used for these novel anti-corrosion nanocoatings include silicon and boron oxides, and cobalt-phosphorous nanocrystals. †¢Nanocoatings are also now being used on turbine blades and other mechanical components which have to withstand high temperatures and friction wear. Tribological coatings can drastically lower the friction coefficient and improve resistance to wear this greatly improves the efficiency of the engines. †¢Many nanostructured and nanoscale  coating materials have been suggested as possible friction modifying agents, such as carbides, nitrides, metals, and various ceramics. †¢ †¢Figure 3. The defense sector drives a lot of the innovation in many industries, and aerospace is no exception. High-performance military aircraft require exceptional materials, which will eventually find their way into commercial vehicles. Image credit: Penn State University. †¢Conclusion †¢This is just a brief overview of some of the nanomaterials being used in aerospace. The drive for lighter and more efficient air vehicles has led to the rapid adoption of nanotechnology in aerospace manufacturing. †¢The main roadblock, as with many industries looking to adopt nanotechnology, is caused by uncertainty over the environmental and health and safety implications of these materials. Whilst nanomaterials can often be less toxic than the current materials used, the effects of long-term exposure to these novel materials are still uncertain. †¢The potential of nanotechnology in the aerospace industry cannot be denied, however. Outside of airframe and component materials, nanotechnology applications have been found in lubricants, fuel, adhesives and many other areas. †¢Nanotechnology is also helping engineers to create vehicles with the necessary properties to endure the harsh conditions of space.

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit

The global economy where aviation industry was severely hit The year 2007 saw a downturn in the global economy where aviation industry was severely hit by fall in air traffic. While airlines were struggling with declining profits, the complicacy of the operations in the aviation continued to bother airlines throughout the world with Cathay pacific being no exception. The crisis challenged the efficient business model of Cathay pacific which was ranked as the best airline of year in 2006. Robert Taylor was dealing with inventory operations and following are the issues that have to be taken into account: Inventory holding cost: Minimizing the holding cost was one of the most critical issues faced by the Cathay Pacific. Because of the convoluted nature of spare parts, it was not feasible to meet the demands of all the aircrafts. Given the fact that Cathay pacific has over 120 wide body jets  [1]  comprising of airbus and Boeing planes, it was very difficult to fulfill the requirements of all the aircraft at the right time. As a result the airlines could lose its significant business and in order to avoid those situations, Robert can work on the timely routine checks of the aircrafts. This will enable the firm to come up with a more detailed data on requirement of the spare parts (repairable, rotable etc.) Buffer stock Just in time: Initially the airlines incorporated the buffer stock management to meet the demand in the optimal time. But they still encountered several situations where a certain part was not available. It accounted for additional cost for Cathay pacific to set the buffer stock and also the spare parts in the distribution center was occupying a lot of space. Later the firm also tried to implement the Japanese model called just in time which works well in sectors like retail and manufacturing. But the airline industry is all together a different scenario where an airline canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t afford to wait for the spare part during the last minute check when the flight is scheduled to depart. This will eventually cause the further delay of flight and degrade the passengers experience of flying with an airline. Reduce lead time: The rationalization of supply chain in the airline industry allowed the OEMs to monopolize the entire market. Irrespective of the demands, it is very difficult for the airlines to reduce their supplier lead time. Any reduction in lead time like suppliers or the transportation can help an airline to fix the problem in the stipulated time frame. Decreasing lead time of different supply chain components can increase supply reliability and help the firm to work in an efficient manner. On the other hand there are certain issues that have to be taken into account for the procurement (Paul Barwell): Switching costs: The spare parts can be classified in two criteria i.e. critical and non-critical parts. The complicity of the critical parts restricted Cathay pacific to switch suppliers because of the costs associated with switching. Also relying on the new supplier for the complicated parts was very difficult for Cathay pacific. On the other hand it had over 200 suppliers for the non-critical parts which required much of resources (time and money) to maintain the relationship. Forecasting: Although Cathay pacific collaborated with other airlines to enhance exchange of information with respect to suppliers list and parts availability, it wasnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t able to reduce its obsolete inventory by 100%. With the implementation of one platform that will help the airline to develop a supply management cycle to optimize supplier selection and collaboration improvement, the forecasting can be much accurate to meet the demands in time. At the same time, the platform should be able to generate real time data with its collaborators and suppliers through online communication. What is Cathay Pacific purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement? What are the possible alternatives for improvements in the procurement process? Ans: Being ranked as the best airline in 2006, Cathay pacific was able to gain certain purchasing power in aviation spare parts procurement which is: Strategic sourcing: Cross functional teams at Cathay pacific helped in gaining leverage on purchasing by applying a systematic process of reducing the cost of spare parts purchased from different vendors. This process is evident from exhibit 5 where it simplified the complicated process of sourcing and procurement. This process gave an edge to Cathay pacific in monitoring, evaluating and managing relationships with suppliers to ensure operational effectiveness. With its implementation, the airline was able to leverage purchasing power across different divisions and negotiate favorable prices with the suppliers. Strategic sourcing also focused to consolidate the suppliers database and chose the preferred ones. Aeroxchange system: Development of a collaborated supply chain system to expand the sharing and exchange of information (Spare parts availability and suppliers list) with different airlines gave an advantage to Cathay Pacific to select a supplier from the huge database. After its launch in 2000, technological advancement in Aeroxhange made this system capable of doing numerous tasks which helped the airlines to be more effective in their procurement. E.g.: In 2001, Aeroxchange launched its e-procurement platform to integrate the partners for quote management and also it incorporated the service order management in 2005  [2]  . Although Cathay pacific invested a lot of time and money to improve their procurement, there are still many rooms for the advancement in their processes. The history of Cathay pacific (obtained from case study) says that they have always tried to lock the deals with the airlines and individual suppliers to enhance their procurement process. On the other hand, one point that should have been taken into account was establishing strategic alliances with the manufacturers (Boeing and Airbus) for the procurement activities. An alliance where manufacturers should focus on the materials management and help Cathay pacific to focus on core business activities. The integrated alliance with Boeing and airbus services will help to achieve greater transparency and efficiency in the resource operations. These services are acquired by most of the big players in the market like Delta airlines and Singapore airlines where they succeeded in generating good revenues by focusing on their core activities   [3]  . The other alternative for improvement is to reward the suppliers to suggest the cost saving ideas. This will help the airline to develop a sense of competition among suppliers for developing a sustainable and cost effective model for procurement which will eventually result in increasing the productivity of the fleet. What are the advantages disadvantages for Cathay Pacific to use third party logistics (3PL) partners for their repair management and logistics management? What are the criteria for Cathay Pacific to choose her 3PL partners for repair management logistics management? Ans: Advantages: Economy of scale and economy of scope: The major outcome for firms to switch to 3PL is the value they will generate from economy of scale which means Cathay pacific will have the