Global Climate change abstract Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Climate change abstract - Assignment Example includes oil and coal deposits, limestone, and carbon-rich shale while the surface reservoirs include the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and living biomass. The long-term carbon cycle refers to the exchange of carbon between the Earth, oceans, and the atmosphere. It entails the reaction of carbon dioxide with water and rock silicate or carbonate forming magnesium, calcium bicarbonate, and silica, which then dissolve in the ocean. Heat and pressure release the carbon dioxide back to the atmosphere. On the other hand, the short-term carbon cycle denotes its exchange between the surface reservoirs, which is rapid. Carbon exchange between the atmosphere and ocean involves photosynthesis, solubility, and carbonate pump. Dissolved carbon dioxide decreases water pH (8.2 to 8.05) decreasing carbonate concentration and hence lessening the stability of aragonite and calcite essential for skeleton and shell formation. Therefore, acidification of water by carbon dioxide affects the reproduction of cal cifying organisms. Acidification of the water also causes increased levels of nutrients, zinc, copper and toxic metals affecting the ecosystem. Earth’s energy balance refers to the balance of solar radiation and the energy that radiates to space that affects the earth’s temperature. The solar constant, which is 1,367 watts per square meter, measures the amount of solar electromagnetic radiation. Received radiation on Earth depends on seasons and distance of the surface from the sun. Albedo is a measure of the total incident light on the surface reflected back to space. It relies on the nature of the surface. Emission of radiation from the matter occurs in the form of IR radiation. Energy transfer to the atmosphere happens in the form of latent and sensible heat. Climate change is subject to forcing factors including greenhouse gasses, aerosols and changes in solar irradiance and land cover. Greenhouse gasses such as methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone and carbon dioxide

