Upper Class In Britain Sociology Essay

Upper Class In Britain Sociology Essay There are quite intense debates nowadays about social classes between social scientists. Some argue that there is no need anymore to study the classes of society in the old ways, since in the twentieth century capitalism and the global economy altered the society and the way people live their lives so much; that classes became so fragmented, so layered that basically they have turned into lifestyles (Marsh et al, 2000). Others argue that, although there are changes in the class system, the basic classes still clearly can be found and studied (especially the upper class), and these social classes are still playing a decisive part in peoples life and identity. They agree that social classes became very layered and sometimes hardly identifiable, but they also say that people still identify themselves in the terms of classes and that the classes were not effected equally by these changes in global and national economy. They also say that inequality between people still makes the classes fairly identifiable (Macionis Plummer, 2005). These debates would not have made sense till the industrial revolution. Till that time there was a clearly identifiable working-, middle- and upper class. However the changes in the national and global economy, also in the ownership of the big companies and the birth of the joint-stock companies made the borders between social classes vague and, some say, led to the demise of the upper class (Marsh et al, 2000). Edgell (1993) cited by Kirby et al (1997, p. 125) states that there are two approaches of the upper classs situation now days. The managerialist and the non-managerialist approach. The managerialist scientists, like Dahrendorf, say that the separation of ownership and control led to the birth of a manager class and through this change it also led to vast alterations in the upper class. They state that, on one hand, the workers can buy shares in any company and the control of the companies wandered from the owners (members of the upper class) to the managers, thus the upper c lass became just as fragmented and layered as the working-, and middle-class. On the other hand, because of the changes in the quality of life, the lower classes enjoy or will enjoy the same privileges just as the upper class (Kirby et al, 1997). Hence, argue they, it does not make sense to study classes in the old way, since the classes in the way as people knew them have disappeared. However the scientists on the other side of the fence say that, though the class system became very layered, that change did not affected the upper class as much as the other classes. Moreover, they argue that the upper class is the only one which still can be identified and separated easily, although it became more layered than it was in the nineteenth century (Bilton et al, 2002). They prove this statement with statistics, surveys and other evidences. The changes that made the working-, and middle-class almost too layered to be studied, also had an effect on the upper class. The scientists now days separate different layers. The basic partitioning separates it to two layers: the upper-uppers and the lower-uppers. The upper-uppers are the old landed aristocracy and the lower-uppers are the new rich, who became wealthy during the industrialization or in the twentieth century through the changes in the global and national economy. These are the very basic layers of the upper class, but we can separate them further. As Macionis Plummer (2005) and Giddens (1980) cited by Kirby et al (1997, pp.124-125) state there are four main categories: the land-owning rich, whose income and wealth comes mostly from inherited lands and goods, the so called fat-cats who have gigantic salaries, the ‘jet-set rich who made their wealth in the show-, or any other businesses, but one thing is common in them they are all very famous. The last group i s the entrepreneurial rich who made their money through investments in companies or real estate. Scott (1997) cited by Fulcher Scott (2003, p.716) uses a different partitioning. He states that there are four layers of the lower-upper class. The first one is the ‘entrepreneurial capitalist. They make their money through running the business of big companies, whose shares they own. The second group is the ‘rentier capitalist. They made their money from the land or from any other business, but now days they make money by investing into many enterprises. The third layer is the ‘executive capitalist who own executive positions in big companies and reached this status by good education and hard work; and the last group is the ‘finance capitalist. They make their income by holding part-time positions in many corporations leadership, mainly in the banking or insurance sector. As it can be seen there are many layers in the upper class, but what makes these layers can be asked to constitute a well identifiable and basically single social group, called the upper class? Well, many things. In the nineteenth century the upper-upper and lower-upper class were quite separate. The landed upper class did not absorb the new rich till the end of the nineteenth century. This absorbing process was very slow. Though the lower-uppers had the same power and many times they were richer than many old-uppers, they did not have the prestige which the old-uppers had had for a long time. However, the unity of interests they have, slowly made them one single social class; and nowadays they are attached together by many things (Fulcher Scott, 2003). In a Weberian view, they have the power, status and wealth to defend their interests and reproduce themselves, which can be seen in the statistics. As Macionis Plummer (2005) state in 1997 there were 120.000 millionaires in Britai n, this number grew to 200.000 till 2000. Furthermore between 1983 and 1993 the earnings of the top five per cent of the population rose by fifty per cent, whilst the earnings of the lowest five per cent were basically stagnating. In addition the top one per cent of Britains population owns the one fifth, one fourth of the countrys marketable wealth, while half of the whole population owns only the six per cent of it. That is because they have huge influence in society, hence they can protect each others interest, which they do so. And what tides these people together as an upper class? As Kirby et al (1997) claim there is a social and economic unity amongst them. That means that they have similarities in background and education. They are mostly educated in public schools, and this public school system plays a very significant role in reproducing the upper class. As Stanworth Giddens (1974) cited by Kirby et al (1997, pp.126-127) found that ‘†¦of those employed in each of the following occupational categories bishops, senior ranks of the armed forces, principal judges, senior civil servants, Conservative MPs, and the directors of the largest industrial and financial corporations more than half had been to a public school (in many cases the proportion was much higher). Some 73 per cent of the directors of industrial corporations and 80 per cent of the directors of financial firms had received a public school education. This ratio is quite huge considering that public schools educate only five per cent of the male school population. For the members of the upper class this educational system has many benefits. It reproduces them and as Fulcher Scott (2003), Kirby et al (1997) and Marsh et al (2000) argue it establishes the so-called ‘old boy network. Furthermore, as Fawbert states (2007), it helps them to maintain their cultural capital (which helps them to remain wealthy); also they make very close kinship connections and interlocking networks, which ensure that their privileges will be transmitted to the next generation. Because of all these things it can be concluded that, although the upper part of society changed and got layered during the nineteenth and twentieth century, it still constitutes one well identifiable social class. The people, who belong to the upper class, manage to maintain their superiority. With the wealth and power they possess, they can ensure a privileged education to their children which leads almost straight to Oxford and Cambridge (‘Oxbridge). During this education process the youth of the upper class can develop the ‘old boy network, which helps them to get better jobs through the ‘elite self-recruitment (Fawbert, 2007). Furthermore, as Scott (1992) cited by Marsh et al (2000, p.306) argue, they are ‘†¦a group of people allied around certain social institutions. These institutions are the Conservative Party, the Church of England, the public schools and ancient universities, the legal profession and the Guards regiments†¦.Therefore despit e of the changes there is still a well identifiable upper class in Britain. Moreover it is the only social class left, which can be easily recognized and separated from the other social classes. Bibliography Bilton, T. et al (2002) Introductory Sociology 4th edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Fawbert, J. (2007) ‘Week 6: The class structure today: the upper class. Identity Structure. [Online]. Available at: http://breo.beds.ac.uk (Accessed: 7 December 2007) Fulcher, J. Scott, J. (2003) Sociology 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kirby, M. et al (1997) Sociology in Perspective Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers. Macionis, J. Plummer, K. (2005) Sociology: A Global Introduction 3rd edn. Harlow: Pearson Education. Marsh, I. et al (2000) Making Sense of Society 2nd edn. London: Longman.