advantage of large truck fleets and warehouses. At the same time, it can enjoy the benefit of economy of scope by reducing costs and boosting the net value of airline. The benefits of these economies are attained depending on the type of 3PL partner (e.g. IT based or component based). Secondly these benefits can help the logistics to work effectively and efficiently which will also enhance the repair management by providing access to right spare part at the right time. Capital investment: Outsourcing logistics and repair activities can help Cathay pacific to save cost and hence reduce financial risks. Assets required in establishing distribution centers and networks normally need a huge sum of money that encompasses financial risks and hence by outsourcing, these risks can be spread to 3PL partners. Once the hedging of risk in complicated processes is done, airlines can focus more on their core activities. Cost effectiveness: To perform the activities of repair and logistics managers, Cathay pacific pays millions of dollars to labors. However outsourcing these activities will result in saving the capital which can be spent on further expansion of the airline. Disadvantages: Loss of control: Outsourcing 3PL partners will lead to loss of hold and control over their logistics and repair activities. The transparency in these networks would diminish to great extent and may lead to underperformance. Discontinuity of services: There could be some sort of reasons on the 3PL partner side which could lead in discontinuity in their services. At the end of the day, the contract and law forces the 3PL to pay the compensation of loss but that wouldnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t help an airline to continue the service efficiently during the specific time. Difference of opinion: The opinion differences between client and 3PL partners can hinder the service of an airline whose fortune is derived from the time where every minute delay incurs a cost. On the other hand, it will certainly be a roadblock for the further expansion of the airline. Criteria for choosing 3PL partner: Formation of a team: While choosing a 3PL for logistic and repair management, cross functional team should be made from different divisions of an airline such as inventory management, control, quality testing etc. Forming a cross functional team will help Cathay pacific to choose the 3PL provider that meets their requirements. Objective setting: The objective setting will depend on the requirement of an airline such as cost cutting and focusing on core competencies. Once the firm has set its objectives, it is easy to select a 3PL provider that will best suit the needs Service availability: Based on the needs and objectives of an airline, the next and most important step is to shortlist the 3PL providers who provide those services. Given the fact that logistic and repair management are the core activities that defines the performance of an airlines carrier, the cross functional team should consider all minor and major aspects to close the deal.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Effect of Health Inequalities on Children

Effect of Health Inequalities on Children Introduction Children, defined generally as those individuals who are below the age of 18 years old (Definition of the Child, 2000), have yet to rise to their functions and roles in society. According to a census made last 2002, children 0-14 years of age were shown to comprise about 2 billion of the global population and outnumbered all the other age groups. The study has also made projections of the group population and dictates that the children age group will remain relatively constant at 30% up until the next fifty years (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). A clear sign of wellness and health in society is evidenced by healthy children, making communities more dynamic. This paper has the objective of discussing the current condition of health care which influences their general well-being in a large and significant way. The report also took into significant consideration economic status as an important determinant of the childs environment. The study attempts to respond to the question: How does the wellness of children living in a poor nation differ from those in affluent nations? There will also be a discussion about the plans that are aiming for the improvement of the system at health care, such as the newly revised Healthy People 2010 (Donatelle, 2006), and the inclusion of theoretical viewpoints. A report that utilizes these collections of empirical, scientific and systematic knowledge and data from previous studies ensures more objective and valid assertions. Recommendations on the possible courses of action that focus on aspects of children health care towards authentic healthcare transformation are cited. This report of a closer examination of the health care system delivered to children is directed to Dr. Sutherland. Ultimately, the purpose of this study is to come up with an aggregation of relevant information about child health care, including their implications on the well-being of the child. Background Maroubra Child Care Centre is committed to the provision of high quality childcare to all children and families at the centre. Maroubra Child Care Centre has typically used health and wellness conversely. In actual sense, the centre has defined the two terms differently in different circumstances. Unlike before, however, Maroubra Child Care Centre now has a higher standard for health not merely regarding it as the absence of sickness (Donatelle, 2006). Throughout this report, health has been defined as the dynamic process of accomplishing possible capacity in each person on the dimensions of health. Wellness will be defined as the actualization of the optimum level of the dimensions of health (Donatelle, 2006). To achieve wellness, Maroubra Child Care Centre is much successful at achieving the dimensions of health-physical health, intellectual health, social health, emotional health, environmental health and spiritual health. Each of the dimensions has been characterized as complimen tary to one another. A child could not be considered as being healthy with failure to attain one of the dimensions (Donatelle, 2006). Therefore, the attainment of the well-being of children necessitates that Maroubra Child Care Centre staff is properly educated on the six dimensions of health and how each dimension may be addressed pragmatically. Discussion Physical health is the most familiar concept of health that children have. This is the most fundamental dimension in which they consider the attributes, conditions and capabilities of childrens body (Donatelle, 2006). To attain success in the other dimensions, children must achieve physical well-being. Additionally, intellectual health is defined as childrens capacity for reasoning, analysis, learning or any ability of the brain which we efficiently use every day. An intellectually capable child would not only be successful in learning from experiences or analyzing life situations but could effectively come up with solutions to any difficulties that arise. Children must be equipped with this ability. Social health pertains to chioldrens ability to establish effectively relate and interact with other children and other people as well as cope with changes in the social environment (Donatelle, 2006). A child for that matter is in need of this dimension as a functioning unit which Maroub ra Child Care Centre staff has been educated upon to provide to the society. Emotional well-being arises from emotional health. It involves childrens capability to control and respond with the right emotions to situations in their life. This is also very crucial for the well-being of a child because it includes their feelings of confidence, love and trust for theselves and for others. Environmental health is the centres concern for the state of childrens environment as individuals who have the obligation to maintain, guard, and develop it (Donatelle, 2006). The Maroubra Child Care Centre staff, is well acquainted with the notion that, in Children who have been properly cared for and have achieved holistic well-being are aware of their responsibility to the continuity of the environment, hence have been educated to ensure that this objective is attained in their children. Finally, spiritual health, which refers to childrens faiths in a supreme being, feeling of being united with his or her environment and sense of life value, completes the well-being of a child (Donatelle, 2006). The centre has taken spiritual health dimension to assist their children in realizing their purpose and experience emotions that make for an even deeper, grander and richer way of life. To effectively pinpoint the faults in Maroubra Child Care Centre system for the children, it is good to look at the current conditions of dthe society as a whole. According to a past publication, the centre raise children in a culture of impatience and undoubtedly, this have negative effects on them (Neville, 1999). Examining Maroubra Child Care Centre, the centre is still at the age, where technology has been swiftly advancing and peoples