The Perimeter Network Security System Computer Science Essay

The Perimeter Network Security System Computer Science Essay As like in the real life, securing the borders are the first level of defense to protect the internal network of an organisation. The purpose of this report is to design a perimeter network security system that will provide security enhancement on the existing network infrastructure of Napier University. Network perimeter is an important line of defence in an enterprise network and every organisation has this perimeter network. Perimeter network is where the internal network meets the border network. The main security architecture using this potential area of the network is firewalling. Here this report discusses the egress and ingress filtering of packets by the firewall in order to let the bad traffic out of the perimeter and allow only the good traffic to trusted internal network. One of the core ideas behind the securing the network from outside threat is to develop and implement multiple overlapping layers of security solutions with different security components like Firewalls, VPN, IDS/P and Proxying. Though there are no single security solutions to protect the university network, multiple layers of perimeter security solution will provide maximum available protection from both outside and internal threats. (Watkins, 2011) The design considers hardening of network devices by striping down unnecessary protocols and services and manages the security perimeter from a management network for proper monitoring and mitigation. The main challenges to design and implement a perimeter security is to determine the proper firewall design, as Perimeter firewall and border routers are key components that decide the security to internal network. Most modern day attacks are happening in the Application layer and filtering in this top layer is extremely important for a successful security design. An enhanced packet inspection with proper monitoring and reporting is required throughout the end points of the network to block the malicious traffic from in and out of the network. There are number of ways and techniques involved in designing a perimeter security and this design proposes the specific solutions to the security threats in a campus wide network than in a highly complex enterprise network. 1 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 RESEARCH AND DESIGN (25/ 1000 words) Security is not a product but a process. Network security depends on multiple components, policy and procedure to enforce the best practices on systems, people and infrastructure (Michael E. Whitman, 2009). The basic idea of information security is to protect the three fundamental components of information security that are Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. Perimeter security design follows this principle to protect these components by using various security components. The design of the perimeter security depends on what resources need to be protected and the business need. SECURITY ARCHITECTURE The main design of the security architecture consists of segregating different zones in a network. These zones have different levels of security trust levels that allow or deny traffic. This layered architecture will provide the University to keep out of attackers (the term attacker is used in this report and not hacker, as an attacker is a hacker with a malicious intent and not all hackers are malicious intent). In the enterprise network, the network is divided generally into three zones and these are Border Network, Perimeter network and internal network. The perimeter security consists of border network and perimeter network as shown in the picture. Each of these considered as single entity against potential threats. In a network perimeter has many points where an effective security policy should be established. The network perimeter is the most important points of security against 2 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 external threats. Many types of security can be implemented like packet filtering, intrusion detection systems/prevention and anomaly detection etc. Border Network Border network is the Internet facing zone via a border router (Edge router) that provides an initial layer of protection against all the starting point of attacks. It is most likely an IDP (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) System to be placed to create an extra layer of security. The border router will allow the traffic as per the Ingress and Egress filtering rules set on the router. Apart from protecting the outside threats these edge router and IDP also help to reduce the network load on the perimeter firewall by filtering spoofed traffic out of reaching to the perimeter firewall. Egress filtering helps to prevent specific types of traffic going out of the University that may be some confidential information or can an attacker plant traffic from a payload. A common rules used in the border router is to filter out the ICMP traffic to avoid the probing of network infrastructure. (Dailey, 2009) Perimeter Network Perimeter network sits in between the Border network and the trusted internal network often referred as DMZ. A Perimeter Firewall is the main component to filter the traffic to DMZ and passes the traffic to internal network. This firewall allows traffic from outside the network to servers like Web server or Email Server and also allows a limited access from the internal users. 3 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 Perimeter firewall allows the filtered traffic to internal firewall where traffic is further scrutinised by the set of rules according the security policies of the organisation. These firewalls are commonly uses the stateful inspection technology where the states of legitimate traffics are stored in the firewall cache. Only traffic matching the states of the connection is allowed and others are dropped. REQUIREMENT ANALYSIS When designing a secure network there are number of factors are taken into considerations. Security is not just a technical issue but a business issue. The goal is to make sure a balanced approach towards the requirements in general. The general security requiement is to provide the services according to the CIA triad of the information security. Apart from these there are also factors like budget, existing infrastructure and scalability. Other factors also constitute the decision making of a proper design are reduce cost, employee productivity, avoid business down time, comply with industry standards etc. SECURITY THREATS This section discusses the better known attacks and the reason behind using perimeter security as first line of defense. Attacks can be devided into external attacks- coming from the internet and internal attacks- coming from the internal network. Information Gathering is the first method an attacker try to get the maximum informaiton about the network architecture. 4 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 The external attacks are from the simple probing of the network to DoS( Denial of Service Attacks). An insider attack considers one of the major threats to any perimeter security design. These attacks may come from a mischievous user to a disgruntled employee who wanted to grab confidential information or to steal company secrets like financial data, personal information etc. A well configured internal firewall along along with the perimeter firewall can be the good level of defense against these attacks Other types of attacks inlcude intrusion packet sniffing, IP spoofing and DoS attacks that poses a direct threat to the organisation. Application layer security is one of the important design area to be take care of. Well known attacks like SQL injection are of these types. These exploits the known or unknown vulnerability on a web server or database server in order to gain the unauthorised access to the internal network. DESIGN The design of each of the security zones for the Napier University may be different but as whole these components acts together to provide a common goals by protecting the perimeter. It is important to understand where the perimeter of the network exists and what technologies are used against the threats. Perimeter security is handled by several different technologies including border router, firewalls, intrusion detection sytems and prevention systems, VPNs. Border Router The border router sits in the border or the edge of network where there is a direct interface to Internet. It acts like a traffic policeman, directs the traffic in or out of the network and also block the traffic which are not allowed to. The border router will do a NATing to provide this feature. This will give the outside network to probe the internal network. Although these routers are do not act like a firewall, it helps to protect the very first line of defense. Firewall 5 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 A firewall is an active device that job is to permit or deny the data packets as per the rules set or the states of the connection. Perimeter firewall is the center point of defense against all the threat that coming to internal network. Firewall can be software based or hardware based hardned for the filtering of packets. The proposed perimeter security can be stand alone or multiple layers that combined with other security devices like IDS, IDP and VPN. A static filter firewall is the common and simplest firewalls. These firewal allow or block traffic based on the packet header. A perfect example is blocking of Spoofed IP traffic. The main advantage of this type is that I has a very fast throughput but the down side is this firewall block already established connection which may be malicious intent. On the other hand the stateful inspection firewall is the best way of defending the maliciuos attacks. Stateful inspection firewall keeps a copy of the state of each connection so that the traffic will be allowed or denied according the states in the state cache maintained in the firewall. The disadvantage of using this firewall is slow traffic coming out of the firewall as invidiual packets need to be verified and checked with the cache table. Another firewall which is effective against the application layer attacks are the Proxy firewalls. Since the most modern day attacks are pointed against the application protocols the stateful or stateful firewalls will not block the malicious traffic coming to/out of the network. A proxy firewall acts in the middle of the internet and private hosts and the proxy by acting on behalf of the host. The filtering rules are applied in the application layer. The ruleset or signature can be created according to the latest threats. Because of the huge number of traffic these firewalls considered the lowest throughput than any other firewall but top end in droping unwanted malicous application layer traffic. A web application filter and a spam filter are the example of a proxy firewall. DMZ A DeMilitarized Zone or DMZ is the separate zone from the perimeter firewall between the external network and trusted internal network. The public internet facing servers like Web servers, email servers are placed in this area because the DMZ is considered the the most sensitive area with high security stance. The firewall restrict the traffic in this zones in order to avoid the potential threats that may come into the internal 6 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 network. The network inside this zone cannot initiate a session to the outside world unlcess it is a reply to an incoming connection. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)/ Prevention systems (IPS) An intrusion detection system or prevention system works in sync with the firewalls by providing a coming security goal of blocking unwanted traffic and notify any event that pop up in the network or host. IDS anlayse the packets for any suspicious activity and alerts the administrator. An IPS will prevent these activity by droping apart from the detection the same way IDS does. IDS and IPS have extensive rules set or singnatures of malicious activity which matches the incoming or outdoing traffic when in operation. One disadvantages with the IPS or IDS is that it may alert an legitimate traffic which considered false positive. A proper configuration of these devices is required in order to kept the false positive minimum as some times this will be a menace to handle too many logs with many thousands of false positives. A host based IDS also provide the security administrator with alerts against he malicious activity destined against a particular server like in Database server. VPN Virtual Private Nework (VPN) establish a secure remote connection to the private network by creating a secure virtual tunnel through the public untrusted network. VPN provides perimeter security by ecrypting the data in the tunnel and establish a secure connection over the internet. VPN considered to be the potential threat when an attacker comprise the tunnel as the traffic cannot be verified by the IDS or IPS because of the encrypted pakcets it uses for communication. An SSL VPN with an end-to-end VPN can be the best possible way to stay the attacker out of the network. A perimeter security design is incomplete without a proper firewall policy and an organisation wide security practices. For example if an administrator keep a weak password for these devices or any hosts in the network can nullify the entire effort put on designing a perimeter security. These security policy should also be applied to 7 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 systems, and users as there needs to be a minimum level of secure access policy with proper Authentication, Autherisation and Authentication(AAA) methods. http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps1018/products_tech_note09186a00808bc994.shtml Management Network Management and logging is the most important aspects of a perimeter security. This network has the high security stance as all the administrative access are controlled in the management network. An attacker can take direct access by accessing the management network. The traffic to management network to be encrypted to avoid any possible attack on the internal network. For example to access the IDS, ISP and or routers to be through a secure shell, or SSL, or a https access. Log monitoring is another important aspect of a perimeter security like keeping the IDS and IPS logs or firewall logs. Log files can help to identify the probable attack on the internal or malicious activity originating from the internal network. Another possible thing to do to harden all the security devices destined to do only services that (Convery, 2004). IMPLEMENTATION (20/ 800 words) Building a perimeter security system consists of bringing different security technologies explained in the previous topic; together for a common goal-to protect the internal network from external or internal threats. The router and firewall separate the public untrusted network from the internal network, the IDS/IPS monitors all traffic, and the VPN provides remote access. All of these components together form a defense in depth security in a perimeter. Figure xxx shows the outline prototype of the proposed design. 8 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 authentication server-dmz One of the first best practices before the implementation is to develop a firewall policy. The policy mainly defines the security trust levels of each zone in the network and the flow of the data traffic. The flow of data traffic is one of core in implementing the organisation wide security technologies. Perimeter firewall is the centre point in this prototype. This firewall is a stateful inspection firewall and manages traffic from external and internal network. This firewall is a closed security stance by blocking all traffic except those required for the University network. 9 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 The figure - above shows how the data flows through different layers of security first where the first line of defense is border router. This multiple layers of security filter the bad traffic in different layers in the network. The first level of defense is border router with a backup from the NIDS. This can be implemented by enabling basic packet filtering rules and Access Control Lists. Blocking the IP Spoofing and ICMP traffic are the examples. This outline NIDS will detect the any unknown behaviour in the traffic, which will be alerted to the administrator through management network. In some cases border router may not required as the perimeter firewall it self can handle the security threats but that depends on the business decision like cost and availability. Diagram for flow of trafficà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ As shown in the figure the data flow in the perimeter firewall. Perimeter firewalls allows or deny traffic as per the ingress and egress filter rules. Almost all the traffic coming to the internal network will be blocked by firewall and only allow as per the egress rules. The exception for this rule is for VPN clients and the VPN uses the encrypted tunnel and the VPN server is inbuilt in the Firewall itself. The Perimeter firewall also allows ingress traffic to DMZ zone but drop traffic originates from the webserver other than the reply to the already established connection. DMZ is the least trust level and this is why DMZ is isolated from other network zones. The internal network is allowed to access the Internet and Intranet through a proxy server in the DMZ zone. A web filtering software in the Proxy server can be implemented to filter out the unintended malicious URLs and links. The DMZ also has an inline NIPS in order to defend attacks against the application level threats like DoS attacks. The in line IPS behind the Perimeter firewall act like a sub-cop to check the malicious activity originating both from external and 10 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 internal network. Internal threat may come from a disgruntled employee or a malicious traffic from a Trojan program or a zombie for a possible DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack by a hacker (black hat off course!) harvested by using techniques like social engineering. The table explains the detailed egress and ingress rules on the Perimeter firewall. TRAFFIC TYPES INGRESS EGRESS ALLOW HTTP/S Request, DMZ Allow ICMP DMZ Deny Email (SMTP) Request DMZ Allow Email (Exchange RPC) DMZ Allow All Other Traffic DMZ Deny HTTP Reply DMZ Allow SMTP Reply DMZ Allow Exchange RPC Reply DMZ Allow All Other Traffic DMZ Deny ICMP (depends on policy) Internal Network Deny Remote VPN Connection Internal Network Allow All Other (Including from DMZ) Internal Network Deny Proxy Server (Port 8080)- Internet Internal Network Allow Email Server Access (DMZ) Internal Network Allow ICMP Internal Network Deny All Other Traffic Internal Network Deny Management network in the proposed diagram is one of the top security trust level where the management of all the security devices can be done. Log analysis, Secure tunnel access to routers, firewalls, IDS/P are all done in this network. The trusted servers in the internal network are protected with an internal packet filter firewall with only few of the protocols and ports are allowed. This will give the server farms with highest level of security. The staff and student networks are segregated with VLAN, as staffs should have access to student network but not vice versa. VLAN separate the traffic like a router and this will be important when considered in a University network. 11 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 Both staffs and Students can have access to trusted servers through the internal firewalls. The NIDS is also monitor any suspicious event and alerted. The other Host based IDS and personal firewall in each of the workstations provides an extra layer of security. So the proposed design with a defense-in-depth can be implemented to enhance the existing infrastructure of the Napier. TESTING AND EVALUATION (25/ 1000 words) 12 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 CONCLUSION (15/ 600 words) Unifiied threat management Appliance emerging cobbà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. One persons good enough is another persons never! Bandwidth for authentication is trivial in any case I can think of that doesnt include downloading extremely large biological mappings of the authentication target. As far as security measurements, I dont know what yard stick youre using, but strong on-host, per-host authentication works well when you have a trusted path, everything else is a usability or management compromise, I dont think Id tout them as security features. Placement of authentication server Placement of internal firewall. http://www.sans.org/reading_room/whitepapers/firewalls/achieving-defense-in-depth-internal-firewalls_797 he single, authenticated/anonymous, and individualized DMZ designs are all secure designs that provide the best protection for various network sizes. The single DMZ is respected for its simple design which separates itself from a private network. The authenticated/anonymous DMZ classifies servers and the data they protect in order to segregate servers that need strong access controls from the ones that do not. The 13 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 individualized DMZ gives the greatest security for a mature network, but also has the highest setup and maintenance costs. All of these secure DMZ designs are susceptible to a poorly configured server which can allow a criminal access to a data store or worse, the entire private network. In a nutshell, theres no such thing as absolute security. How much you invest in firewalls should be a function of how much you have to lose if an attack is successful. (reword) You probably heard a number of so called security experts claim the perimeter is dead because it is not effective at blocking attacks. Nothing cluld be further from the trust. Its true that attacks have become far more complex. The concern is no longer simple port scans. What we need to do however is enhance our posture, not scrap useful technologies. To be fair however, its not just the perimeter that is having the problems with modern attacks vectors. Tools like metasploit have reduced the time of exploit development from days to minutes. Networks are being spear targested with Malware which goes undetected by their Antivirus software, in some cases for as long as two years. Attackers have figured out that they do need to completely defeat forensics, they just need to make it difficult enough that it is no longer cost effective in a CFOs eyes to fully analyse the comprosmised system. So the true problem is attack technology is advancing and we need to keep up. Sometimes this is finding new security technologies and sometimes its by retasking the ones we are already using. To draw a parallel, think of what has happened with the common automobile. 40+ years ago a tuner could tweak more power out of an engine with a simple toolkit from sears. Many of those old times tuners will tell you that engines are now too complex t work on. T o the modern tuner however who is willing to add things like OBD-II adapters and laptops to their toolki, the payoffs are huge. Power levels that used to equire huge V8 engines can be produced in tiny four cylinders with as much displacement as half gallono fmilk. 14 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584 https://ondemand.sans.org/b20080814/viewer.php?mode=2lo=7652moduleid=530 7pos=0hint=1#viewer Properly configured firewalls and border routers are the cornerstone for perimeter security The Internet and mobility increase security risks VPNs have exposed a destructive, pernicious entry point for viruses and worms in many organizations Traditional packet-filtering firewalls only block network ports and computer addresses Most modern attacks occur at the application layer 15 CSN11111 Perimeter Network Security System 10800584

absolutism in europe Essay -- essays research papers

Absolutism affected the power + status of the European nobility depending on the country in which they lived. In England the power of the nobility increases due to a victory in the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution of 1658. However, in France, Louis XIV ¡Ã‚ ¯s absolutist regime decreased the powers of the noble but heightened their material status. In Russia and in Prussia, the absolutist leaders of those countries modernized their nations + the nobility underwent a change, but it retained prestige + power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Charles I considered himself to be an absolute monarch in England in the 1630 ¡Ã‚ ¯s. A large portion of the parliament dislikes him because they wanted more of a say on the government and because the Protestant of the group disagreed with his Catholicism and ruling of the Anglican Church. The English Civil War crushed, + the parliament won, however, through Cromwell ¡Ã‚ ¯s Protectorate and the return of the Stuarts, Charles II and James II, it was not until 1688 that the Glorious Revolution placed William + Mary of Orange on the throne. They signed a Bill of Rights, which gave Parliament more power, and this gave the nobles a greater influence + responsibility in the government. It also stated that new tax could not be passed w/o parliamentary consent, another example of their increased power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However in France, the absolutist regime of Louis XIV took power away from the nobles. Although the nobles were exempt ...

