Usb Flash Drive

————————————————- USB flash drive Definition:Â  USB flash drives are compact file storage devices to save your information externally. Flash drives are about the size of a disposable lighter and can be conveniently worn around your neck or attached to your keychain. The end of the flash drive is inserted into the USB port on the computer. Once attached to the computer, they operate in much the same way as floppy drives, but have capacities currently in the range of up to 2 gigabytes.Pen drives, or USB–based technology thumb drives, have become the most popular data storage media devices for working professionals, students, academicians and independent tech consultants. Lightweight, small and easy to carry from place to place, a pen drive easily fits into a pocket or a wallet. Pen drives now available in multiple capacities, ranging from 512 MB to 32 GB, are used to store documents, photos, files, music videos and more. All read/write speed values are displayed in MB/Sec. Store Files A 4 GB or 8 GB pen drive can be used to store basic documents, PDF files, PowerPoint presentation and spreadsheets. 16 GB or 32 GB pen drives can be used to store high-capacity files such as videos, TV episodes and even movies. Transfer Files * Word documents, PDF files, presentations, photos and other files saved on a computer can be easily transferred or downloaded onto to a pen drive. Similarly, files can be transferred from a pen drive to a PC or laptop. Portable Devices * Independent technical consultants and PC technicians can use pen drives as portable work devices.They can store important files, utilities tools and programs in pen drives, and transfer them to another workstation or work site elsewhere. Working professionals can transfer their presentations and other important files stored on their hard drives to pen drives and take them elsewhere. Back-Up D evices * As almost all brand pen drives are password protected, they can also be used as effective back-up storage devices. Important personal information such as medical history, critical family information, important contacts, old family photographs, etc. can be stored in pen drives. Promotional Items * Many companies are now using pen drives to sell promotional material, marketing communication content and other sales literature. The ease with which pen drives can be customized and imprinted with company logos, pictures and images makes them effectivee promotional items. A USB Pen drive is a data storage device that contains flash memory with a combined Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface. USB Pen drives are naturally changeable and rewritable, and physically much lesser than a floppy disk.We can use USB pens easily to plug it into the USB port of your computer and lookout the system automatically identifies the new device. You can stare at your system drive; a new drive has bee n produced. The operating system can communicate with your USB Pen Drive just like any ordinary Hard Disk Drive. The USB Pen Drive is dust-proof and shock-proof and contemplating a mere 21 grams, it needs no batteries, has no touching parts and is presented in range of volumes from 32 mega byte to a massive 1 giga byte.USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and it is a ‘standard' organized by the computer manufacturing to agree a vast amount of different devices to be easily involved to one machine with the minimum condition for further drivers and software and still work at an effective speed. Many firms within the UK use Persuasive USB pens as little enticements to customers of old and new. The hint of giving out Promotional USB pen drives is to offer customers with something that they can use that has your company logo upon it. A collection of Promotional pen drives can be given out to clients it all depends on how current you want them to be.General items of Promotional USB p en drives have been pens with messages printed upon them. Give your fixed customers Promotional USB flash drives like printed pens and they will have an thing they can use on a regular basis that has your name inscribed upon it. Moreover, give Promotional USB drives to prospective new clients and they will be capable to deliver your company brand inside their business premises. Each time they use an USB pen that has been given to them by you, your goods will be floating through their minds and your company will be leading in their thoughts. For more information visit http://www. global-emarketing. com .

Mr. Gascoigne’s company Essay

I am going to create a macro that will allow Mr Gascoigne’s company, (Shoes ‘n all) to insert a different response into a template letter, so that the letter will contain the necessary information appropriate for the use. I am going to create 4 different Macros. They will input a short paragraph that will tell the reader about their credit bill to the company. The 4 Macro’s will be: 1. To open the Master Letter 2. Telling the reader that their credit bill is up to date and that they hope that the customer will continue using the company to buy their shoes. 3. Telling the customer that their credit bill is slightly behind and that the require the credit bill as soon as possible 4. Telling the customer that they haven’t paid their bill for quite a while and that their credit account has been closed. 5. A slogan that will appear in the footer. I first created a simple letter and put in ‘ new and opened a blank document. New was the time to start recording. I wanted to record a macro that would open the master Document. To start to record the Macro I went to tools-> Macros ->Record new Macros (left) Once I had pressed it a new box came up, where I inputted the Name. I named it master and pressed OK (Below) Now that I had opened the file I pressed Stop on the Macro Tool bar. Now that the master had been created. I wanted to start recording the responses to go in the letter. So to record in the first response I first needed to load the master Macro because it contains the different responses and the blank letter. To load the Macro I went to Tools -> Macro -> Play Macro Now that the letter had been opened I wanted to start to record a new macro. I started it the same way as I did at point 1 and entered the name as Para. Again, like before the cursor turned into a picture of a tape, to signify that it is recording. When recording macros it is unadvisable to use the mouse to select text because it sometimes causes complications. So what I wanted to do was to select the paragraph, Copy it, Move up to the blank space in the letter and paste in the paragraph. So to do this all on keyboard I moved down the page to the paragraph by using the cursor keys. Once I got to the first paragraph I wanted to highlight it. To do this without the mouse I went to the point before the paragraph, held down shift and scrolled along the text using the cursor keys. I stopped scrolling at the end of the paragraph. This then highlighted the text. Now I wanted to copy it. The hotkey to copy it on a keyboard is Ctrl+C. This then saved the information to the clipboard. Now I wanted to paste the paragraph in the blank space. So I scrolled up to the space using the cursor keys. To paste the copied text in I just pressed Ctrl+V. This then pasted the paragraph in to the slot needed. I then used the mouse to stop recording the macro like I did at point 1. I recorded the other three macros like I did at point 2 and named each one Para 1, Para 2 and Para 3. Now I wanted to create a macro so that it will input a slogan into the footer. So I started off recording it and named the macro as Slogan. Using the mouse is necessary when creating a footer, but it is usually advisable to use the keyboard whenever possible. So I used the mouse and pressed View-> Header and Footer (Bottom Left) Now That the actual bar was created I just wanted to insert the macros in to the toolbar. So I pressed the commands tab and dragged each of the macros into the toolbar. Once they had been dragged in, they looked like this. As you can see the icons are very wordy. So I decided to assign a picture to each of them so it would be easier select them and understand them. So, to do this I: 1. Selected the icon. 2. Press Modify Selection 3. Select Change Button Image 4. Select the picture So I selected a different picture for each icon. I tried to make it as appropriate as I could Master=Speak Para1=Happy Face Para2=Piggy Bank Para3=Unhappy Face Footer=Steps It is also possible to change the Macro in the actual code. To open the macro code I went to Tools-> Macro->Macros I then selected the Macro I wanted to edit and Selected edit. The code then appeared. I then Edited it. See documents 6 & 7 Sam Flower Macro’s and Toolbars GNVQ IT Page 1.