beliefs are inevitably evolving, children have grown addicted to the rapid acceleration of life. Children fail to receive proper nutrition because their parents have to work, which leads back to the desire to save in order to purchase things that are sometimes considered not necessary, rather than following trends outlined in Maroubra Child Care Centre. How could then children be raised with well-being? The effect that is quite disturbing is how parents and guardians are able to throw away relationships so quickly. Divorces and separations have bee n commonplace in the community. What then, will become of the children? Growing up would be difficult where children could be tossed around like a ping-pong ball, back and forth between their parents and there is proof for that. In a survey for industrialized countries, there was a prevalence rate of 7% to 15% of mental illnesses among children under 13 years of age (McMurray, 2007 At a Maroubra Child Care Centre, they have a longer list of problems that needs to be resolved. If Westernization is not their rival in raising healthy children, it is poverty and lack of health teaching and support from the government for pregnancy, child birth and parenting among countries especially underdeveloped ones (McMurray, 2007). This triggers a chain reaction-both parents are forced to work while the children are raised by other care provider which affects their sense of belongingness and trust causing them to become more stressed or aggressive. ). In dealing with such like problems, the Maroubra Child Care Centre management committee has been organizing seminars for their staff to be educated on how to handle such like societal problems. Fortunately, Maroubra Child Care Centre has noticed the dilemma. Some actions have begun for prevention of exposure of children to any harmful factors and realize childrens well-being. A huge chunk of the percentage of childhood injuries or deaths has been prevented by raising awareness in the family. The centre has properly educated child care providers by providing instructions in its websites. It has also helped resolving this issue with conducting researches and studies to broaden their knowledge (McMurray, 2007). In response to that, they have improved their concern in comprehensive programs in areas such as smoking, proper nutrition and quality of health services (Donatelle, 2006). Health promotion programs are being directed towards the reduction of negative health behavior and promotion of positive change. Included also in these programs is the prevention of disease. The management has also been assigned to accomplish this task by educating its staff as well as other workers who are be able to competently create, put into action, and examine programs for disease prevention. However, this program is being faced with some difficulties as prioritization of disease prevention, has been neglected in the past (Donatelle, 2006). There is a considerably long list of accomplishments in the Maroubra Child Care Centre system that benefits childrens well-being. To start with, immunization has successfully reached and surpassed the goals which were set by the centre, (Murray, 2007). Included and worth mentioning are the achievements of the CDCs goals in Maroubra Child Care Centre, which are safety in the use of motor vehicles and in the workplace, management of infections, cardiovascular disease, clean and nutritious foods, maternal and infant care, setting up of services for family planning, fluoridated drinking water and identification of smoking as a hazardous habit (Donatelle, 2006). As a result, they have been able to save countless lives from an otherwise preventable death. In achieving the dimensions, the staff is well educated in provision of a safe, nurturing environment which is much inclusive and how to respect cultural differences and diversity with no gender bias. The staff has been trained on how to work with other professionals along with families to cater for any child who needs additional care. They know that all children are unique individuals who are able to learn and develop through the process of exploration within an educational play based curriculum. They are acquainted with the childrens interests and caters for their interests, weaknesses and strength. As an effect, they all aim at encouraging language, mathematics, and social as well as physical skills. Conclusion The adequacy of child health care is indeed questionable as Maroubra Child Care Centre. Even with success in the implementation of the plans, the department that governs these actions responding to the situation of childrens health must not feel contentment. The centre initiative (Donatelle, 2006) sets goals that merely elevate a targeted population above an alarming level but not completely transcends society into the marker for health and well-being especially among children. Furthermore, conducting research and establishing guidelines by the centre (Donatelle, 2006) is not sufficient. They must be able to extend this knowledge to the majority of the health care providers of children, if not all. Otherwise, their efforts would be trivial. Depending on which theoretical perspective the centre applies, the hierarchy of power over health differs. Using a Marxist, Parsons and Foucault view point, the major allocation of power over social health is on the established and dominant structures. The other theories viewed individuals with more power than the previous theory and have more control by making compromises with the strong social structures (Grbich, 1999). The last relevant theory would be the postmodern/post structural theory where the possibility of a fair and equal society is attainable therefore the centre need to be more flexible and develop different aspects of health operations (Grbich, 1999). The centres management has to build a health system that is close if not precisely the equivalent of a post structural society where every child has equal not equivocal rights to care for their health and well-being. Recommendations Having a huge influence on the people in the society, the centre should use its power to create policies or support systems that will provide for all the childrens health and wellness. They should focus and improve on public health issues such as administering free vaccinations on a larger scale and establishing safety standards in the workplace (Donatelle, 2006). Everything can eventually be traced back to the most fundamental unit of society, the family. Even before children are part of society, they begin their lives as part of a family composed of them and the parents. While it would be convenient to believe that, adults can easily perceive or determine what the young ones are experiencing, that is not always the case. They concentrate on the physical health of a child while mostly fail to address the emotional needs which will be successfully succeeded by the other dimensions of health such as social and mental health (Hood, 2009). It would be better for the centre to educate parents on how they can identify meaning of some subtle cues that they subconsciously send out. Furthermore, they need to adults must be cautious with the use of simple, almost commonplace lectures such as you should be ashamed of yourself. It has been shown that their children have a barrier for them in handling their emotional well-being (Sorin, 2004). As a result, the centre has to search for a better way to deal with emotions such as sadness or fear should be done to ensure the holistic well-being of a child. For instance, learning to welcome their feelings by acknowledging, empathizing, discussing or even creatively role play with their children (Sorin, 2004). A common mistake that leads to an emotionally distressed child is when caretakers say things will be okay. Of course, realistically this does not hold as a reality. A more appropriate way to help the child is saying that they can find an approach to manage their emotion (Sorin, 2004). According to Hood, every childs well-being has been established on how emotionally healthy he or she is. Starting from infancy, children have been trying to connect to their caretakers to feel the security that he or she requires as a basic human need (Hood, 2009). To begin deve loping the well-being for children with education and training about proper health practices, it should be a first concern raised in the centre.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

puritans Essay -- essays research papers