Enabling Learning and Assessment

Two of the assessment activities that I use are Worksheets (or written questions) and photographic evidence. These assessment activities are the most commonly found within my level 1 group. Worksheets within my area are a very versatile way of collecting information from the student, they can contain short answer questions, multiple choice questions etc. Worksheets are extremely valid because they are usually created by the awarding body of that qualification or by the teachers who have read through what the learners need to achieve. Because it is a direct way of assessing, the learners will not â€Å"go off task† as the worksheets are designed to be short, sharp ways of assessing that require the learner to answer two or three questions about a particular criteria. Ideally, the learner should be assessed on different occasions, and by different people on each criteria, so that this assessment becomes more reliable. Once the learner has answered these questions to show their understanding, and have had the criteria explained to them, they would have passed that one element within their criteria, therefore making it even more sufficient, fair and reliable. Worksheets are very easy to differentiate depending on the level of learners/ course/ certain individuals. If you have someone in your class who is dyslexic then you can differentiate a worksheet into more picture based learning where possible and also if you have someone who excels in lessons you can differentiate the worksheets to enable more information from the learner. The fact that this can be done so easily makes it fair. A question of authenticity can be raised with worksheets because answers can be very easily duplicated within the classroom, however, it is up to the teacher to recognise that this is happening and stop it. In my experience of using worksheets I have found that it is a very accessible way of teaching because if you need to add a question onto a worksheet, you just simply add it through Microsoft word. The learners enjoy worksheets a lot more than essays or assignments because it only requires them to focus for short periods of time, which means that they are not, distracted halfway through and can put 100% effort into that worksheet. Another positive for a worksheet is that it usually explains on it what the learner needs to do so the learner could arry on completing other worksheets if the rest of the class need more explanation for example. This could, however, be a bad thing in a higher level course as they may not include the correct amount of information within their writing, but for my level 1 course, and the worksheets that I create, I make sure that I have explained what the criteria is that the student needs to complete. For me, worksheets are one of the best ways of assessing students as they have many positives. Photographic evidence is a way of capturing evidence through photographs as opposed to writing, this way of assessing is good because it shows that the student can do what the criteria is asking and the proof is the photograph, for example in one of my lessons a criteria is to take part in a team activity, using photographic evidence shows the student in the moment and participating. This therefore shows both validity and reliability because a photo can cover a range of criteria not just one. However, there can be issues with photos reliability as it could easily be posed for, and would not be a genuine indication of the wok that is being completed. This work is very authentic because it cannot be used by anyone other than the student in the photo. This method is also very fair as there is little writing to be done on the photographic evidence sheet, the writing that the student needs to complete is just for added information that the student would like to add. This makes this process much fairer to students that have dyslexia, or any other form of learning difficulty that might affect their written work. In my own practice of using photographic evidence I found that the students enjoy it a lot more because there is less work for them to do, however making sure that everyone has a photo of them completing the criteria can sometimes be a negative. The other bad point to photographic evidence is that you may find yourself having to complete the session again as people may have been away for that session and not got themselves a photo. This can hinder your scheme of work etc. But I still feel that this is one of the best ways of gathering evidence, especially for the lower level groups as they not have the literacy levels to complete what the higher level groups will. Purpose of assessment For this part of the assignment I am going to describe and analyse summative assessment. Summative assessment can be described as: â€Å"†¦what students tend to focus on. It is the assessment, usually on completion of a course or module, which says whether or not you have â€Å"passed†. It is—or should be—undertaken with reference to all the objectives or outcomes of the course, and is usually fairly formal. (www. learningandteaching. info, 2010) Taking this approach makes the assessment very clear to the student, and not only confirms their overall mark, but also high lights what they have done well, and what they need to improve on; â€Å"Summative assessment is the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students at a point in time. † (www. qualityresearchinternational. com, 2010) Summative assessment also helps the assessor confirm that the student has an understanding of the topic, and has built upon their knowledge, as Wilson (2009) agrees; â€Å"Summative assessment is usually associated with tests and exams. It aids the assessment of learning and is quite formal. In summative assessment styles, a learner progresses through their qualification until the time comes that learning is complete and they are tested on their knowledge†. From my research I have found out that in most cases summative assessment is a test or exam at the end of a course to determine whether you have passed or failed what you have been studying. If you were to fail you would have to re-sit the exam or test. Students would normally get a period to revise for these tests to ensure that they pass. This is most definitely valid because it would be the awarding body that sets the exams. This form of summative assessment is also an extremely authentic and efficient way of assessing, as the room would be set up in exam conditions, with separate desks, no mobile phones or speaking so it’s guaranteed to be the individuals own work. There are some questions on the fairness of this though as everyone would get the same set of questions, written and presented in the same way without any kind of differentiation, so this may be unfair to those, for example, that struggle with reading, and is therefore putting that student at a disadvantage. However, those with learning difficulties who would have the greatest struggle with this form of assessment, often have Exam Access Arrangements, granting them with special permissions such as extra time, rest breaks, or a scribe. Also with regards to preparing, some students may have a computer at home that may help them to gain a greater advantage than those without this technology. Some people from other cultures may have some other things that are more important to them at home, for example, praying. Some of these people may also not speak English and that disadvantages them straight away. â€Å"Assessment is a socially embedded activity which can only be understood by taking account of the cultural, economic and political contexts within which it operates† (Stobart, 2005) Within my area however, it is not a pass or fail exam which is the summative assessment. The summative assessment in my area is completed in a much smaller scale throughout the year in the form of portfolio evidence. The course that I teach is a yearlong course for level 1 students wanting to be in the public services (police, royal marines etc). The entire course consists of 7 units which range from map reading to team building and physical fitness. The evidence that we use in these portfolios is also varied including witness statements, photographic evidence and short answer questions on worksheets. Due to the varied methods of evidence collection it is difficult to individualise each one for validity and reliability etc. But generally because there is that varied style the students always look forward to the theory side of the sessions. As I make the worksheets for this course, I know that they are reliable, valid, fair and current because I have differentiated almost all of them for higher level learners and lower level. I know what the awarding body is looking for in terms of work so have structured the worksheets around that. My only concern for this type of assessment is authenticity, as it would be easy to replicate a friend’s answer without understanding it yourself. We summative assess like this because it is an NCFE qualification that is determined and assessed on a completed portfolio of evidence rather than an exam at the end of the year. This is useful for us as teachers, and a less stressful experience for our learners, because if a learner does not understand then we can explain it in different ways until they do, so they keep getting to try and try again, rather than try once and they’ve passed or failed. This also helps us target their areas of concern, and we can therefore plan accordingly. Reflection The biggest single source of feedback is from the learner themselves: from their internalised judgements† (www. psy-gla. ac. uk, 2010) The above comment is very true in the case of one of my students, he was his biggest critic, he was home schooled and really didn’t like the idea of education as a whole never mind being told what to do, this same student also has been diagnosed with aspergers and ADHD. The first day he came into college he was on extension studies and I was his support worker at the time. Trying to get him to do any work was near to impossible. He had a real problem with authority and lacked the confidence to ask for help from either myself or the teacher. During my time with this student I soon realised that he would use conversation as a way of distracting himself from learning. I adopted a strategy that allowed him to talk and get his work done at the same time, this was after I had a 1:1 with him and discussed to him that he was only making his college life difficult for himself and he would get much more done if he listened to the staff and then, once his work is complete, he can talk to me about other things. I then moved to the sports and public services department, to find that this particular student had in filled to one of my lessons that I would be teaching. Without a support worker I thought that this student would struggle with the content within the class as he wasn’t used to working without a supportive voice, giving him feedback where it counted. I kept him behind the first session and asked how I could improve to help his learning, and he gave me some ideas which I used the next session, such as short hands on activities to break up the sessions, and his general behaviour and attitude flourished. I also had a system in place that we set up together, if he was struggling with a piece of work he would put his pen down and fold his arms, which gave me the signal to come over and assist him. A year after that, this student enrolled on the course that he was infilling last year (where he is now). And with regular tutorials and setting up of SMART targets for him, for example â€Å"show up to lessons with the correct equipment on time and if you are going to be late phone up in advance and let us know†, he is one of the high achievers in the class and will be moving on next year to a level 2 course. So had it not been for feedback with this individual I don’t feel that he would have made it within the education system but due to good sources of feedback around the college he is now achieving a lot higher than he would have hoped and that I would have expected when he first came to college. (ecologyofeducation. net) Feedback has helped me develop as a teacher in many ways, the first micro each of the PTLLS course gave me great confidence and enthusiasm towards being a teacher as my general peer and tutor feedback was extremely positive and not much went wrong. I have also had some constructive feedback throughout my observations from both Barbara Roche, Rob Gray and the students in my class that have given me some great ideas for the future, such as keeping motivation high by switching tasks quickly so that people do not find the lesson boring. Keeping tasks into bite size pieces to not confuse the learner. I have received feedback from my manager on my lessons after an observation and the feedback was to be more academic within the classroom and try to understand the difference between being too friendly towards students and not achieving the respect that a teacher needs. Due to this feedback I made sure that I was still friendly towards the students but not too friendly and within a few weeks I had the respect and rapport that I expected. Feedback has helped me reflect more as it’s a great tool to use, I give positive feedback to myself and, as long as I’m honest, constructive feedback too. As seen above reflection enters Kolbs feedback cycle just after the concrete experience and just before the abstract conceptualisation, where one would discover what learning actually took place. Overall, without feedback there would be no active learning, students wouldn’t know how well they had done, teachers wouldn’t know if they are doing their job correctly. You understand and gain confidence or know where to improve because of the feedback you get, whether this is in a one to one basis with a manager or work colleague, or in a classroom full of students.