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay

Analysing New Challenges Posed By The Development In Government Policies Social Work Essay In this report, I am going to consider the new challenges posed by the latest development in government policies, and particularly those set out in the Every Child Matters and Youth Matters agendas and their impact on Children services especially Looked-After-Children in foster and residential care. I will first and foremost, look at the definition of what Looked-After-Children means, the development of foster and residential care for Looked-After-Children and theoretical knowledge, the legal and policy frameworks underpinning childrens services while considering the implications as well as ethical dilemmas for social work practice. Also, I will look at the effectiveness and impact of multi-agency working, professional autonomy versus employer direction, the balancing act of care and control and how effective the Care Programme Approach is used for those looked after and those leaving care. Furthermore, the regulations that guide placements and the roles of foster carers will also be critically examined. Looked-After-Children as defined in section 22(1) of Children Act 1989, refers to those children in the care of any local authority or provided with accommodation by any local authority for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting their welfare. For example, some children can not remain at home due to adverse conditions such as family crises, a disability or offending, domestic violence, abuse and neglect. Hence the local authority will have to intervene and adequate measures taken to safeguard and promote their welfare and in most cases they are taken into care (foster or residential care). Foster care arrangements is usually a family based care arrangement in which the child is placed in the foster carers own home. The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (2007), states that this kind of care arrangement could be in cases of emergency or non-emergency, for short or long term, on remand or respite, close relatives fostering or private foster carers providing the care need s of the child. However, Residential care is quite similar to foster care, in that adults look after the children on a day to day basis on a pro rota basis. The only difference is that residential care is more of a communal setting where a number of staff works rather than an intimate family unit (as in foster care) in providing the childs needs (DOH 1998a). Some background of foster care and residential care Children were first recognised as individuals in their own right by the implementation of the Children Act 1948 following recommendations from the Care of Children Committee 1946 known as The Curtis Report (Hayden et al 1999) which was influenced by the Monckton Inquiry 1945 into the appalling murder of Dennis ONeill who was in foster care. The report was published with regards to children being deprived of a normal home life during and after the second world war (Barnados 2007) as children from differing social stratifications were brought together into residential care (children homes at the time) as a consequence of the disruption of war . Although the Act established childrens departments and child officers, the general belief was that children should remain (where possible) with their primary caregivers. This decision was influence by John Bowlbys attachment theory in which he emphased the importance of the bond between a child and his/her primary caregiver (mother) and how sepa ration between mother and child could have detrimental effects on the development of the child (Hopkins, 2007). With the introduction of Children and Young Persons Act 1963, local authorities were further given powers and duties to support children in their own homes (Thomas, 2005). This development further strengthened the local authoritys decision and also reinforced Bowlbys attachment theory. However, Waterhouse et al (2002) noted that in the 1970s the use of residential care for primary school children had begun to decline and the shift was towards family oriented care. The 1980s saw a further rapid decline in Looked-After-Children in residential care. Residential care was only viewed as a last resource for adolescents who could not be placed in family settings (Thomas 2005). According to Ibid (2005) foster care or boarding out as it was referred to until the late 1980s, was generally a female orientated voluntary service for looking after deprived children within a family setting with an aim to normalise their experiences whilst in care. It should be noted however, that during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s residential care received significant negative attention through no fault of the children in care (Thomas 2005). In this era, horrific sexual, physical and emotional abuse was exposed, which led to major inquiries into children in care. The three most notable reports are the Pindown inquiry by Levy and Kahan (1991), the Leicestershire inquiry (1993) and the inquiry into the abuse of children in childrens homes in North Wales, known as the Waterhouse Report, 2000 (Thomas 2005). These reports changed the course of policy and practice. It is evident by Ibid (2005) that although these reports have depicted abuse in residential homes over the years, abuse in foster home goes largely undetected. The Waterhouse report (DOH 2000a) exposed no cohesive regulations of childrens homes adding that the responsible local authorities had adopted a tokenistic approach. Upon this report, recommendations for change were clearly defined. The New Labour Government responded to the report and published major policy initiatives such as Quality Protects and the Care Standards Bill (2000) under which the General Social Care Council (GSCC) was established to monitor and regulate all social care staff. The GSCC has been given the mandate to register all social care staff (qualified and non-qualified alike) and also to produce enforceable codes of conduct and practice (DOH 2000b). These were designed to prevent unsuitable people in the social care sector. Other recommendations included, a childrens complaints officer, criminal record checks, a designated field social work assigned to each Looked-After-Child. Accountable and independent regulatory inspection body was also recommended to inspect re sidential and foster homes to meet National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002). Policy and legislative frameworks. There are a host of policies and legislative frameworks underpinning the holistic needs of Looked-After-Children that I as a social worker must work to accordingly. However, working within the parameters of the law, meeting policy guidance and the constraints of limited resources is a complex task (Brammer 2007). The Children Act 1989 is the main legislative instrument that mandates all child care professionals to work towards the best interest of the child. The Act received royal assent in 1991 and arose from substantial research that exposed poor outcomes and significant failings in safeguarding, protecting and meeting childrens needs (Brayne Carr 2005). This same Act also introduced the welfare check list, to include factors that must be considered when professionals and the courts are deciding the future welfare of a child. Although the philosophy of the Act is that the child is best brought up in their own families, at times this is not in the best interests of the child. The local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the childs welfare (s.22(3)). The overarching principle of the Act is that the welfare of the child is paramount (s.1) regardless of race, religion or culture. Although section 22(5)[c]) of the Act states that the local authorities must consider the childs religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background, this only applies to looked