Their opponents ridiculed them as "Puritans," but these radical reformers, the English followers of John Calvin, came to embrace that name as an emblem of honor. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, England faced a gathering storm in religious life - the Puritan movement. Before the storm abated, the Puritans had founded the first permanent European settlements in a region that came to be known as New England. The Puritans believed that God had commanded the reform of both church and society. They condemned drunkenness, gambling, theatergoing, and Sabbath-breaking and denounced popular practices rooted in pagan custom, like the celebration of Christmas. They deplored the "corruptions" of Roman Catholicism that still pervaded the Church of England - churches and ceremonies they thought too elaborate, clergymen who were poorly educated. The refusal of English monarchs to attack these "besetting evils" turned the Puritans into outspoken critics of the government. This King James I would not endure: he decided to rid England of these malcontents. With some of the Puritans, known as the Separatists, he seemed to have succeeded. The Separatists, a tiny minority within the Puritan movement, were pious people from humble backgrounds who concluded that the Church of England was too corrupt to be reformed from within. In 1608 one Separatist congregation at Scrooby decided to flee to Holland. That move afforded them religious freedom, but they found only low-paying jobs and were distressed by desertions from within their ranks to other religions. Some decided to move again, this time to North America. In December of 1620, eighty-eight Separatist "Pilgrims" disembarked from the Mayflower at a place they called Plymouth on the coast of present-day southeastern Massachusetts. But misfortune followed the Separatists to the New World. The hardships of the crossing and inadequate provisions left many vulnerable to a "starving time" during the winter. The Plymouth colony would have failed entirelyif the Pilgrims had not received assistance from local Indian tribes. The Pilgrims had received permission from England to settle farther south in the New World, but they had sailed off course and lacked any legal sanction for their land claims or their government in Plymouth. English authorities, however, distracted by ... ...regationalism fostered a growing diversity of opinion and practice, because each local church was free to go its own way. By the end of the seventeenth century, many churches had adopted more liberal standards for admission to membership or to the sacraments of baptism and communion. Divisions among New England's Congregationalists became even more pronounced after the 1730s because of the first Great Awakening, a major religious revival. Some welcomed it, but others disliked the emotionalism and disorder that attended the new religious enthusiasm. Competing denominations gained from the Congregationalists' disputes: disgruntled conservatives deserted to the Anglicans and Quakers, and the most radical advocates of revivalism formed "Separate" churches or joined the Baptists. By the middle of the eighteenth century, New England had become a more mobile, commercialized, stratified, and diverse society. But for most of the region's inhabitants, earlier patterns of life persisted. The majority remained an insular, rural folk, their lives defined by the seasonal rhythms of agriculture, the bonds of family, church, and local community, and a fundamentally religious outlook.

Friday, July 19, 2019

of mice and men Essay -- essays research papers

Does Steinbeck reflect a desperate society or does he offer some hope and optimism in his novel "Of Mice and Men" In Steinbeck's novel " Of Mice and Men" there are many different characters each expressing there own opinion on whether they are living in a desperate society or that there is indeed some hope and optimism in the world around them. At the time the book was set, which is in the 1930's great American depression, many people were unemployed and jobs were hard to come by. Steinbeck's novel centres around the exploits and happenings of a few men, and one women, at the time of this great depression. Steinbeck shows how the most unusual friendships can be created in the mist of this depression and sadness. Such as the strong friendship between Lennie and George. Which in the end, drove George to kill Lennie for his own good. Some characters such as Lennie show how many people at this time had dreams of owning there own piece of land and being able to retire in peace with no one to tell them what to do. This reflects the view of optimism and hope in the book. However some characte rs such as Crooks see the world around them as desperate and solitary. Crooks believes that no ones dream will come true and that nothing will ever get better, this is shown in the line, " Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land." (page 106) He also says that Lennie's dream will always stay as a dream and will never come true. The novel " Of Mice and Men" on the whole gives many views of hope and optimism and many views of the characters in the book living in a desperate society. I believe that the book balances itself out and that there are equal amounts of each view. The book being as equally optimistic as it is pessimistic. I will discuss how Steinbeck shows these views through his selection of characters and scene settings over the next few paragraphs. At the time the book Of Mice and Men is set many people in America and other countries had a very pessimistic outlook on life. The book reflects this view in its character opinions and scene settings. From 1929 to 1939 there were failed businesses, harsh poverty and many people were in long term unemployment. Many people made the migration to California looking for work. Most travelled alone, however, in the case of Lennie and George t... ...9) Curley,Slim or Carlson do not seem to show any dreams in the book and this could be counted as optamistic and hopeful in nothing will ever get worse or it coould be counted as a symbol of a desperate society in that nothing will ever get better. Curley's wife has two dreams. These being that she wants to talk to otheres, most probably women as she has lacked talking to another woman for a long time, this is shown in the line, "passion of communication" (page ??). Curley's wifes other dream is to be a star in Hollywood. Her dreams are mainly optamistic in that she believes in themm fully. This is shown in the line, "Maybe I will" (page ??). This is when she is talking to Lennie about her dream of being a movie star and she says that maybe she will be a movie star yet. This shows great optamism and hope in Curley's wife's character. The surroundings in Of Mice and Men are constant throughout. This shows how although the characters change dramaticly throught the course of the book nature always stays the same. Many thing which are at the start of the book such as, " of mice and men Essay -- essays research papers Does Steinbeck reflect a desperate society or does he offer some hope and optimism in his novel "Of Mice and Men" In Steinbeck's novel " Of Mice and Men" there are many different characters each expressing there own opinion on whether they are living in a desperate society or that there is indeed some hope and optimism in the world around them. At the time the book was set, which is in the 1930's great American depression, many people were unemployed and jobs were hard to come by. Steinbeck's novel centres around the exploits and happenings of a few men, and one women, at the time of this great depression. Steinbeck shows how the most unusual friendships can be created in the mist of this depression and sadness. Such as the strong friendship between Lennie and George. Which in the end, drove George to kill Lennie for his own good. Some characters such as Lennie show how many people at this time had dreams of owning there own piece of land and being able to retire in peace with no one to tell them what to do. This reflects the view of optimism and hope in the book. However some characte rs such as Crooks see the world around them as desperate and solitary. Crooks believes that no ones dream will come true and that nothing will ever get better, this is shown in the line, " Nobody ever gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land." (page 106) He also says that Lennie's dream will always stay as a dream and will never come true. The novel " Of Mice and Men" on the whole gives many views of hope and optimism and many views of the characters in the book living in a desperate society. I believe that the book balances itself out and that there are equal amounts of each view. The book being as equally optimistic as it is pessimistic. I will discuss how Steinbeck shows these views through his selection of characters and scene settings over the next few paragraphs. At the time the book Of Mice and Men is set many people in America and other countries had a very pessimistic outlook on life. The book reflects this view in its character opinions and scene settings. From 1929 to 1939 there were failed businesses, harsh poverty and many people were in long term unemployment. Many people made the migration to California looking for work. Most travelled alone, however, in the case of Lennie and George t... ...9) Curley,Slim or Carlson do not seem to show any dreams in the book and this could be counted as optamistic and hopeful in nothing will ever get worse or it coould be counted as a symbol of a desperate society in that nothing will ever get better. Curley's wife has two dreams. These being that she wants to talk to otheres, most probably women as she has lacked talking to another woman for a long time, this is shown in the line, "passion of communication" (page ??). Curley's wifes other dream is to be a star in Hollywood. Her dreams are mainly optamistic in that she believes in themm fully. This is shown in the line, "Maybe I will" (page ??). This is when she is talking to Lennie about her dream of being a movie star and she says that maybe she will be a movie star yet. This shows great optamism and hope in Curley's wife's character. The surroundings in Of Mice and Men are constant throughout. This shows how although the characters change dramaticly throught the course of the book nature always stays the same. Many thing which are at the start of the book such as, "