Matilda Analysis †Belonging Essay

Despite an individual’s desire to belong to a group or community, this is not always possible. More than anything else, belonging is about finding a sense of place in the world. Belonging Matilda has a sense of belonging when with her school peers/friends and when she is with Miss Honey. When at the school and with the children, she smiled, and loved the environment/setting. When with Miss Honey, Matilda smiled and laughed. She felt had a connection with Miss honey. She had a sense of belonging when at the forest and also at the library. She had inner peace and felt happy there reading books in the silence. Not belonging She did not belong in the family, even when the father first saw her. He just made a face and walked away. The family felt there was something wrong with her. The family hated books and television, while she loved reading books. The family uses her like a tool. â€Å"Who would be there to sign the packages†. Father forces her to stop reading and to watch TV. Cynically, the father says â€Å"you’re not going to be calling us for support payments†, rather than saying good bye. Her sense of exclusion is presented in the relationship between her parents and family. film techniques Techniques Example + effect Lighting + contrast In the scene, after Matilda is dragged away from her father after asking for a book, she walks to the staircase and is clouded by darkness, while the rest of the family is lighted up. This places emphasis on how Matilda is not made to feel welcome in the family. After the consequent emotional bullying by the family, she runs to her room. She is in the presence of the light, but outside of that circle, it is all dark. This emphasizes that she feels isolated and unhappy about this place. When Matilda is sitting in Ms Honeys lap, she is surrounded and in sunshine. This, in contrast to the darkness surrounding her at the beginning of the film emphasizes she found a place to belong. It brings justice to the reader, knowing that, she will have a good future. Music At the beginning, when matilda is standing at the stairs, ponding on her family’s first treatment of her, sad and somber music is used to set the atmosphere. This makes the audience feel for her. At the scene where Matilda is setting off to the library, Diagetic sounds of the city, her foot , the trucks along with the happy, exciting music is playing. The audience knows that matilda is going on a happy trip and will have a good time. At the ending of the film, after Matildas family signed the papers and left, optimistic and joyful music is played with the montage of matilda’s happy life. The audience knows that in the future Matilda will forever be happy. Dialogue â€Å"Matilda was left alone and that was how she liked it†. It has a hopeful tone. It gives the audience a sigh of relief that she would have some relief from the neglectful family. Emphasizes that she never belonged with those people at all. At some time within the orientation, Matilda’s father argues with her, saying, â€Å"Listen you little wise-ache! I’m smart you’re dumb! And I’m big and you’re little! I’m right you’re wrong! And there’s nothing you can do about it! † Emphasizes that the father does not care for her and reinforces her alienation. Her father treats her as though he does not have a single feeling for her, creating the idea that she does not belong. During when the family was watching television, Matilda’s father asks her, â€Å"Are you in this family†¦? Hello? I said are you in this family? † The dialogue causes the audience to feel sympathy towards Matilda and hatred towards her family, thus conveying that Matilda does not belong in the family and will not feel a sense of belonging unless she leaves the family. Camera shots At many scenes where the father is intimidating or arguing with Matilda. At the beginning of the film, when Matilda is reading books on the floor, her father walks in and a low mid shot is utilized with the father filling up most of the screen. This gives the effect that the father is treating her badly, thus makes the audience feel empathy for her. This conveys that Matilda does not belong in the family. At the scenes where Matilda is bonding with Miss honey, e. g. when they are walking at the garden, a medium eye level shot is utilized revealing their emotions. Matilda smiles with not a worry on her mind, emphasizing that she feels a sense of belonging and place when with Miss Honey.

How to Write a Professional Email - Proofread My Paper

How to Write a Professional Email - Proofread My Paper How to Write a Professional Email Not that long ago, in the days of pen and paper, sending a written message across the world was a long and expensive process. Nowadays, all we need to do is knock out a quick email, click the â€Å"send† button and congratulate ourselves on a job well done. But do we take this marvel of modern technology for granted? The ease of sending an email makes it easy to not put much thought into its composition, which can lead to your message being misunderstood. In a professional context, this simply isn’t good enough. As such, to make sure you can communicate clearly via email, try following these handy tips. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Subject Line The subject line of your email should be specific enough for the recipient to know what your message is about. For example, if you’re sending a CV, you could make the subject line â€Å"[Your name] CV.† Likewise, if you’re writing to ask a question, you could use the question as the subject line. By comparison, just writing â€Å"IMPORTANT!!! PLEASE READ NOW!!!† isn’t very helpful. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Salutation In a formal email, the salutation will usually be: â€Å"Dear [name of recipient].† Unless you know the recipient well, you should either use their full name or their preferred title (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., etc.). If you don’t know the recipient’s name or gender, use their job title (e.g., â€Å"Dear Recruiter,†) or â€Å"Dear Sir/Madam.† 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Main Body of Your Email The main text of your email should be clear, concise and polite: In the opening lines, identify yourself and your reason for emailing. You may also want to offer a pleasantry to lead on to your main message (e.g., â€Å"I found your article really helpful and would like to ask†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Keep things brief by limiting your email to one or two significant points. If you try to pack too much into a single message, the recipient is more likely to overlook something. Consider how your email will be read, including how it will be understood and its tone. Saying â€Å"please† and â€Å"thank you† can definitely help. In formal emails, avoid slang, internet abbreviations (e.g., LOL, IMHO, etc.) and emoji. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign Off and Signature The appropriate sign off will depend on how familiar you are with the recipient. If it’s a formal email, like a cover letter, something like â€Å"Yours sincerely† or â€Å"Yours respectfully† should work. On less formal occasions, â€Å"Kind regards† and â€Å"Best wishes† are acceptable alternatives. Your signature is your name plus any additional details you want to include afterwards, such as your job title, company name or a link to your website. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Proofread It! Finally, don’t forget to proofread your message for clarity before sending; if you need to make doubly sure your email is perfect, get in touch with the professionals!

Free Essays on The Person I Am Today

, to create a more meaningful life. I’ve slowly started to realize what I want in life and who I am now in contrast to the person I was before. It’s incredible to realize how much people (in this case, me) could change over a short period of time. The author of the book Creativity, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, went over many important points about creating a meaningful life that I will be covering in the next passages. The author talked about the flow of creativity, multiple intelligence, the macro and microenvironments, the systems model, and the 10 paradoxical traits; all are very important in the creative process, according to the Csikszentmihalyi. Today, I am a whole new person with a brand new mind. I have got goals and a sense of directions. I know what I want and I am doing what I can to get there. I tend to be more practical now than I was before about life. For example this was what I did most of the time: daydream about becoming a doctor to get status from my friends and family members even though I know for sure that I wouldn’t like the job. Now that brings us to what Csikszentmihalyi says about creativity as autotelic experience, which means to do something with enjoyment rather than for status or for money wise. In order to have enjoyment, there must be a sense of flow in the creative process. Csikszentmihalyi talked about the nine process of flow: it is simply base on how to put everything else aside to just focus on the project itself that one could easily lose track of time. I remember one time I was totally into rearranging my room that I lost track of time, not knowing that I’ve spent over hours to make my... Free Essays on The Person I Am Today Free Essays on The Person I Am Today The Person I am Today The reason why I chose to be in this class is simply because I want to enhance my life by making it more meaningful. So far in this class, I’ve learned to value many aspects of life and beliefs. This class truly intrigues me to think about life and ways to enrich it; in other words, to create a more meaningful life. I’ve slowly started to realize what I want in life and who I am now in contrast to the person I was before. It’s incredible to realize how much people (in this case, me) could change over a short period of time. The author of the book Creativity, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, went over many important points about creating a meaningful life that I will be covering in the next passages. The author talked about the flow of creativity, multiple intelligence, the macro and microenvironments, the systems model, and the 10 paradoxical traits; all are very important in the creative process, according to the Csikszentmihalyi. Today, I am a whole new person with a brand new mind. I have got goals and a sense of directions. I know what I want and I am doing what I can to get there. I tend to be more practical now than I was before about life. For example this was what I did most of the time: daydream about becoming a doctor to get status from my friends and family members even though I know for sure that I wouldn’t like the job. Now that brings us to what Csikszentmihalyi says about creativity as autotelic experience, which means to do something with enjoyment rather than for status or for money wise. In order to have enjoyment, there must be a sense of flow in the creative process. Csikszentmihalyi talked about the nine process of flow: it is simply base on how to put everything else aside to just focus on the project itself that one could easily lose track of time. I remember one time I was totally into rearranging my room that I lost track of time, not knowing that I’ve spent over hours to make my...