after children (Brammer 2007). Under the Race Relations (Amendment Act) 2000, local authorities have a duty to promote good race relations and equality, provide a culturally sensitive service and protect against racial discrimination. Whilst articles 3,5,6,8 and 14 within the Human Rights Act 1998 are important to children, it is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) that provides a comprehensive framework for children to attain their full potential. It sets out over 40 substantive rights including protection from harm and exploitation, access to education and health and family life (DFES, 2003). The governments first attempt to transforms childrens services was the implementation of the Quality Protects initiative. Also part of a wider set of projects including Sure Start to help children in their early years and their families get off to a better start in life. The Quality Protects programme set out eleven key objectives (DOH 1999) for childrens services requiring all statutory agencies as corporate parents to work together, ensuring that childrens social services provide targeted care for disadvantaged children to enable them to take maximum advantages of universal services, most notably health and education. It was the key mechanism for delivering the aims of the government White Paper, Modernising Social Services (DOH 1998). Local authorities were required to submit a Management Action Plan informing the government on how they were going to meet these objectives. Choice Protects was a further initiative launched in 2002 to improve outcomes for looked-after-children throu gh providing better placement stability, matching and choice (Butler et al 2004) Further changes in legislation followed the death of Victoria Climbià © whilst in private foster care. Lord Lamings report made key recommendations for change following this inquiry (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003). The governments response was a major reform of childrens services and the Children Act 2004, underpinned by the policies set out in Every Child Matters agenda (DFES, 2003). This focused on achieving five key outcomes for services to children, to work towards achieving their full potential. The Five Key Outcomes of the Every Child Matters are: Being healthy, Staying safe, Enjoying and achieving, Making a positive contribution and Achieving economic well-being. The 2004 Act also established childrens trusts, bringing together education, health and social services, as well as a childrens commissioner to promote the interests and views of children. Due to the profound importance of education, section 22(3) of the Children Act 1989 amended by section 52 of the Children Act 2004 now places a duty on local authorities to promote the educational attainment of Looked-After-Children (Brammer 2007). The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (DOH 2000b) and subsequent practice guidance was introduced as part of New Labours Quality Protects programme and replaced what was formerly the orange book. The three inter-related dimensions of the framework: Childs Development Needs, Parenting Capacity and Family and Environmental Factors and its sub-domains present the necessary ingredients to provide a holistic, specialist assessment of need used in conjunction with the Children Act 1989, that carers, other professionals and agencies can contribute. The domains can be adapted for the needs of disabled children and are useful for social workers in assessing placements to establish suitability in meeting the childs holistic needs (DOH, 2000b). Additionally, they can be used to evaluate progress within parenting capacities, particularly if key areas were targeted for improvement, thus determining whether the needs of the child will be sufficiently met if they are to return to their own home environment (Ibid, 2000b). The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) as proposed by Every Child Matters (DFES, 2003) is a relatively new standardised approach for assessing the need for services for children and is part of a wider government programme to provide integrated services including the need to improve multi-agency working. The CAF is a common language in assessment and is based upon the five outcomes of Every Child Matters (Brammer 2007). Every Child Matters raises questions of where looked-after-children should be (or get to) in relation to other children. The agenda aims to improve the lives of looked-after-children holistically across the five outcomes linking to the Articles in the UNCRC (Unicef 2006a). The objective is to improve and integrate childrens services, promote early intervention, provide strong leadership, bringing together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order to achieve positive outcomes for children, using a matrix of specialist, targeted and universal services built around their needs. As a social work, I cannot over emphases the importance gaining a comprehensive assessment of a child under my care. This includes getting an in depth picture/knowledge of the childs past history throughout his/her development as this can inform me and others on how the child is likely to respond to particular situations, together with the possible triggers to specific behaviour of that individual, including the childs view of the relationship with his/her family. It is this kind of information, which Falhberg (1994) says is sometimes missing from case files, which could result in the child not receiving an appropriate care package or placement. However, it is important to remember that when gathering information childrens own perspectives on their experiences are an important source of knowledge as well (DOH 2000a p.8). Furthermore, this knowledge equips me with the significance of sharing information between professionals in order to be able promote and meet the childs holistic nee ds. In the inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie ¢ and many other previous inquiries in to child protection failures it was noted that the quality of information sharing was often poor, systems were crude and information failed to be passed between hospitals in close proximity to each other. As the report commented, information systems that depend on the random passing of slips of paper have no place in modern services (The Victoria Climbie ¢ Inquiry Report, 2003, p13). In order to provide an effective system for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, all agencies and staff working with children need to work together in addressing the issue of information sharing and recording. Although personal information should always be respected (DOH 2000 p.45), there are times when the law permits the disclosure without consent in order to safeguard the child. Therefore, by explaining to the child at the outset why and how information is shared, there are no unnecessary surprises for the child. The Working together document (DOH, 1999) highlights the importance of multidisciplinary and inter agency working in children work force. This document was put together by Department Of Health, Department for Education and Employment and the Home Office. It serves as a guide to inter-agency working with a commitment to sharing information to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. However, it also provides improved guidance on child protection procedures and the newly reformed Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards. Implications on social work practice However, safeguarding children is never free from ethical dilemmas. For example, it is necessary at times to place children in secure accommodation under section 25 of the Children Act 1989 for their own and others safety (Brammer 2007). Although this conflicts with Article 5 of the UNCRC; Right to Liberty along with the potential to diminish their autonomy, this must therefore be a last resort to safeguard their welfare when other strategies