Outsourcing :: Globalization essays, research papers

Introduction Outsourcing can be defined as a contract service agreement in which an organization hires out all or part of its company responsibilities to an external company. More and more companies are leaning towards outsourcing it could be said that this may be caused by the growing complexity of Companies and the changing business needs of an organization. As a result, an organization may find that it is not possible to have all its company services supplied from within its own company. Given this, a Company may decide to choose to seek assistance from an external contractor/company to supply their services the organization lacks. In addition, the business competition has set the pace for an organization to continue to strive for internal efficiency. It also needs to look for a way to transfer non-core activities or "in house" services and support activities to external specialist organizations who can deliver quality services at a lower cost. Fundamentals In deciding whether to use outsourcing or not, the main objective of outsourcing is based on the price of delivery of services by an external contractor/company. Although price of delivery is a primary factor for outsourcing, other issues should be considered e.g. price should be measured against the overall package offered by the external contractor/company. Briefly if it's a good competitive price in relation to the services rendered by the company and in respect to their skills/competency and experience, and timely delivery. The organization also needs to consider outsourcing in light of its long term strategic directions and its information needs. Competition is another area to be carefully considered. Competition opens up opportunity for all potential suppliers to conduct business with the organization. Through the competitive process, it allows organizations/Companies to derive the best outcome. From the open and effective competition, the organization is then able to judge soundly in determining the best strategy after it has taken into account of the competition and value for money principle.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Champion Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Essay

1.1 Explain models of practice that underpin equality, diversity and inclusion in your area of responsibility Our organisation is built upon person centred practice and which I uphold this in my daily practice. Person centred practice is defined as the belief in the others potential and ability to make the right choices for him or herself, regardless of the therapist’s own values, beliefs and ideas (BAPCA, 2013). In applying this to people who access our service users this means that care plans are designed with the individual at the centre presenting both choice and control to our clients. This is reflected in legislation produced by the UNCRC which states that people have the right to say what they think should happen when making decisions that affect them and that people with any kind of disability should have special care and support so that they can lead full and independent lives (2011). This model celebrates diversity and conforms to the idea of egalitarianism by recogn ising that everyone is equal in social status; therefore people are treated in the same way because although people differ they all equally deserve (Arneson, 2013). Conversely this also means removing the inequalities that affect people so that they can achieve similar life circumstances and present be presented with equal life standards. This is applied to my practice by considering a person’s preferences, for example the way each individual prefer to communicate and be communicated with and their likes and dislikes in relation to community activities. Taking individual’s preferences into account when designing and operating a service recognises a service user’s wishes, needs and rights. Therefore this helps to diminish the production of a generic ‘one size fits all’ provision which does not value the individual. This way of designing services also gives power to the client, moving away from the idea of the professional as the expert, and takes into account their desired level and type of involvement within the community activities. By valuing and including the individual at every level of their service from design to implementation and then regularly reviewing their service maintains client position of being in control of and truly involved in their service. These personal choices connect to making sure that everyone receives the same rights relating to inclusion within the community and a provision that treats each individual with dignity and respect. Another model of practice that underpins our service is the Social Model of Disability which sites  disability as a creation of society’s shortcomings by resisting adapting and changing to include people with disabilities (Carson, 2009). Society is therefore the cause of a person’s disablement rather than solely belonging to the person themselves. With this in mind, my area of responsibility encompasses accessing mainstream services and including service users in daily activities within the community to establish connections, build familiarity and promoting independency. This is not without obstacles as services and locations must be risk assessed, taking into account an individual’s personal preferences as well as the suitability of a place, to ensure that service users have fair and equal access to environments and opportunities. Arneson, R. (2013) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Available from: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egalitarianism/ [Accessed 25 August 2014] BAPCA (The British Association for the Person-Centred Approach) (2013) What is the Person-Centred Approach? Available from: http://www.bapca.org.uk/about/what-is-it.html [Accessed 19 August 2014] Carson, G. on behalf of the Scottish Accessible Information Forum (2009) The Social Model of Disability. Available from: http://www.ukdpc.net/site/images/library/Social%20Model%20of%20Disability2.pdf [Accessed 25 August 2014] UNCRC (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) (2013) Your Rights. Available from: http://www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk/index.php/right [Accessed 19 August 2014] 1.2 Analyse the potential effects of barriers to equality and inclusion in your area of responsibility Potential barriers to equality and inclusion within my area of responsibility exist on several levels due to working with disabled service users engaging within the community. In reference to the matrix of oppression (Hardiman and Jackson, 1997) social oppression is maintained and operationalised at three levels: the individual, the institutional and the societal. It explains that these can be displayed through behaviours and/or attitudes both consciously and unconsciously. The effects of these barriers can be the reduced access to certain environments because of lack of lift or necessary aids or the implementation of processes  by organisations that do not allow for the differences amongst all people within society. Barriers within my area of responsibility can come from the prejudgement that people with impairments cannot operate within mainstream society which is a form of social exclusion that upholds segregation. By seeking separate services or opportunities that are specifically designed to eliminate all risk denies individuals the possibility of inclusion within mainstream services. This again links to the social model of disability placing the issues with society’s reluctance to change and adapt to incorporate everyone rather than with an individual’s personal medical diagnosis (Carson, 2009). This is not helped by the media portrayal of disabled people as being helpless or subject to positive discrimination or by being excluded from many public forums altogether. Bronfenbrenner (1979) viewed the social environment as a great influence on people and that being subjected to other people’s attitudes and perceptions of disability, especially from people who are non-disab led, helps individuals to influence perceptions of oneself. If people with impairments are not expected or encouraged to progress in life they may assume that this is something that they are not capable of and internalise this oppression. On an individual level an individual’s behaviour and attitude towards their inability to progress could result in anger/frustration or passivity/ambivalence when consistently faced with supposedly unachievable goals. This is combated in our organisations by attempting to understand the abilities and needs of those who access our service and provide service users with the same social and civil rights through risk assessed opportunities to succeed and progress. Within our organisation barriers to inclusion can lie with members of staff being reluctant to join in with certain activities for their own personal reasons reducing the equality of opportunity for service users. These can be formed by beliefs in of a negative outcome for the service user or a the reluctance to perform a task themselves. As part of my role each activity is risk assessed and the possibility of negative outcomes is managed and reviewed. From reading day reports and regularly talking to both staff and service users about the suitability of their timetables and the locations they are accessing helps to address any concerns and reinforce to staff that, as a person centred service, the outcomes are for the service user’s benefit. This is helped by critically reflecting on practice to see  how services and positive outcomes can be improved. Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Carson, G. on behalf of the Scottish Accessible Information Forum (2009) The Social Model of Disability. Available from: http://www.ukdpc.net/site/images/library/Social%20Model%20of%20Disability2.pdf [Accessed 25 August 2014] Hardiman, R. and Jackson, B. W. (1997) Conceptual foundations for social justice courses, in Adams, M. A., Bell, L. A. and Griffin, P. (eds) Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook. New York: Routledge 1.3 Analyse the impact of legislation and policy initiatives on the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion Services such as the one I work for aim to enable people to participate within society using a person-centred approach considering that all service users are experts in their own lives. Participation is a requirement reflected in policies created to ensure people with impairments have input into the creation of the services and mandates that directly affect people’s lives. Personalisation was introduced through legislation which is â€Å"primarily a way of thinking about services and those who use them, rather than being a worked out set of policy prescriptions† (Needham, 2014, p.92). Direct payments and personal budgets both upholding these principles and were detailed in The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 (Great Britain, 1996) introduced to ensure greater choice, control and independence for people with disability. By designing and assessing se rvices from the ‘bottom-up’ this approach stems from the consumerist model of participation and empowers service users to gain information to choose and access their own services (Kemshall and Littlechild, 2000). By giving service user’s choice rather than standard provision this recognises diversity and individual need which requires a service to be designed around a person. Having the ability to choose one’s services creates the equality of opportunity and helps adapt to each person’s wishes and ideals concerning inclusion. The allocation of personal budgets may not be suitable for all when considering the struggle of being responsible for locating and accessing provision for service users dealing with significant health issues. Also although budgets can be spent at the  discretion of the service user, rising costs and diminishing resources can mean that affording essential care limits the prospect of community involvement and therefore reduces social inclusion. Another act of legislation to impact upon the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion is the Equality Act (2010) which protects people with certain protected characteristics, including disability, from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. This protects people from discrimination arising if this means that someone is treated unfavourably as a consequence of their disability. Equality in itself and the true meaning of the act ensures that everyone has the same chances to do what they can and consequently some people may need extra help to get the same chances. This act promoted the inclusion of a diverse range of people within jobs and communities and also the introduction of equality monitoring forms to evidence that workplaces and services were being opened to all. The introduction of this legislation meant that people would be awarded positions based on merit and justify that all people would have a fair and equal chance opportunity not be treated less favourably. This is reflected in our company policies and the way we help connect those who access our service and their community. It also meant that public places had a duty to make reasonable adjustments to allow access to all by making structural changes where necessary to avoid any disadvantage. Subsequently the building we use is all on one floor containing no steps and is fitted with several appliances and aids to assist those who need help. Kemshall, H. and Littlechild, R. (eds) (2000) User Involvement and Participation in Social Care. London: Jessica Kingsley. Needham, C. (2014) Personalization: From day centres to community hubs? Critical Social Policy, 34(1): 90-108. Great Britain (1996) Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1990 (London: HMSO), ch. 30. Great Britain (2010) Equality Act (London: The Stationery Office) ch. 15. 3.1 Analyse how systems and processes can promote equality and inclusion or reinforce discrimination and exclusion Systems and processes are constantly  being updated externally by governments and councils and should often be reviewed internally to make sure that businesses are adhering to any changes and to make sure that the internal processes are working for those attending the company. By not adapting to current legislation are not upholding the law this can be for a number of reasons such as not keeping up to date with new amendments or legislation, that their way of working is more convenient for the workers or management or by becoming set if their ways. This can mean that service users are not receiving the best quality service or that certain outdated procedures are no longer approved and therefore should not be practiced. Setting a standard and equal level for all service users’ community provision means that everyone is treated equally, at the same time this means that personal differences are not being taken into account and therefore this reinforces discrimination by not allowing each person to engage in their own way. Excluding individuals from certain activities because they are unsuitable for other people means that they are not being given the full scope to expand engage in their interests which in turn excludes options based on the assessment of others. As an example when attempting to gain information on how to improve services a questionnaire may be designed to capture the views of clients and their families on how a service is meeting people’s needs. This questionnaire may have been designed with the idea in mind to promote equality and inclusion and help to tailor future ideas to those directly in contact with the service. Conversely supplying only a paper questionnaire excludes the views of anyone who cannot read or write and therefore will only capture the views of a certain number of people. This process would be better suited to a method of capturing data whereby it is decided upon what information needs to be gathered and then setting about producing flexible and varied methods to ensure everyone is included in the consultation. By reviewing services and auditing practice in line with current legislation companies can avoid providing a generic and outdated service. Having regular staff meetings to ensure that good practice can be shared and to create a strong working partnership where everyone understands and issues and consents to any ideas to do with working patterns and initiatives. Another idea in line with ensuring that systems and processes are working properly and promote equality is by involving external assessors to get a fair view of how well staff are trained and are up to  date on their practice and can they check that all staff understand the ways that they are working in line with the companies philosophies. This reduces nepotism and negates any personal feelings within a workforce by having impartial assessors take facts on face value, such as is paperwork all being completed accordingly, checking training records and reviewing processes. 