The Battle of Kettle Creek in the Revolutionary War

The Battle of Kettle Creek in the Revolutionary War The Battle of Kettle Creek was fought February 14, 1779, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). In 1778, the new British commander in North America, General Sir Henry Clinton, elected to abandon Philadelphia and concentrate his forces in New York City. This reflected a desire to protect this key base following the Treaty of Alliance between the Continental Congress and France. Emerging from Valley Forge, General George Washington pursued Clinton into New Jersey. Clashing at Monmouth on June 28, the British elected to break off the fighting and continue their retreat north. As British forces established themselves in New York City, the war in the north settled into a stalemate. Believing support for the British cause to be stronger in the south, Clinton began making preparations to campaign in strength in this region. Armies Commanders Americans Colonel Andrew PickensColonel John DoolyLieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke300-350 militia British Colonel John BoydMajor William Spurgen600 to 800 militia Background Since the British repulse at Sullivans Island near Charleston, SC in 1776, little significant fighting had occurred in the South. In the fall of 1778, Clinton directed forces to move against Savannah, GA. Attacking on December 29, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell succeeded in overwhelming the citys defenders. Brigadier General Augustine Prevost arrived the following month with reinforcements and assumed command in Savannah. Seeking to expand British control into the interior of Georgia, he directed Campbell to take around 1,000 men to secure Augusta. Departing on January 24, they were opposed by Patriot militia led by Brigadier General Andrew Williamson. Unwilling to directly engage the British, Williamson limited his actions to skirmishing before Campbell reached his objective a week later. Lincoln Responds In an effort to bolster his numbers, Campbell commenced recruiting Loyalists to the British cause. To enhance these efforts, Colonel John Boyd, an Irishman who had lived in Raeburn Creek, SC, was ordered to raise Loyalists in the backcountry of the Carolinas. Gathering around 600 men in central South Carolina, Boyd turned south to return to Augusta. In Charleston, the American commander in the South, Major General Benjamin Lincoln, lacked the forces to contest Prevost and Campbells actions. This changed on January 30, when 1,100 North Carolina militia, led by Brigadier General John Ashe, arrived. This force quickly received orders to join Williamson for operations against Campbells troops at Augusta. Pickens Arrives Along the Savannah River near Augusta, a stalemate ensued as Colonel John Doolys Georgia militia held the north bank while Colonel Daniel McGirths Loyalist forces occupied the south. Joined by around 250 South Carolina militia under Colonel Andrew Pickens, Dooly agreed to begin offensive operations in Georgia with the former in overall command. Crossing the river on February 10, Pickens and Dooly attempted to strike a British camp southeast of Augusta. Arriving, they found that the occupants had departed. Mounting a pursuit, they cornered the enemy at Carrs Fort a short time later. As his men commenced a siege, Pickens received information that Boyds column was moving towards Augusta with 700 to 800 men. Anticipating that Boyd would attempt to cross the river near the mouth of the Broad River, Pickens assumed a strong position in this area. The Loyalist commander instead slipped north and, after being repulsed by Patriot forces at Cherokee Ford, moved another five miles upstream before finding a suitable crossing. Initially unaware of this, Pickens crossed back into to South Carolina before receiving word of Boyds movements. Returning to Georgia, he resumed his pursuit and overtook the Loyalists as they paused to camp near Kettle Creek. Approaching Boyds camp, Pickens deployed his men with Dooly leading the right, Doolys executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Elijah Clarke, commanding the left, and himself overseeing the center. Boyd Beaten In devising a plan for the battle, Pickens intended to strike with his men in the center while Dooly and Clarke swung wide to envelop the Loyalist camp. Pushing forward, Pickens advance guard violated orders and fired on the Loyalist sentries alerting Boyd to the impending attack. Rallying around 100 men, Boyd moved forward to a line of fencing and fallen trees. Frontally attacking this position, Pickens troops engaged in heavy fighting as Dooly and Clarkes commands were slowed by the swampy terrain on the Loyalist flanks. As the battle raged, Boyd fell mortally wounded and command devolved to Major William Spurgen. Though he tried to continue the fight, Dooly and Clarkes men began to appear from swamps. Under intense pressure, the Loyalist position began to collapse with Spurgens men retreating through the camp and across Kettle Creek. Aftermath In the fighting at the Battle of Kettle Creek, Pickens sustained 9 killed and 23 wounded while Loyalist losses numbered 40-70 killed and around 75 captured. Of Boyds recruits, 270 reached the British lines where they were formed into the North and South Carolina Royal Volunteers. Neither formation lasted long due to transfers and desertions. With the impending arrival of Ashes men, Campbell decided to abandon Augusta on February 12 and commenced his withdrawal two days later. The town would remain in Patriot hands until June 1780 when the British returned following their victory at the Siege of Charleston.

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Lab Report Example A small velocity means the car will stop at a shorter distance. Hence the distance will decrease. The ramp will be set up as in the previous lab experiment with the ramp raised 45 cm above the floor. The meter rule will be stacked at the center of the ramp with its zero mark placed at the bottom end of the ramp. An ultrasound reflector will be taped at the back of the model car. The mass of the car is then measured and recorded. A book of about 300g is placed at the 30cm mark from the bottom end of the ramp. The motion detector is fixed at the higher end of the ramp according to the setup in the lab manual. The motion detector is channeled to the computer interface through channel one. The computer is then set for data acquisition. The car is placed at the 80 cm mark on the meter rule. The car is released simultaneously with the sound from the detector. After the car hit the book the distance which the book moves is recorded. Repeat twice and find average of the distance the book moved. The whole procedure is repeated but now with a book of 600g. To confirm the results for question [9], we repeat the above procedure but now recording average velocity of the car weighing 500g. The procedure is repeated but with a car of mass 1000g. Again the average velocity of the car is recorded. These velocities are used to calculate the momentum of the car at the time of

Breaking loose from the Bondage of Racial Discrimination Slavery Essay

Breaking loose from the Bondage of Racial Discrimination Slavery - Essay Example The blacks were constantly arrested in the past; this case is still eminent nowadays lots of black people are in holding since they are considered violent. Minimal considerations have been made to handle this challenge. Theologically the blacks are viewed to be gang men yet the regime has not made efforts to prove why this case is so. The government only aims at removing them from the streets. It is common knowledge that most of the black people grow in a hostile environment. Securing favorable opportunities given these circumstances is a pressing issue hence many indulge in criminal activities. Moody was concerned with the concept of race. In her memoir, she explains of her two uncles who appeared white. The shift brought many challenges into her life. Moving to new places accrues many challenges particularly discrimination. The US is composed of various cultures and facts have it there is some level of hostility between these cultures. Eventually, violence breaks which result in loss of life and fundamentally opportunities are reduced. For instance the assassination of Martin Luther, who had a great vision for America, crippled his peace vision that resulted in chaos. Redemption for America was vital since it was a home and will forever be to this diverse people. While in high school her interests in politics were awakened, she tells the story of a young boy who was brutally murdered. In the memoir, her mother explains that the boy was killed by an evil spirit.

Collaborative Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Collaborative Learning - Essay Example Each individual within this Collaborative Learning regime is reliant on the tasks of the other people within the group and is accountable to everyone for his respective actions in entirety (Vincent 2007). These students work together in order to find out a common platform which has a meaningful, understandable and deep rendering solution for the problem that has thus arisen. The end product of learning is indeed the very product that is being tried to achieve, right from the very beginning. Collaborative Learning is somewhat in close comparison to what Cooperative Learning is all about. In fact there are a number of similarities between the two. Collaborative Learning includes writing in a collaborative fashion, completion of projects that are of a group nature as well as a host of similar activities. A Collaborative Learning community would most often vouch the presence of students within its folds bringing the much needed benefits all around. This is because such a community is dep endent on the activities of the students themselves (Goff 2003). There are also organizations that generally appreciate the presence of Collaborative Learning cultures within their entireties. This is because such organizations derive the best results out of such working domains. The team members work alongside each other and give their best shot. The Collaborative Learning mechanisms are deemed as successful as these build upon the premise of a positive change happening within the workplace realms. The organizations that usually support such initiatives are proactive in their approach and are generally very inclined towards the employees working alongside each other so that the strengths could be exponentially doubled and even tripled at times (Mitchell 2004). One must decipher the development basis of Collaborative Learning doing its best to inculcate feelings of team formation and eventual results in the aftermath of the completion phase of

Resume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Resume - Essay Example I have written a few lyrics myself from ideas that run in my mind and through observing the environment around me. I’m currently thinking of learning the piano as it is very interesting and good music can be made from it. One of the most significant challenges I had to face was when one night as I was reading for my exams the next day, a friend of mine came to me and cried for help as her parents fighting were fighting too much. I stopped reading first and consoled her. I then went to ask for my mother’s advice. My mother decided that my friend would spend the night at our house. This was after mother spoken to her parents. As a student, I learned that giving back to the community was an important thing. Through our study group, we organized cleaning of the environment at a local estate where we collected and burnt garbage. Another situation was when we went to children’s home at our town to donate clothes and food. I once donated blood for the Red Cross when they came to our school and the most memorable moment was when we went around villages teaching them about hygiene and health. I once witnessed discrimination taking place in our school. The drama club leader who was the one choosing 10 students out of 30 students for a trip seemed to base his choices on looks. The good-looking ones got all the positions. I responded by confronting him and going to report him to the principal. From here I learned that discrimination is a vice that should not be practiced. My established goal are, to pass my exams, to always aim for the highest, to succeed in life and be the best at what I do. Ways of accomplishing these goals include working hard in everything I do, giving all I got to everything that I do, having a positive attitude towards life and finally have a mentor. An example that demonstrates my work diligence is the creation of an environment that will support

Discussion forum 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion forum 1 and 2 - Essay Example We observe all factors related to development of health policies on the basis of nursing experiences through the present article According to WHO, â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific  health  care goals within a society† (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). This definition speaks a lot about the cumulative approach that health policy development ends up being. The development of health policy creates a vision for the forthcoming generations and establishes targets and reference points towards achieving the specific health goals in the society. In a way, having set norms in health policy helps keep health institutions catering to patients in an uniform manner. Executive agencies and health departments are instructed to publish the norms related to the use of different treatment and healthcare protocols all across the area. This brings in a direct impact on the kind of patient care imparted in different organizations. Awareness of the latest health policies and their practice is very important to ensure the growth of stability in society. The main focus on the use of payment tables which are important sections in the rule book and the medicare conditions of participation is very important and while health institutions, nursing and medicare personnel are aware of these policies, the common man reaps complete benefits only when he is aware of them too. As is observed in every society, health policies have a definite impact on the quality of care, staffing and payments in these institutions (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). The role of the nurse in policy making is very important today (Toofany, 2005, p.27). Nursing professionals are given complete freedom to register their recommendations to the government and policy making bodies. Nurses can easily make their recommendations and cases studies heard by contacting the elected representatives in their state and use technology to reach out to