and social work interventions have been ineffective. Yet another area of consideration is effective care planning for Looked-After-Children. This is key to promoting and meeting their holistic needs. Care plans should be child-centred/person-centred, needs based, focussed, proactive and written collectively with the social worker, the child (depending on age and maturity), parents/guardians and any prospective caregivers (National Childrens Bureau 2007). In this way, care can be delivered in a more open and understanding way. This also promotes partnership between all stakeholders involved in the care and welfare of the child. However, studies undertaken by Timms Thorburn (2006) revealed that children were not always involved in writing their care plan as much as they should be. The care plan is a continuing process based on a holistic assessment of the childs needs and how they will be met, including a statutory Health Plan and Personal Education Plan (including Special Educational Needs) which sets out targets, providing a valuable individual monitoring mechanism (DfES 2005). The requirement of statutory reviews laid out in section 26 of the Children Act 1989 reinforces this c ontinuum (Thomas 2005). The amendment to section 26 made by section 118 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002, now requires that statutory reviews must be chaired by an Independent Reviewing Officer, who ensures plans are timely, effective and sensitive and focussed on the childs needs, the placement, offering a safeguard to prevent drift and addressing poor practice (DfES 2004 p.8). However, this looks good on paper but the question remains as to how independent the Independent Reviewing Officer can be when he/she is employed or paid by the local authority for the services rendered. Furthermore, the Looked-After-Children documentation also contains significant component identifying age-related Assessment and Action records. These records are an achievable by way of assessing and reviewing the childs well being across the seven dimensions of the childs developmental needs located within the assessment framework (DOH 2000c). Additionally, these records identify each others roles in undertaking the tasks to effectively meet these outcomes (Thomas 2005). Walker et al (2003) emphasises that these records should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Related to the assessment and have a clear Time scale (SMART) for completion. Its been argued again and again that meeting the needs of black and minority ethnic children is a complex task for social workers given the controversial debates regarding same race/trans-racial placements (Thomas 2005). Is this not a way of further marginalising, discriminating and oppressing this group of children? Walker (2005) cited by Allain (2007, p137) stresses the importance of . . . developing culturally competent practice for working with children and young people cannot be overstated. Meaning as social workers we need to be cultural sensitive and aware that cultural norms and models of behaviour can vary considerably between communities and even families (Victoria Climbià © Inquiry 2003 para.16.5). However, many children who are fostered are from black and minority ethnic groups with entirely different cultures (Thomas 2005). Although there is research to suggest that trans-racial placements are not damaging to children (Tizard and Phoenix 1989) The Children Act 1989 (Guidance and Regulations vol 3 paras 2.40-2.42 DOH 1991) promotes same race placements within foster settings. As a social worker, I am aware that assessments are not value free. According to City of Salford Community and Social Services (2000) social workers bring their racial, cultural, gender, class and religious values to the assessment. Clear guides to good professional practice are maintained within the GSCC codes of practice. Anti-oppressive practice and valuing diversity in its broadest context are at the heart of social work together with a commitment to partnership working, being non-judgemental, trustworthy and respecting service users rights (GSCC 2002). Dominelli (1997) also states that in their quest to treat everyone as equals, social workers have inadvertently adopted a colour blind approach implying that skin colour is the only difference, thus reinforcing negative assumptions. In addition, she notes social workers have dumped black difficult children on to black foster carers highlighting racist assumptions that they can look after their own. According to Cross (1971 cited by DOH 2000a) black children struggle to gain a positive sense of racial identity. Therefore, in order for child care professional to assess and understand, Cross provides a model of identity that can be used to make the correlation between the childs own perception and their emotional development. Another highlight is that unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not only faced with language and cultural issues, but it appears that the Hillingdon Judgment and its subsequent guidance (LAC (2003)13) DOH 2003) is not being adhered to nationally (Nandy 2005). Children aged 16-17 are still being supported by section 17 of the Children Act 1989 (children in need) rather than having full section 20 status as per the recommendations, providing them with ongoing support post-18. The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 provides for, a holistic Pathway Assessment of needs, which informs the Pathway Plan for a continuum of care and support until the age of 21(beyond if in education) with a personal adviser. Section 24 of the Children Act 1989 sets out the duty of the local authority to advise, assist and befriend a child who leaves care after the age of 16. However, research indicates that although Looked-After-Children are the most vulnerable in society, they are pushed to independence ear lier than other children. Stein (2006 p.274) describes care leavers as having accelerated and compressed transitions to adulthood. Educational attainment for Looked-After-Children is unacceptably low, with only 12 per cent achieving 5 GCSEs grades A-C compared to 59 per cent of other children (DfES 2007). Research by Berridge et al (1998 cited by DOH 1998a) indicates that Looked-After-Children, particularly those in residential care are ill-equipped with adequate learning materials and staff felt that they were not sufficiently trained to provide teaching support to those who were excluded from school (DfES 2005). Guidance from the DfES (2005) aims to promote better partnership working including teacher training and additional support for Looked-After-Children in schools. Fundamental to the Children Act 1989 is that the children have a right to be heard and are individuals in their own right. The childs wishes and feelings must be sought by the local authority with regards to aspects of their circumstances and future plans (s.22(5)) and s.1(3) when courts are making decisions. This principle is enshrined in the Article 12 of the UNCRC (Unicef, 2006). However, Thomas (2005) notes that there is still a debate to what extent children have in determining their lives, although the general consensus is that they should be listened to. Leeson (2007) also states that childrens participation in decision making is questioned due to them being regarded as vulnerable, less competent beings in need of social work protection (p.268). Although children may not know what they want, they should be encouraged by all professionals to participate, (according to their age and understanding) thus empowering them and increasing their autonomy. Communication with children is the means to establishing a relationship, even when they do not want to engage verbally. Play, activity based work, writing, drawing and body language are also essential tools in the art of being receptive (Kroll 1995 cited by Thomas 2002). Disabled children may prefer other methods of communication such