3.2 Evaluate the effectiveness of systems and processes in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in your area of responsibility There are several systems and processes in my area of responsibility that promote equality, diversity and inclusion including making specific improvements to individual clients service provision and liaising with staff to ensure they feel competent at performing their roles. Firstly, by getting feedback from staff, service users and their families and through direct observation improvements can be made to aid clients in providing a better service. This can only be done through a process of collecting evidence and evaluating the outcomes and benefits for service users. Substantial evidence is required in order to make changes with service users that honour their personal preferences and act in their best interests. Making a case for change through a set system and by taking time over helping to discover and explore the best options takes time; this of course is over ruled in a case where a service user is at risk of harm where we will act as soon as possible to remove that risk. By building up a profile, with service user’s help, our company can adapt to changes for each individual and help to review care plans and timetables to provide the most fluid and coherent service possible. This method is effective as it is based on solid and substantial evidence from many sources and helps service users to express informed choice about how they can best access the community. This is also a slow process, which can cause frustrations but by ensuring that the correct improvements are made the first time limits unnecessary change. Secondly, having regular meetings with staff and ensuring that any concerns or praise is received is essential to a good staff moral and how to maintain an inclusive working environment. Many of the opportunities I have to meet with staff are informally, either face-to-face or on the phone. I often have to address issues then and there and seek out information to assist within a set timescale. Timescales are essential as they provide staff with realistic  measures to have their needs met or to be supplied with information, this helps to build confidence in an inclusive integrated working team. Processes are in place for new staff to make sure that they call read the care plans of the service users that they will be working with and sign them to signal that they have understood and will apply the contents in their practice. This system is essential as it helps staff to get a picture of a person before they start to work with them and accept their personal preferences and adapt to suit each individual. This promotes equality, diversity and inclusion as all staff receive the same training and are accountable for recognising the specific ways to work with individuals with specific needs. By supporting staff directly and being willing to help when they need it in the different ways that it is required, even if this is by referring them to someone more experienced or competent than myself, means that staff recognise our efforts in helping them to work effectively. Consequently as part of the process, reviewing past issues or concerns with staff means that progress can be measured and confidence in their development can be confirmed. 3.3 Propose improvements to address gaps or shortfalls in systems and processes Recording and reporting is paramount when working with a service that cares for individuals who may not always be able to communicate their preferences and opinions clearly. Making sure the correct information is relayed and disseminated efficiently to create consistency for clients in our ways of working is essential. The importance of reporting and recording is that clear, comprehensive and up to date information is disseminated to anyone working with service users and that we can provide a linear and consistent way of working. In an attempt to try to record occurrences during each shift staff are asked to complete day reports at the conclusion of every service; this is to be done as soon as possible to retain any details even minute which may help to build a bigger picture of how to adapt to a service user’s needs. As a part of my role I have been asked to redesign these day reports, seeking help from the individuals themselves, the Good Practice Manager and member of staff who regularly working to support the individuals. Sometimes this is required as part of a mandatory annual review of a service users care plan or because of concerns that our service is not meeting the needs of an individual. This process can be particularly slow and takes time to make sure that it is done correctly.  Getting the chance to gather all staff together, including the individual and their family is often complicated. Redesigning each individual’s day report from the generic format means that we can gather a daily catalogue of the specific type of information necessary to helping bring about changes and provide an effective service. One of the gaps I have found in logging these day reports is that not all staff completed them, let alone hand them in within the 48 hour window of when they should be received. This also negates the reasoning behind designing new day reports if they are not being filled in. I understand how important these reports are to helping support our service users but I also understand that after a long day of work completing these forms in your own time (unpaid) is not the most appealing prospect. Being part of every member of staff’s job role not completing these day reports can lead to disciplinary measures. Alternatively I believe that a proposed improvement would be rewarding and recognising when staff have completed all their relevant forms and celebrating this as I myself understand the effort and dedication this requires. This approach of focusing on the positive helps to highlight good practice rather than reprimand bad practice. Also in giving staff equal opportunities if day reports are not being completed meeting to discuss the cause means adaptations can be made in light of personal requirements if necessary. Other than this, giving staff the paid time to complete these forms would also be appreciated although I understand that this also causes issues because if staff are then being paid to complete the day reports and are not doing so this creates a bigger issue for management. 4.1 Describe ethical dilemmas that may arise in your area of responsibility when balancing individual rights and duty of care When balancing individual rights and duty of care there are several points in relation to ethical dilemmas involved in ensuring that service users remain safe but are still accessing a full inclusive range of activities. For this question I will take an example I have not yet come into contact with but may well do in the course of my work. An ethical dilemma in my working practice could be a service user choosing not to take their medication. This crosses a lot of lines as it indicates personal choice but also can clash with a service user’s best interests. From the medication training I have had any  medication I help to administer to a service user must be done with my full knowledge of the process of how to dispense it and why the service user is taking it. In some circumstances this medication is essential to a service user’s well-being on an emotional or physical level. This is a dilemma that I would need to seek advice on, firstly from the Good Practice Manager at work and the GP whose jurisdiction the service user belongs to. As it is always a service user’s choice to take any type of medication the only intervention would be if a service user was at significant risk to themselves or others because of this reduction in medication. ‘Significant harm’ is defined as the threshold that justifies compulsory intervention relating to the impairment of a person’s health and development (Children Act, 1989). If I were informed of a situation like this I would require documentation of how regularly a service user has opted not to take medication and if they consistently refuse then medical professionals would need to be informed and the effects of doing so would need to be monitored. In extreme cases this may mean medical intervention or hospitalisation if a service user was deteriorating. This relates to the issue of informed choice by helping to outline a service users options and discuss the possible outcomes as a part of risk management. When an individual understands the reasoning behind options by being given fair and balanced advice this can aid them in comprehending the outcomes of their actions. This being said there is often an ethical imbalance between our own personal views and beliefs and that of someone else. In these instances reflection can be useful to understand where feelings or ideas routed and help to understand my input in a situation and where I should step back to make sure I do not cause influence. Also the instance outlined above breaches into confidentiality as well because I am required to record when a service user takes their medication and if they asked me not to inform anyone that they had ceased taking it I would still be required to pass on this information. Falsifying records is not acceptable within the remit of my role and this misinformation could lead to serious consequences for both myself and service users. Great Britain. Children Act [online].Chapter 41. (1989) legislation.gov.uk. Available from: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents [Accessed 29 August 2014]. 