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Law - Essay Example The ways in which a defendant may interfere with the interests of the claimant is either by affecting materially his land or affecting his use or enjoyment of land or the interference with the servitudes and similar rights over the land. The most important case in respect of material interference with property and interference with use or enjoyment and their distinction was St Helens Smelting Co. v. Tipping1 whereby the House of Lords that the surrounding circumstances were important but there were different provisions when the concern was in respect of material injury to the said property. There had been different reasons which had been attribute to such a reasoning a few included that greater protection was offered to the prior aspect of property than to enjoyment derived from the property or the ease of quantifying. The next issue that needs to be considered in respect of nuisance is material damage to property and whether the defendant is held liable for such material damage. The important aspect in respect of nuisance which relates to this question is that of interference with the use or enjoyment of land. It is important to mention that not every interference in respect of enjoyment of property is held to be actionable as can be seen in the judgment of Vice-Chancellor in Walter v. Selfe2 that the inconvenience must be ‘considered in fact as more than fanciful, more than one of mere delicacy or fastidiousness, as an inconvenience materially interfering with the ordinary comfort...of human existence, not merely according to elegant or dainty modes and habits of living, but according to plain and sober and simple notions among the English people’. Thus a balance must be struck with enjoyment of use of occupier and his neighbour (Halsey v. Esso Petroleum Co, Ltd.)3. The interference is dependent on reasonableness which in turn is dependent on a number factors that duration of the interference, sensitivity of the plaintiff, character of neighbourh ood and fault of the defendant. The first aspect is that of duration which should be appreciable. (Cunard v. Antifyre Ltd. where it was said to be substantial length of time)4 . However, in Harrison v. Southwark and Vauxhall Water Co.5 it was stated that something which would normally constitute to be nuisance would because of its temporary and useful nature be excused. As far as sensitivity is considered, the courts would not allow a claim for an abnormal sensitivity of the claimant or his property which makes a undisruptive activity to be harmful to the defendant. The next aspect is that of character of the neighbourhood which as stated in St Helens is not to be considered in respect of cases which deal with physical damage to property, however, it is applicable to cases where the interference is in respect of enjoyment or use. In Sturges v. Bridgman Thesiger LJ stated ‘Whether anything is a nuisance or not is a question to be determined, not merely by an abstract considerat ion of the thing itself, but in reference to its circumstances; what would be a nuisance in Belgrave Square would not necessarily be so in Bermondsey; and where a locality is devoted to a particular trade or manufacture carried on by the traders and manufacturers in a particular established manner not constituting a public nuisance. Judges and juries would be justified in finding, and may be trusted to find, that the trade or manufacture so carried on in that locality is not a private or actionable wrong.’

Discussion forum 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion forum 1 and 2 - Essay Example We observe all factors related to development of health policies on the basis of nursing experiences through the present article According to WHO, â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific  health  care goals within a society† (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). This definition speaks a lot about the cumulative approach that health policy development ends up being. The development of health policy creates a vision for the forthcoming generations and establishes targets and reference points towards achieving the specific health goals in the society. In a way, having set norms in health policy helps keep health institutions catering to patients in an uniform manner. Executive agencies and health departments are instructed to publish the norms related to the use of different treatment and healthcare protocols all across the area. This brings in a direct impact on the kind of patient care imparted in different organizations. Awareness of the latest health policies and their practice is very important to ensure the growth of stability in society. The main focus on the use of payment tables which are important sections in the rule book and the medicare conditions of participation is very important and while health institutions, nursing and medicare personnel are aware of these policies, the common man reaps complete benefits only when he is aware of them too. As is observed in every society, health policies have a definite impact on the quality of care, staffing and payments in these institutions (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). The role of the nurse in policy making is very important today (Toofany, 2005, p.27). Nursing professionals are given complete freedom to register their recommendations to the government and policy making bodies. Nurses can easily make their recommendations and cases studies heard by contacting the elected representatives in their state and use technology to reach out to

Mecitefendi in China Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mecitefendi in China - Literature review Example Mecitefendi wants to expand the business in China (Zahra, 2005). The reliability, standardised quality and price of the products can help the company to get an easy access to the markets of China. The internationalisation process can enable the company to be accepted globally. The company with the quality products, technological up-gradation, sound working conditions and effective fulfilment of the corporate social activities (CSR) can become a global leader. There are a number of opportunities for the company in terms of ethics, but language barrier can act as an obstacle in starting the business in China. The literature review in a detailed manner explains the opportunities and hazards that the company might face on extending business in China. International Entrepreneurship can enable the company to take advantage of the growing market of China. As the scope for herbal cosmetic products has declined significantly in the domestic market, it would be fruitful for the company to sell the products in China, where the demand is high (Zahra, 2005). The company can experience vast opportunities in China (Dumitrescu and Vinerean, 2010). The Turkish company might face certain setbacks in terms of entry barriers while expanding business in China (Yiu, Lau and Bruton, 2007). China follows very stringent trade rules and regulations. Hence, being a foreign based company, Mecitefendi might fail to easily enter in the Chinese herbal cosmetic products industry. The low cost of the products, reliability and the already high rate of import in China might facilitate easy entrance therein and in the industry (Zahra and Garvis, 2000). Then again, the Chinese industry of herbal drugs is rapidly progressing, unlike that of the cosmetic. Therefo re, in order to boost this industry, Mecitefendi might have a suitable opportunity (Zahra, Korri and Yu, 2005). The products offered by Mecitefendi are priced reasonably and boast of a standardised quality. These are the unique