as the Picture Exchange Communication System, Makaton or British Sign Language. Additionally, they may have their own individual ways of communicating, therefore it is crucial that not only the child care professionals understand, but the child has confidence that their messages are heard (DFES, 2006). Foster carers and residential workers have a similar role. They work closely with social workers, families, doctors, psychologists, teachers, nurses, probation officers and other outside agencies in order to effectively promote the holistic needs of the child. Although it is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that plans are implemented, reviewed and legalities adhered to, residential staff and foster carers are principally the ones to undertake the tasks (Thomas 2005). Studies by Whitaker et al 1998 cited by DOH (1998) highlighted the extensive skills and personal qualities that are required when working within group living, including knowledge and understanding of development, group dynamics, networks, listening, advocating, physical and emotional support. This list is not exhaustive and not exclusive to residential; on the contrary, foster carers should equally be proficient in these skills. Due to the challenging nature of the profession there is a high turnover of staff within residential care which amounts to children not being able to form adequate attachments, although key worker systems are used to enhance this. Colton et al (2007) analysed a number of factors from researchers and concluded that one of the key issues was emotional exhaustion from increasingly complex, volatile, chaotic and disruptive behaviour displayed by children towards staff. According to Fostering Network (2007) foster care turnover also remains high with a shortage of over ten thousand foster carer placements. According to Barter et al (2004) many children entering the care system are filling an available vacancy rather than receiving an appropriate provision to meet their complex needs. Furthermore, Triseliotis (2002) notes that children are far more likely to be in continual state of insecurity due to the legalities of impermanence and many felt that this anxiety was heightened from the carers behave or else stance. Although research has indicated that authoritative parenting within fostering has had the most success (Wilson et al 2004). The use of Social Learning Theory, particularly in the newly funded Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Project in England, considers that since behaviour is learned, it can be unlearned via therapeutic methods and living environment. MTFCE is targeted for those with complex needs, challenging behaviour and offenders (DFES, 2003). Under section 26 of the Children Act 1989, children have a statutory right to complain about the services they receive. Amendments to the Children Act 1989 via the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (s.119) created a new section (26(a)) which affords children and young people a statutory right to an advocate in the light of complaints (Brammer 2007). In addition, the White Paper Valuing People (DOH 2001) emphasises that children who have learning disabilities should also be included in such initiatives. Furthermore, Ward (1995) notes that the local authories should be playing a more active role and taking the initiative to seek the views of Looked-After-Children, as some of those looked after, are under duress (p.16) To ensure children are looked after properly, residential homes and fostering agencies are inspected by an independent body. As of April 2007, Ofsted began the regulation and inspection of childrens services building on the previous expertise of Commission for Social Care Inspection (Ofsted 2007). Residential homes are subject two annual visits (one announced and one unannounced) from the inspecting body to monitor performance against both the National Minimum Standards (DOH 2002) and the Childrens Homes Regulations 2001.Internal inspections are required by the registered manager to monitor matters set out in Schedule 6 of the regulations (34(1)) such as, menus, the quality of rotas, staffing and childrens complaints. Under regulation 33, a monthly inspection takes place by a statutory visitor to monitor performance against the five outcomes of Every Child Matters. Including speaking to the children and staff, checking files, care plans and placement plans. A report is then prepared and forwarded to Ofsted. Many children have a troubled and complex past (Thomas 2005). A good home offers attachments, permanence, identity, self esteem and promotes contact (where necessary) with the child and parent(s). Attachment theory originiates from the work of John Bowlby and has been elaborated considerably since. Attachment behaviour is reciprocal rather than unidirectional and is defined as a long enduring emotionally meaningful tie to a particular individual cited by Schaffer (1997 p.127). Bowlby theorised that lack of nurturing from an infants primary care giver would have serious consequences for the child in later life, leading to affectionless psychopathy (the inability to have deep feelings for others) in Rutter (1991). Social workers need to consider how a placement will promote healthy attachments and psychological development, furthermore, how they are provided, maintained and strengthened (Howe 1996, cited by Thomas 2005). However, Robinson (2002) criticises Howe for failing to mention t he attachments within the black community and families in his writings, merely referring to cultural variations. Research identified four attachment behaviours; secure, insecure/avoidant ambivalent and disorganised, secure being the most ideal (Howe 2002). A good understanding of these internalised behaviours assists social workers to differentiate between them when analysing assessments (Ibid 2002). Howe further notes that there is a tendency for these internal working models to become self fulfilling, where by the child acts in certain ways to elicit desired self-confirming reactions from others. However, research indicates that a child does not have to be at the mercy of the past (Schaffer 1992 p.40) depending on how resilient the child is to adapting to lifes complex variables. The prevalence of mental disorders is high in looked-after-children, particularly in residential care compared to foster care. According to the Office of National Statistics (2003) nearly three quarters of the children in residential care (72 per cent) were clinically diagnosed as having a mental disorder. The role of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services promotes the mental well being of children through commissioning services via a four-tier strategic framework (level four being severe) following an assessment (DFES, 2003). Most looked-after-children receive services at level three or four. However, Schaffer (1998) suggests that it is difficult to tell who will need therapeutic involvement and who will simply grow out of it. Leighton (In press) states that professionals must be aware of their own personal values and attitudes that could influence decision making as to whether a child will benefit from therapy. Furthermore, she adds that ethical challenges are plentiful in creating and respecting the childs autonomy whilst undertaking a balancing act with safeguarding their welfare and promoting their best interests. Thomas (2005, 2002) urges caution with the overall concept of best interests of the child as he suggests that it could be oppressive and dangerous if misused, particularly with regards to who is making the decisions in the best interests for example; professionals, the family or the child themselves. Although there is good evidence from research to indicate positive outcomes for children, these cannot assume a one size fits all solution to ensuring a desired individual result for there are other intricacies that need to be taken into account, for example religion and culture. With regards to child welfare, Fox-Harding (1997) states that the Children Act 1989 is in ideological conflict concerning the role of the state. She notes four different value positions; liassaz-faire, state paternalism, parents rights and childrens rights. The latter two are appropriate here. Firstly, she notes that the perspective of parents rights acts as a belief