4.2 Explain the principle of informed choice In order for any services to be carried out by our company there needs to be informed consent from each individual to the implementation of such actions; in cases where individuals do not have the capacity to consent their guardian are required to do so. Informed consent can only be given if those accessing our services are allowed to make informed choices. Detailed in a relevant White Paper (OKDHS, 2002, p6) â€Å"informed choice involves the exchange and understanding of relevant information so that a knowledgeable, reasoned and un-pressured decision can be made† it stresses that the individual or their representative must have â€Å"the competence and legal capacity to make such choices†. In order to make an informed choice â€Å"one needs to build up a picture of the available options and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each† based on a range of high quality, un-biased and relevant information (Baxter, K., Glendinning, C. and Clarke, S., 2008). Individuals are entitled to informed choices as experts in their own lives when making decisions. Putting this into context within my role this means supporting service users to make informed choices about the services they receive in an enabling environment; this being a place where individuals can experiment safely and voice their opinions without fear of repercussion. This can be done by supplying the individual with relevant information and discussing the outcomes of certain scenarios. This requires a non-judgemental stand point and the information given should be impartial and devoid of advice or personal connection. The understanding that individual’s may make different choices to you is an important part of risk management. Outcomes should be supported with the knowledge that all the necessary information has been provided and there is no risk of significant harm to the individual. It is essential to consider both the short and long term outcomes with the service user and to compare the idea of their choice with the reality once undertaken to understand the benefits and potential harms as a result. Issues that arise when considering the impact of informed choice include ethical concerns about whether someone’s choice is in their own best interest, this relates to issues of power. These can be overcome by recognising that we all have the right to make our own choices but can become experts by experience given the opportunity. In relation to service users who are deemed to lack the mental capacity to make informed choices  the Mental Capacity Act (Great Britain, 2005) allows individuals the right to select carers to make decisions on their behalf to be made in their best interests; I will discuss this act more thoroughly in the next point (4.3). My role as a professional is to implementing their informed choice and assist by reviewing the impact of this through specific time measured outcomes. Baxter, K., Glendinning, C. and Clarke, S. (2008) Making informed choices in social care: The importance of accessible information, Health and Social Care in the Community, 16, 2, 197-207 Great Britain (2005) Mental Capacity Act 2005 (London: The Stationary Office), ch 9. OKDHS (2002) Principles and Guidelines for Service Delivery Concepts of Informed Choice and Informed Consent. Available from: http://advantage.ok.gov/WhitePapers/InformedChoiceInformenConsent.pdf [Accessed 26 August 2014] 4.3 Explain how issues of individual capacity may affect informed choice Individual capacity impacts upon informed choice when a person is unable to make their own decisions. According to the Mental Health Act (2005) is a set of rules which protect you if you are not able to make decisions and mental capacity is the ability to make your own decisions. It states that in order to make a decision you need to be able to understand all the information relevant to making that decision, use or weigh up that information, keep or remember that information, have the means to communicate your decision to someone else. It also states that making an unwise decision is different than not being able to make a decision. Individual capacity must be assessed before deemed an individual is deemed to lack such capacity. There is a test contained within the Mental Capacity Act which has to be completed for each decision that needs to be made as capacity can vary depending on the decision being made and is completed by a health care professional. The assessment entails being able to understand the information needed to make the decision, being able to remember and recall that information, being able to understand the result or outcome of the choice you are making, or being able to tell people your decision in any way, such as talking, sign language or squeezing someone’s hand. In the case where an individual is deems to lack in individual capacity to make an informed choice decisions others will have to make decisions on your behalf. This legislation protects carers and  healthcare professionals. If they think you need care or treatment and you lack capacity they have a legal right to treat you without your consent. The issues surrounding individual capacity and informed choice affect out care as we would have to direct our personal centred care based on information and decisions made by others rather than the individual who we care for. Ensuring that any individual in our care has a high level of service that respects their privacy and dignity is one of the philosophies that our company is based on so engaging, including and communicating any service user in their daily routine would still be our priority. That is not to say that we would inform an individual of their care plan and their engagement if this were deemed stressful for the client and a decision would need to be made on a case by case basis. All information and facts gathered from the following pages: Mental Capacity Act (2005) cited in Rethink Mental Illness (2014) Mental capacity and mental illness. Available from: http://www.rethink.org/living-with-mental-illness/mental-health-laws/mental-capacity/principles [Accessed 26 August 2014] 4.4 Propose a strategy to manage risks when balancing individual rights and duty of care in your area of responsibility By completing risk assessments and creating appropriate procedures based on current knowledge and by pre-empting situations and management strategies before incidents occur help to uphold our duty of care as an organisation. Strategies that are used to manage risk include devising action plans including, where possible, service users and their families and friends. By using the knowledge of service users and their capacity to express what they like and dislike as well as their preferences is essential in designing a service around an individual. Documenting and disseminating current and up to date information to all staff working with any individual using are service means that we can provide continuity of service, information on how to manage certain risks and help to fulfil a service users wants and needs. Team meetings and regular core group meeting about a servi ce, again preferably including service users, provide the opportunity to monitoring and review any changes and developments for a service user’s health and well-being. By being clear  about everyone’s role and responsibilities within a service and how best to record and report information, depending on its importance relaying it to people in the correct way and within the shortest time frame. Respecting individual’s rights can bring up ethical dilemma and concerns which staff are instructed to discuss as soon as possible and to record when reporting on each service to be assess and reviewed under our duty of care. This is to benefit individual’s attending our service by keeping them safe, in both the short and long term. Each individual has the right to informed choice and to have these choices supported even if they conflict with our own. Through proper assessment and review the impact of a service user’s choice can be monitored and justified based on their rights to be continued as long as they are not deemed to be causing harm to themselves of others. Legislation is always changing and it is imperative that as an organisation we are up to date on current laws and policies that govern our service. An example of the balance of individual rights and duty of care may include a service user choosing not to wear their seatbelt when using their wheelchair. Legislation states that when the wheelchair is in motion the belt should be worn to prevent harm to the user. In this case a risk assessment should be carried out and the possible consequences of not wearing the belt explained to the user. If their choice remains the same then advice must be sought depending on the usage of the chair and the necessity of them wearing the belt and if it is imperative then seeking consent from service user, or in relevant cases their family. If this is seen as restriction of rights then receiving signed confirm that this is their choice would be required. This information should then be relayed to all staff working with this service user and explained that caution must be used when using the wheelchair. Ideally asking staff to sign to say they have understood the new procedures and risk assessment and this should be reviewed regularly. Disability Discrimination Act (1995) Equality Act (2010) Mental Health Act (1983) NHS and Community Care Act (1990) Websites and reading; Care Quality Commission , www.cqc.org.uk