Theories of Communicatiion in Health and Social Care

Theories of Communicatiion in Health and Social Care Introduction In the context of health and social care settings, it is very important to have good communication between service users and staff (Gambrill, 2012). As Hepworth et al. (2010) comment, it is vital that care staff develop good communication skills so that they have effective communication with service users and can explain treatment needs to the latter. In addition, care staff must learn professional communication techniques (and know how to apply them) to create a better health care environment (Cournoyer, 2013). There are many different forms of communication, including, for instance, verbal and non-verbal forms. There are also many approaches through which good communication relationships can be fostered (or hampered) and it is imperative, therefore, that care staff learn from best practice so as to ensure that they maximise the potential for the development of a meaningful relationship (Reeves et al., 2011). Good communication and interpersonal skills are, quite simply, essential t o the practice of effective health and social care (Greenhalgh, 2008). Such skills are not merely limited to day-to-day communications with clients. In communicating with others, the practitioner needs to be able to use a variety of strategies to ensure that professional practice meets health and social care needs and facilitates a positive working relationship. Indeed, as Reeves et al. (2010) suggest, there are different approaches for communication and it is imperative that the individual practitioner tailors his or her use of these to the individual needs of the individual patient. Accordingly, expertise, or at least a sound working knowledge of all of the following approaches – humanistic, behavioural, cognitive, psychoanalytical and social (to name but five) – is vital. These theories are, as alluded to, applicable to developing certain techniques in the sector of health and social care. For example, as Gitterman and Germain (2013) comment, humanistic theory is applicable in situations where people are involved in aspects of self-actu alisation, self-conception, self-esteem, honour, and dignity. This approach reflects on the perspective that every human being has the potential to be good, to enjoy life, to contribute positively, and to be a loving and lovable member of society. Thus, as Healy (2014) suggests, this is an approach that aims to maximise critical thinking and analytical optimism. In the health and social care sector, service providers such as doctors, nurses, home care managers, and social workers are, as Ife (2012) contends, offered appropriate training in order to care for service users in the most humanistic manner by implementing or practising modes of communication relevant to the appropriate situation and/or individuals. Theoretical foundations Social theory, as Howe (2009) explains, is the use of theoretical frameworks to study and interpret social phenomena within a particular school of thought. It is an essential tool used by social scientists, and the theory relates to historical debates over the most valid and reliable methodologies that should be used in the analysis and evaluation of needs and how such analysis can be transformed into ‘real-life’ action (Parrott and Madoc-Jones, 2009). Certain social theories attempt to remain strictly scientific, descriptive, or objective, whereas, as Healy (2014) postulates, conflict theories present ostensibly normative positions, and often critique the ideological aspects inherent in conventional, traditional thought. It is important to recognise the differences between such models so as to ensure that the right model is used with the right service user to maximise an understanding of their care needs. At all times, the needs of the client must come first (Hughes, Ba mford and May, 2008). In commenting further upon the individual theories it should be noted that, as Weitz (2009) remarks, cognitive theory is a theory which is recognised to be implemented instantly. Social cognition is, therefore, the encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing of data in the brain (Parrott and Madoc-Jones, 2008). Widely used across psychology and cognitive neuroscience, it is particularly useful when assessing various social abilities and how these can be disrupted by persons suffering from autism and other disorders. Thus, it is clear that the utilisation of this theory in treatment assessment should be tailored to those individual patients who exhibit the systems of the neurological problems noted – and not just used as a ‘catch all’ for all patients (Miles and Mezzich, 2011). It is the requirement of all care settings to accept, follow and implement effective strategies to provide the right source of communication to all the staff, service users and visitors (Krauss and Fussell, 2014). The appropriate and applicable training on verbal techniques must be given to care staff and other professionals. Furthermore, all employees should be made aware of new developments and techniques through further training and educational courses during the course of their employment. This level of career professional development is important because, as Zarconi, Pethtel and Missimi (2008) comment, it is vital to modernise employees’ knowledge and skills to help them to deal with the demands of changing communication and technology, as well as the changing aspirations and demands of clients. For the betterment of any care settings, research always plays a vital role (Bourgeault, Dingwall and de Vries, 2010). There is a number of techniques that have been followed and brought into daily-use in a health care context. These are now considered to be everyday techniques, but when they were introduced they were ground breaking and radical – which shows how keeping abreast of new developments and integrating new techniques into daily working patterns can result in longer term benefits, not just for individual benefits but also the wider profession as a whole (Greenhalgh, 2008). Some of those techniques include the special needs of communication for those with autism, dementia and all of those who have sensual impairment, and it is to such issues that this assignment now turns. The application of relevant theories of communication to health and social care contexts Any health and social care department consists of different types of service users. As a care provider, it is imperative that professionals implement several types of communication techniques through knowledge, experience and skills, as advised by Krauss and Fussell (2014). In accordance with the views proffered by Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum (2011), who have advanced the cause of using multitudinous approaches to communication, the role of positivism can be seen as critically important. Indeed, many theorists such as Carl Roger, Abraham Maslow, and B.F Skinner, have made life-time studies of how this approach can be beneficial to patient care (Weitz, 2009). In a similar manner, through an evaluation of characteristics based on a humanistic behavioural analysis of actions, people can also be monitored and their health care provision improved, as noted by Burks and Kobus (2012), by treating all people with respect through being gentle and kind. This helps to build mutually benefici al relationships between patient and carer and between different health care professionals. To recognise and understand the behaviour of separate individuals, and to understand how care provision needs to be tailored to meet their individual needs and circumstances, a range of case studies was undertaken by the author. In so doing, cognitive behaviour theory was applied; a summary of the individuals assessed and how their treatment needs were developed is given below. So as to ensure that this assignment conforms to best practice with regards to ethical research, the names of all people have been changed so that there are no personal identifiers. As a consequence, this section of the research not only complies fully with the ethical research protocols of the university but also those advanced by Bourgeault, Dingwall and de Vries (2010). Case Studies Case Study One Estrella is a lady of about 65 years of age. She has been diagnosed with dementia and has lived with this condition for a number of years. She is physically very fit and enjoys walking, making a habit of walking every afternoon after a siesta. Estrella was interviewed at home. The following is a transcription of the interview that took place. It is useful in research to take a transcription because as Speziale, Streubert and Carpenter (2011) contend, it enables the researcher to check facts and return to the data whilst they are analysing and interpreting it. â€Å"Hello Estrella. May I come in please?† I asked. â€Å"Yes, dear, you can come in.† The beaming smile from Estrella suggested that as soon as she saw me she felt happy and she was very welcoming. She showed me into the lounge room and I then asked her â€Å"How was your siesta, Estrella? Did you have a good sleep?† She replied, â€Å"Yes, dear, but I had a weird dream.† Concerned, I questioned, â€Å"What kind of weird dream did you have, Estrella?† â€Å"I just forgot it, dear!† she replied. I asked Estrella kindly and politely if she would like me to help her get changed before she embarked upon her walk. â€Å"Yes, dear, otherwise we will stay here forever,† she answered, whilst looking at me with a sweet smile. In the above situation, as a care worker, I applied humanistic theory. This is shown by my engaging with Estrella in a manner that nourished individual respect. The benefits of this approach are clearly evident through the polite and efficient conversation that took place. The needs of Estrella were quickly identified and, accordingly, a high level of care was delivered. Case Study Two Norah is a 75-year old widow. She has been diagnosed with dementia. If she is awake she tends to stay in her bedroom and, as soon as she is awake, she asks for her breakfast to be brought into her room. From the reading of case notes, which is, as Beresford, Croft and Adshead (2008) suggest, a useful way to gain prior information on a new client, I realised that Norah preferred having her breakfast in her bed and that her breakfast must be warm: neither hot nor cold. I also realised that she likes to have a glass of milk with her breakfast and that she appreciates having the curtains opened so that she can enjoy the outside view. Having already let myself into Norah’s house on the morning of the interview, I asked her, â€Å"May I come in, Norah?†, and explained that I had brought her breakfast in the manner that she likes. She replied, â€Å"Oh, thank you, pet; thats very kind of you. I didnt have to ask for it and you already brought it And it is just the way I like it.† Having deposited the tray on her lap, I opened the curtains. Norah smiled and said, â€Å"Thank you very much, pet.† Once she had finished her breakfast, I took away the tray and let myself out. In this case study it can be seen that, in accordance with the approach advanced by Greenhalgh (2008), cognitive behaviour theory was applied. Norah’s needs were recognised before she had given voice to them. Therefore, in my role as carer, I applied my knowledge and precipitated her needs. Case Study Three Aelfric, a former steelworker, is 78 years old, and has been diagnosed with dementia. He is a very shy patient and finds it very difficult to socialise with other service users. Indeed, such is his shyness that he prefers to stay in his room most of the time, as Aelfric feels that no one likes his company. This, he has suggested, in reflecting upon himself, may be due to his attitude, behaviour and language. Mindful of this plethora of problems, I decided to integrate Aelfric in a bingo day with the rest of the service users once a week. â€Å"Good morning, Aelfric! How was your day?† I asked. He rarely answered, and on this occasion he did not. â€Å"I have good news for you today; have you ever played bingo before?† I queried. Finally Aelfric answered, â€Å"Well, I used to, but am I not the right age to play that kind of game.† I responded, â€Å"Oh! That is wonderful, because I have booked a day out for you to play bingo with the rest of the patients and you are coming as well.† At the beginning, Aelfric did not like the idea of going and being part of the team. As a result, at the start of the bingo session he did not participate and just sat in the corner. However, he later participated and even won a game. As the weeks passed, Aelfric never wanted to miss a week, and began making friends as well. In the case of Aelfric, social theory was applied in accordance with the recommendations advanced by Healy (2014). By the end of several months, Aelfric had become positively friendly with me, which shows how analysing a person using this theory can be beneficial to treatment needs. Case Study Four Minka is a 30-year old lady with learning difficulties and limited speech skills. In the middle of a normal shift, whilst a colleague and I were bathing her, she suddenly started screaming and crying. We did not know what we had done wrong, so I asked her politely, â€Å"What have we done wrong?† Minka seemed to be expressing that the shampoo we had used on her was not nice, and that it smelled bad, and that it had gone into her eyes. Conscious of the discomfort we had caused Minka, I apologised and asked her, â€Å"What shampoo would you like me to use?† Minka pointed to the other shampoo. This shampoo was then applied to her scalp and, as a result, she stopped screaming and let us do our job. When we had finished washing her hair, Minka indicated that she was very happy and asked us to smell her hair. In this case my colleague and I had applied psychoanalytic theory in accordance with the approaches advanced by Weitz (2009). We understood Minka’s needs better as a consequence of so doing. Communication skills in health and social care contexts The Department of Health has, as Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum (2011) note, been updating all kinds of communication techniques in order to achieve the aims and objectives of the health care sector. Many new technologies have been gradually implemented with the aim of ensuring that the service operates in a professional and effective manner. With regards to the contribution to service users, professionals and staff have been introduced to the latest technologies and have adopted them into their daily working lives in order to ensure that they are following best practice (Sarangi, 2010). This has been achieved through, for instance, the attendance of relevant training sessions and courses which are specifically tailored to update knowledge and skills. As Miles and Mezzich (2011) further observe in commenting more generally upon such improvements to health care, modern equipment and communication aids are being used to monitor the effectiveness of care service provision. It is within this arena that it is vital that professionals use verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to deal with service users and colleagues. It is good practice in the health service to ensure that there is an effective handover between professionals and generally, as Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum (2011) advise, there is a hand-over during each shift. A hand-over is essential for it updates carers on the progress of service users. A hand-over normally reviews the service user’s health and emotional condition and usually the nurse in charge of the morning shift discusses with the afternoon staff the progress of a client. Training is mandatory in the National Health Service. There are many types of training and staff are encouraged to attend training opportunities as it benefits the health sector and ultimately provides a better service to the clients (Zarconi, Pethtel and Missimi, 2008). Through using such techniques, best practice is filtered down between colleagues which helps raise the overall