A Look into the Life of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and ?The Yellow Wall-p

â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† is an amazing story that demonstrates how close-minded the world was a little over a hundred years ago. In the late eighteen hundreds, women were seen as personal objects that are not capable of making a mark in the world. If a woman did prove to be a strong intellectual person and had a promising future, they were shut out from society. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote her stories from experience, but added fictional twists along the way to make her stories interesting. Charlotte Perkins Gilman grew up in a broken home without the presence of her father. Charlotte eventually moved away from her home with her mother and sister. Charlotte tried to keep in contact with her father, but he did not want any part of the contact. Being rejected by her father, and not receiving any affection from her cold-hearted mother set the tone for the way she would live her life. After one failed marriage with a child, Charlotte did not believe that there was much left for her. Charlotte took her emotions and construed them into a positive thing, her writing. Just like the woman in the story, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper†, Charlotte was sick. The doctors prescribed the â€Å"rest cure† for Charlotte. This prescription meant that she had to stay in bed for weeks on end, and had to limit her intellectual activities (Gilman 831). Charlotte was also instructed to live as much of a domestic life as she could. The doctors and her husband wanted her to stay home to cook, clean, and tend to their child. Staying in your own house, in your own bed for that long of a time would drive any person the slightest bit of crazy. During this time is when Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper†. â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† portrays realism in its finest. Realism is defined as the representation in art or literature of objects, actions, or social conditions as they actually are, without idealization or presentation in abstract form (dictionary.com). It must have been easy for Charlotte to write this literary work. Not only did Charlotte have all the time in the world, but she was also a feminist (Hudak). When a person has enough time, and a just cause, wonderful literary works can happen. There is no better way to get emotions, ideas, and worries out into society than writing about what you believe in. This story is almost an autobiographical account of Charlotte Perk... ...estic work when she could. Not being able to express her inner feelings made her want to write everything down so much more. Jane then realized that she was being oppressed by the men in her life. Jane was not a strong woman, so she drove herself insane just to escape the reality that she was in. If the story of, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† would have continued from its finishing point, I believe that Jane would have went even more mad and most likely would have killed herself to escape her own self-torture. Much like how Charlotte Perkins Gilman committed suicide in her own life. â€Å"The next year, suffering from breast cancer and convinced that her productive life was over, she committed suicide with chloroform she had long been accumulating† (Gilman 832). Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a lonely, insane woman, but her creativity got her through some hard times. Writing â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† helped to created an outlet for Charlotte’s personal emotions. Charlotte and the main character of the story, Jane, are one and the same. After reading background information on Charlotte and reading â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper†, it’s obvious that Charlotte was writing about what she knew; insanity.

Rasputin: The Man, The Mystery Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin is known as the Siberian Mystic Healer, whose life has been retold numerous of times and almost each time it is told it is retold in a different way. Since Rasputin lived in a civilization not that advanced, little is know of his first forty years of life. So most information on the man are normally from stories families have passed on. Some say he is a holy monk with great powers, on the other hand he may be known as a phony with a false connection to God. The Beginning Rasputin was born between 1864 and 1865 in his own home of Pokrovskoe. It is now known as Tiumen’ Oblast. It is located in Siberia on the Toura River. This was a small city located near the Ural Mountains. At the center of the village stood a large white church with a guilded dome, which was a symbol of Russia’s strong religious background. At the age of eighteen Rasputin went through a religious transition. He eventually went to the monastery at Verkhoture. At this place he became aquatinted to the Khlysty sect. After spending some time at this monastery he did not become a monk. When he came to this monastery he had no intentions of becoming a monk. But this even eventually leads to fame and power for Rasputin. At the age of nineteen, Rasputin returned to his home in Pokrovskoe. There he fell in love and married Praskovia Fyodorovna. Together the two had three children. They had Dimitri in 1897, Maria in 1898, and Varvara in 1900. Marriage wasn’t enough to keep Rasputin in one place. He continued to wander to places of religious significance suck as Mt. Athos, Greece, and Jerusalem. He was a self-proclaimed holy man. He had the power to heal the sick and the power to predict the future. His fame grew greatly. Soon people traveled from long distances in search of his well heard about abilities and insight. For Rasputin’s help, people would repay him with food, presents, and money. Rasputin has had no long period of religious or spiritual training. He also had very limited education so he was left illiterate. This made his theatrical abilities become very useful. One day while Rasputin was plowing in the fields he had a revelation. The story states that a Heavenly Mother touched him. She told him of young Aleksei, the tsarevich and she instructed him to appear at the boy’s side to stop his bleeding. His bleeding was a result of his hemophilia. ... ...sants, you, Tsar of Russia, have nothing to fear, remain on your throne and govern, and you, Russian Tsar, will have nothing to fear for your children, they will reign for hundreds of years in Russia. But if I am murdered by boyars, nobles, and if they shed my blood, their hands will remain soiled with my blood, for twenty-five years they will not wash their hands from my blood. They will leave Russia. Brothers will kill brothers, and they will kill each other and hate each other, and for twenty-five years there will be no noblers in the country. Tsar of the land of Russia, if you hear the sound of the bell which will tell you that Grigory has been killed, you must know this: if it was your relations who have wrought my death then no one of your family, that is to say, none of your children or relations will remain alive for more than two years. They will be killed by the Russian people...I shall be killed. I am no longer among the living. Pray, pray, be strong, think of your ble ssed family. This letter was written to Tsarina Alexandra on December 7, 1916. Twenty-three days later Rasputin was killed and nineteen months later after Rasputins death the Tsar and his family lay dead.

Essay --

Executive Summary Mountville is a small town in Pennsylvania with a population of 3000. Located on Highway 30, the town is 20 miles East of the county of York and 10 miles West of the county of Lancaster. Interstate highway 30 connects York County and Lancaster County that both have universities and a cumulative population of almost 1,000,000 residents. The highway is the main road through town and is used daily by thousands of commuters between the two cities. These commuters sustain a number of roadside businesses on Highway 30 that sell many different commodities. There is currently one gas station at the location. The nearest gas stations directly off of the highway otherwise closest are each at more than a 5 mile distance. NOVA Food and Gas Center will offer these commuters gas, groceries, and a deli. On the way to work, a commuter could stop for gas and get some choice coffee. On the way home, the same commuter could stop again to pick up something for dinner, such as a sub or burger. The aim of this plan is to be a guide for this start-up business. Researching and defining our markets, strategies, mission and financials will provide insight and prepare the owner to successfully run NOVA. 1.1 Objectives To capture an increasing share of the commuter traffic passing through Mountville. To offer our customers superior products, at an affordable price. To provide customer service that is second to none. 1.2 Mission The mission of NOVA is to offer commuters on Highway 30 competitive gas prices and great food. The company will make a healthy profit for its owners and provide a rewarding work environment for its employees. 1.3 Keys to Success Good quality products at competitive prices. Excellent customer service that will pro... ... the sales forecast for three years. Management Summary Tegpartap Singh, owner of NOVA Food and Gas Center, is a young man who wishes to start his own gas station. Tegpartap has had lots of exposure to gas station management, as many of his family members and family friends are owners of various gas stations. 6.1 Personnel Plan The NOVA Food and Gas Center will have a staff of five: Manager Store/deli staff (2) Gas attendants (2) Financial Plan The following is the financial plan for NOVA Food and Gas Center. 7.1 Break-even Analysis The monthly break-even point is approximately $49,500. 7.2 Projected Profit and Loss The following table and charts highlight the projected profit and loss for three years. 7.3 Projected Cash Flow 7.4 Projected Balance Sheet The following table and chart highlight the projected balance sheet for three years.

Officer Selection

Because of the range of duties, officers should possess certain traits: hectically agility, the ability to cope with difficult situations, well-developed writing skills, good communication skills, sound Judgment, compassion, strong powers of observation, and the ability to both exert and respect commands of authority. Minimum Requirements Every department sets its own standards when considering candidates for police officers, however most departments require a series of minimum standards which perspective applicants must have.All applicants must be at least 21 years of age and have or be eligible to receive a driver's license because their primary duty Is patrol, ND they must be able to drive to respond to Incidents. Police officers must also be able to possess a firearm. In order to qualify to own a firearm, a person must be at least twenty-one years old. Applicants must also have no Felony convictions. Convicted felons also are prohibited from possessing a firearm, which thereby ba rs them from becoming police officers.Individuals with domestic violence convictions are no longer able to possess a firearm, thereby prohibiting them from becoming police officers as well (Grant & Terry, 2009). Finally many police departments now have educational standards for recruits. Nearly all departments require officers to have at least a high school diploma. And many require at least some college credits. Written Examination The written examination is the first step in becoming a police officer once a formal application has been submitted.The test varies by department, but It might be a civil service exam, an exam produced by the individual police department, or one produced by a private testing company. The exam does not test specific legal or criminal Justice knowledge, but rather evaluates the candidate's basic reading, writing, and comprehension skills. The exam will likely contain a number of different sections, whereby the candidate must be able to understand and write In English, write a sample essay, understand basic mathematics, memorize facts, show sound 1 OFF reasoning Ana logic, Ana analyze potential scenarios .For clamatorial ten written examination is developed by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and measures reading comprehension and writing abilities (caperers. Com, 2011). Departmental Interview Departmental Interview will evaluate the applicant's interpersonal skills, problem solving, oral communication and other abilities not tested by other examination components. The interview is not scored; however, the interview panel will make recommendations regarding who should proceed in the final hiring process.The interview can be structured, unstructured, or a combination or both. In a structured interview, the candidate is asked a series of questions regarding the Job and his or her specific abilities. Structured questions such as â€Å"Do you drink alcohol†, usually require specified answers direct answers. The alternative to this would be to conduct a semi structured interview with open ended questions on particular topics. Structured interviews allow for a better comparison of candidates on specific topics, pen-ended questions are likely to elicit more information.Though the candidate must pass all phases of the selection process in order to be hired as a police officer, the interview process is critical in the assessment of the candidate's attitudes, appearance, and demeanor. Physical Ability Examination The Physical Ability Examination will measure physical performance through a series of exercises that will be administered on a pass/fail basis. Measuring a police candidate's level of physical agility is a crucial part of the selection process, although the physical agility test has been controversial and has undergone significant hangs since its inception (Grant & Terry, 2009).The Physical Ability Examination has gone through many changes. Until the sass's the test required applicants to demonstrate substantial upper body strength which kept many women from completing the test successfully thereby eliminating them from the candidate pool. The introduction of Title VII in 1972 as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines on sex discrimination barred the refusal to hire a female applicant because of characteristics attributed to women as a class and thus the physical agility tests have changed considerably in the past few decades.Psychological and Polygraph Tests A Polygraph Examination is used to verify the veracity and accuracy of information submitted by candidates regarding, but not necessarily limited to: use of controlled substances; driving, criminal, medical and employment history; and other Job-related factors. The polygraph works by recording involuntary physiological changes in the body that occur when a person is partaking in conscious deceit.The purpose of the psychological screening process is to measur e intelligence and to identify personality characteristics and any mental disorders that may lead to problematic behavior in he future (Grant & Terry, 2009). Psychological screening, particularly those measuring conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness, and integrity – have been shown to aid in the prediction of on-the-Job performance across a wide variety of occupations, including peace officers (POST. A. Gob, 2011) It is important to