level of professionalism within the service. An analysis of strategies to support users of health and social care services with specific communication needs In order to allow service users to be fully involved in the decisions made that relate to their individual health care, it follows that effective communication must be used to enable the service users to understand what is proposed for them (Gitterman and Germain, 2013). In order to achieve this aim, and given the comments previously made within this assignment, it is imperative that the health and social care sector develops a range of strategies to meet this need. Every care setting is, as Krauss and Fussell (2014) confirm, required to adopt and implement the strategy of providing the right and proper sources of effective communication to staff. Through the use of verbal and non-verbal techniques, all care professionals and staff are made aware of this and they are also provided with training related to verbal and non-verbal techniques. There are different techniques to support vulnerable people in the health sector, such as reading lenses and voice recognition systems, and Braille . In addition, as Gitterman and Germain (2013) observe, the Picture Exchange Communication System is used as an aid for individuals who suffer from autism. This is an effective system that has now become, as Healy (2014) comments, part of mainstream treatment. An overview of how communication processes are influenced by values and cultural factors As a national health service, the NHS works with a divergent set of people across the nation as a whole. Reflecting upon modern day multicultural Britain, the NHS accordingly needs to be aware of an array of different cultures and sub-cultures within the UK (Greenhalgh, 2008). In addition, the NHS and wider social and health care sectors must be aware of cultural differences, religious tolerance, and language barriers. According to Sarangi (2010), and in line with the values of a tolerant society, everybody should be treated with respect and in accordance with their cultural and ethnic values. Care workers must, therefore, keep in mind cultural, religious, and linguistic differences so as to ensure, as Reamer (2013) notes, that service users do not feel that they have been treated in a way that is disrespectful, for it might lead to the creation of feelings of disappointment and shame. Such emotions would be counter-productive to the establishment of a professional and meaningful cli ent-professional working relationship. For example, a Muslim client may request a halal meal and the hospital or care facility should provide one so that it operates in a manner that is respectful of the needs of the client. Indeed, ensuring that such values are central to patient care may help patient recovery and will further show the patient that his or her individual needs are valued by the service. Whilst, within a British context, English is the main language, there are vast swathes of the population who do not speak the language, do not understand the language, or have no knowledge of the language (Beresford, Croft and Adshead, 2008). Thus, it is essential for the wellbeing of all citizens that English is not the only language in which heath care provision and needs are discussed. There have been major moves forward in this regard over the last thirty years throughout British society, with an increasing number of publications of an official nature being available in different languages. Thus, even the cultural sensitivities of the Welsh and Scottish are now addressed with regard to the publication of information. With reference to health care, service users who either do not speak English or have very little knowledge of it, may find communicating their health care needs difficult, as Beresford, Croft and Adshead (2008) assert. In order to treat such people with respect and d ignity, the health service must continue to act in a proactive way and employ translators so that those who do not speak the language can still have their health needs assessed. This is, Weitz (2009) notes, an arena of increasing importance within the UK as the country becomes evermore multicultural. The Department of Health ensures that when information is provided to clients and service users, leaflets are distributed in different languages. Such provision needs to be expanded so that all who use the NHS feel valued – regardless of the language in which they choose to communicate. Indeed, it has been suggested by Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum (2011) that all hospitals and surgeries should have a range of translators on call at all times; it is evident that were this provision to be widened to every care home and local authority responsible for the wider social needs of patients, further progress would be made. If such services are not provided, those who do not communicate in English may feel like second-class citizens and this would have a drastic impact on the extent to which the health sector could build a meaningful relationship with such clients; ineffective communication would lead to poor quality services. Policies and procedures are implemented so that different religious and cultural backgrounds, along with differences in socio-economic status, are not reacted to in a negative manner within a health and social care setting. The latter of these, socio-economic status, can often be overlooked but needs to be considered so that no member of the public feels discriminated against in the service that they receive (Weitz, 2009). Existing legislation provides fundamental guidance as to how health and care operatives should work and it is clear, from that legislation, as Ife (2012) notes, that issues of intolerance have no place in modern day social and health care. The same also applies to issues of sexual orientation – the ‘respect’ agenda is, therefore, an important component of daily life in social and health care settings. Existing legislation allows all people to have the right to be offered the facilities that they need to ensure that their health and well-being is maximised by the state and, within an increasingly multicultural society, techniques and strategies of communication have been successfully established to enable all to access the services that they need (Healy, 2014). Complacency is not, however, an option for the service; needs continue to develop on a daily basis and it is imperative therefore that the service as a whole, as well as staff on an individual basis, reflect critically upon their own actions to ensure that they work in a non-discriminatory manner (Burks and Kobus, 2012). How legislation, charters and codes of practice impact on the communication process in health and social care Good practice with regards to communication in the work place is achieved through the adoption of various techniques and methods. As Ife (2012) opines, the Data Protection Act is an important piece of legislation in the workplace and it ensures that personal data is secured and accessed in a controlled and responsible manner. Health care records are, by definition, very personal and many patients have concerns as to how such data is stored. By enforcing rigorous protocols and ensuring, through ongoing training and assessment, that all staff understand the importance of best practice in data protection, such fears can be allayed. It is also worthy of note that clients may also now seek copies of all data held about them. Accordingly, it is vital, as Reamer (2013) maintains, that data recorded about individual patients is always done in a mature and professional manner so as to ensure that no offence is caused. Further, the information contained within such records cannot be disclosed to a third party without the consent of the service user. The Data Protection Act can be seen, therefore, to promote good practice and, as such, helps to ensure that the health sector runs smoothly. Treating somebody as humanely as possible is therefore a fundamental aspect of health and social care and, if privacy and dignity are respected, it follows that the protection of human rights is also achieved (Ife, 2012). Allied to this are issues that relate to freedom of speech, choice and the rights of individual patients; it is clear, as noted within this essay, that by increasing the ability of patients to communicate effectively with health care professionals about their care, ‘patient’ voice is increased. The effectiveness of organisational systems and policies in promoting good practices in communication As Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum (2011) assert, good practice in communication within health and social care contributes to the efficiency of the service and builds confidence and trust in individuals. This is shown by the fact that staff and professionals are governed by a code of conduct (Hepworth et al., 2010). In addition, the use of computers has revolutionised the National Health Service and, within the confines of this essay, an example of the effectiveness that increased computerisation has brought is described. For example, a case that was reviewed in the unit referred to a gentleman picked up by the police, as he was wandering the streets. This middle-aged man had been shouting and responding to voices in his head and it appeared that he was unwell. The police rang the Mental Health Assessment Unit and asked for more information about the patient, including whether or not he was known to the service. As a result of the computerisation of records, a simple search on the bro wser indicated that he was known and provided details of previous care. This, therefore, allowed paramedics to respond to his needs more quickly because they were aware of his preconditions. Such efficiency within the service would not have been possible with the computerisation of records. However, such systems do bring into question issues of data protection and it is imperative that, as Cournoyer (2013) states, computer records are held in a secure manner and that information is kept confidential, so no third party can access it without the consent of a senior manager. Ways of improving the communication process in a health and social care setting The National Health Service has implemented a system whereby a patients record and daily progress are being saved on RiO. On this system a patients file can be retrieved and updated. In most hospitals, RiO is used and it has proved to be effective (Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum, 2011). The main drawback of this method is that all staff members – whether junior or senior – have to have access to RiO, creating additional budgetary pressures on training. An individual patients health is monitored on RiO and any staff member can delete information, such as a care plan, from the details stored. This could cause problems if a staff member accidentally deletes something. This again illustrates why increasing training budgets is essential to improve communication processes (Sarangi, 2010). In addition, on some of the wards, the verbal and written commands of staff are very poor. This can be particularly evident where nurses do not have a very solid grasp of English (Krauss and Fussell, 2014). Whilst it is important not to discriminate, there is a need for a robust process of recruitment to ensure that all medical professionals can communicate with each other in a clear manner (Reeves et al., 2011). In order to minimise this problem, staff should only be recruited on the basis of the qualifications that they possess. Indeed, it is now widely argued by academics, including Miles and Mezzich (2011) and Greenhalgh (2008) that a minimum qualification level should apply to all health care professionals – perhaps at a level equivalent to an NVQ level 2 qualification. The National Care Standards Act (2000) makes provisions for the standard of care to be delivered and in so doing sets out 42 standards of care that need to be implemented. Within the documentation there is not much emphasis on the implementation of modern systems of communication that can contribute in the provision of information about the care services as well as service users and staff. So far the standards of care have been monitored on a humanistic basis, but the communication systems need to be improved (Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum, 2011). This could once again be achieved through further training. In addition the Care Quality Commission has the power to inspect and assess the performance care homes and to make recommendations in areas where an improvement in the level of services being delivered is needed Standard ICT packages to support work in health and social care With continuous progress in the field of information technology and the medical and healthcare sectors, the use of the software packages for dealing with reports such as writing, printing, storing, retrieving, updating, and referring have become very important. Indeed, as Reeves et al. (2011) suggest, computer literacy is a basic requirement for all health care professionals. Older staff and those who may not have benefitted from recent school-based educational opportunities may once more benefit from the availability of tailored courses. Further, as systems develop, there is clear evidence to suggest that all staff should undertake refresher courses, especially with regards to data protection law (Thompson, Parrott and Nussbaum, 2011). Prior to recent IT developments, all patient records were recorded on paper. This was not only cumbersome but made searching for specific records more difficult. Further, the records could only be readily accessed on site. These deficiencies in the pa per-based approach have been rectified by the adoption of multi-layered computer systems, which also enable remote access and the sharing of information between agencies. As Parrott and Madoc-Jones (2008) claim, critical to this revolution in the keeping, making, and recall of paperwork has been the development of both the internet and the intranet. However, this has also brought an array of potential problems, including issues relating to third party access and security. With reference to my own workplace (as a means of providing a practical example), the use of computers has developed to such an extent that it has cut down on all paper work. Daily progress notes are entered on a sophisticated package and day-to-day care of the clients is inputted on the system. Benefits of ICT in health and social care for users of services, care workers, and care organisations If a service user is discharged from the health services and thereafter returns to see his local general practitioner or attend an accident and emergency unit, an advantage of computer-based records is that his details can be retrieved from the system. Such information that was not readily transferrable using paper-based systems helps multi-disciplinary teams achieve continuity of care and, as a result, the client is treated better. In addition, as Parrott and Madoc-Jones (2008) notes, social workers find it easier to go on the internet and find places for service users in different catchment areas quickly. Detailed information about the services offered is displayed and the service user is updated; processing times are quicker – and treatment is again improved. IT also helps with training – both in delivery and record keeping. Indeed, as has been evident through my own experience, most training in mental health trusts is done online. Conclusion This assignment has, through case studies, personal experience, and the assimilation of data from existing studies, provided a thorough overview of a range of communication techniques used in the NHS and associated social care settings. In addition, comment has been made on the individual needs of patients and how these can best be assessed using a range of different theories. Further, the role of ICT has been discussed and examples given as to how its incorporation into health and social care sectors has transformed working practices. Through addressing