screen out individuals who may exhibit mental or personality deficits, because police officers interact with individuals on a daily basis and often in high-stress situations. Background Investigation I en employment, connecter Ana Docudrama Investigation consists AT a tongue duty of the candidate's history prior to appointment to determine fitness for this employment.Reasons for rejection include use of controlled substances, felony convictions, repeated or serious violations of the law, inability to work cooperatively with co-work ers, inability to accept supervision, or other relevant factors. Candidates who are disqualified during the background investigation process must wait two years from the date of disqualification before they may reapply to take the Police Officer examination.Candidates who are disqualified because of uncorrectable deiced problems, serious drug abuse or because of criminal records may possibly not be allowed to reapply. Training Once a police candidate has passed through the selection process, he or she is hired on probation, a trial period of one or two years during which the officer is evaluated. This probationary period begins with training at the police academy, a school where officers learn on-the-Job techniques prior to receiving full police powers.Officers must train at the academy for up to 1,100 hours, and they receive full pay and benefits from the time they enter the academy (Grant & Terry, 2009). Training is rigorous, demanding and exhausting. It is also a rewarding life-c hanging experience. New officers learn how much they are capable of by succeeding at seemingly impossible challenges, both physical and mental Mainland. Com, 2011). While in the academy, the officer receives educational as well as practical physical The Los Angles Police Department (LAPS) Academy Curriculum includes training.Academics, which encompasses arrest and booking procedures, preliminary investigation techniques, radio and communications, report writing, traffic investigation, and traffic enforcement, Driving, which includes emergency procedures ND defensive driving techniques, Firearms Training, which trains candidates in effective and safe use of police issued firearms, Law, which covers search and seizure, evidence, laws of arrest, crimes against persons and property, sex crimes, crimes against children, and other general criminal statutes falling under the California Penal Code, Los Angles Municipal Code, Welfare and Institutions Code, and Federal Laws, and finally physi cal training which builds strength and endurance through physical conditioning while promoting a positive attitude toward a fitness lifestyle. It also encompasses training in physical arrest techniques, controls, and weaponless defense Mainland. Com, 2011).Development Once a new police officer leaves the academy, they are assigned a field training officer (FOOT) who assists the new officer to acclimate into the police culture, or experience the solicitation process. Solicitation involves learning the values, social processes, and behaviors associated with the police institution. It involves the patterns of interaction that depend on the relations of individuals in particular settings (Grant & Terry, 2009). Foot can have a significant influence over new officers ND assist them in dealing with the inevitable stress and cynicism of the Job. Conclusion Selecting qualified police officers is a lengthy, competitive process, involving multiple phases. Candidates are exposed too battery of tests both physically and mentally to ascertain their overall qualifications and abilities.

The Importance of Ethics

Ethics is a major part of any profession that involves the well being of others. When someone has an influence on another individual’s life, ethical judgment is always involved. In the profession of social work, the people that one serves are the â€Å"raw material† of the organization (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) The social worker is there to serve the people that rely on their assistance. I have always had a strong desire to help others in making their lives better. I strive to make ethical decisions while keeping the clients best interest and the best interest of the community in mind. With my personal ethics to guide me, as well as the guidance of my coworkers and other available resources, I will be successful in helping others while staying ethically and professionally correct. Social workers shape and change the lives of the people that need them. Anyone who works with people is doing ethical work, but social workers and human service workers are especially important, because they have a major impact on the lives of the people that they assist. Because of this, people who choose to work in that field must have solid ethics. According to Markkula Center for Applied Ethics 2010, Ethics are well rounded standards of right and wrong. It is important for social workers to have good judgment of right and wrong, while always having the best interest of the client in mind. The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) Human service organizations function to protect, maintain and enhance the well being of individuals through services that defines, shape, and alter their personal characteristics and attributes (Hasenfeld,1983. The social worker must have strong ethics and morals and also follow professional codes and obey the law. I have wanted to be a social worker and work in the human service field for as long as I can remember. I love helping other people and making a positive influence on their lives. I think my strong moral and ethical standing will take me a long way in the human service field and assist me in becoming a caring and dedicated social worker. I have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and tend to think things out rather than make rash decisions. I think my biggest weakness is possibly having too big a heart. I tend to become emotionally and personally attached very quickly. I have trouble turning people who need help away and think about the people that I help even after my work day is done. As a human service worker, I know this is something that I need to work on. It is not good to become personally involved with the client. I know that if I continue to use to good ethical judgment, follow professional rules and the law, I will be ok. My plan for ensuring good ethical decisions in my career is to make good moral decisions, ask for guidance from my leaders and co-workers, follow the NASW code of ethics and keep the best interest of the client and community in mind. Self regulation is essential to professional ethics and professional leadership (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) Using both internal and external regulation is imperative in the human service field. Internal regulation is our conscious. I will listen to my conscious when making ethical decisions, because I know those decisions will affect the lives of others. The external regulation or (code of ethics), is equally important. The National Association of Social workers or NASW code of ethics is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers (Schissler-Manning S, 2003. ) By following the code of ethics, as well as listening to my own ethics and reasoning, I will be able to assist the client to the fullest while keeping the organization and community’s best interest in mind. I am sure I will face ethical dilemmas along the way, but if I follow code and use my morals and personal discretion, I am sure that I will make solid ethical decisions. Being a social worker is something that I have wanted to do since I was a child. I realize that by making the commitment to help and serve those that need assistance, I am agreeing to make good ethical decisions. It is important that I stay morally true to myself as well as be professional. I will strive to be the best social worker that I can while following procedure and always looking out for the clients well being.