Animal Farm Extended Response Essay

Do you think Animal Farm’s message would come across effectively to someone who knows nothing about soviet history or the conflict between Stalin and Trotsky? What might such a reader make of this story? George Orwell’s novella ‘The Animal Farm’ is directed at Russia during the Stalin era. The novella’s characters reflect on actual people during the Stalin era. The novella tells of what happened during Stalin’s reign including the controversy with Trotsky. Many of Stalin’s traits were shown through Napoleon as he made his decisions on the farm but whether or not the reader could connect it to Stalin is another matter. For an individual to read this book and fully understand what it is talking about, the reader would definitely need a vast understanding of the era and the personality conflicts. The novella portrays Stalin as a power hungry pig that swindles his way to the top, with the assistance of some associates as well (further pigs). This is exactly what transpired during the soviet era when Stalin took control. For an individual to make that connection they would need to first try link the actions of Napoleon and the similarities should give it away, but for someone who doesn’t identify anything about the era then no, they have nothing to link it to, but it is still possible for the individual to notice the communism occurring throughout the farm and make the connection to the politics side of the aforementioned. Stalin and Trotsky’s controversy is easily depicted through the two main animals, Napoleon and Snowball, but only to those who have the knowledge of their disputes. If someone without this knowledge tried to make sense of it then they wouldn’t understand the soviet side to it but they would still understand the logic in Napoleon being worried about Snowball taking first actions against him and taking him out of the picture. George Orwell’s message in Animal Farm is quite obvious. The reader will get the message but not the social commentary. The novella includes all the historic moments of the Soviet Russian world and lifestyle even if the  reader cant link it to history it still can play a big part in today’s society as it can be applied to many day to day occurrences such as family, work or generally everyday life.

Operations Management wk1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Operations Management wk1 - Essay Example A poor operations management can always result in poor quality of the final products. Q.1 (b) Specialization in production activity is the basic strategy to be established. That is when a product like vehicles are produced every person or group must be specialized in performing certain activities. A particular group must be assigned the duty of production of Chassis, another group or individual must be specialized in electric works, etc. Similarly, after each and every activity it must be checked for perfection. That is the any component of the vehicle should be transferred to the next section only after detailed examination. Q.2 One of the major strategies that made Coca Cola to gain competitive advantage is its branding strategy. Coca Cola popularized its brand image through different advertising modes. They also opened food houses. â€Å"Some of Coca-Cola’s latest domestic marketing strategies include Coke dominating fountain sales.† (Coca Cola Marketing strategy, 2008). Excessive consumer oriented approach is what made Pepsi to be obtain competitive advantage. It even reduced prices of the product during great depression in order to make it available to the consumers. Later on it popularized the brand as a new generation drink. The strategies of both companies were good as both resulted in gaining market advantage through different methods. The three factors that have resulted in the success are better knowledge of the market, strong brand building strategy and uniqueness in the product. Similar strategy adopted by Apple and Dell would also work as consumers are always impressed by extr emely popularized and branded products. Both are retail stores that sell goods to the final consumers. Operation optimization is not possible in the case of Mom and Pop Stores. Goods are not purchased directly from the manufacturers in the case of Mom and Pop Stores. Staff motivation is very high in case of Wal-Mart but it is absolutely

Financial Accounting coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Financial Accounting coursework - Essay Example References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 1. Executive Summary This report includes some of the basic principles and conventions that must be adhered to while preparing the financial statements. It includes analysis and evaluation of some of the accounting practices and conventions. This report also analyses and evaluates some of the accounting practices in Marks & Spencer Plc. 2.1 Accrual Accounting Accrual concept includes recognition of revenue when earned while expenses are only acknowledged when they are suffered or incurred. This accounting concept needs creation of an extra account that records the variance obtained from the difference between revenue and expenses recognized as well as reception or payments of cash. Accounts receivable is normally used in recording accrued incomes while deferred re venue account is used to record revenue not earned (Banerjee 2005, p. 4-5). On the other hand, accrued expense account is used in recording expenses before payment of cash while deferred expense account is used in recording expenses after paying cash. This type of accounting concept is very expensive and that it is possible for the account to owe taxes on their income even before the cash is received. In marks & Spencer income is recognized when the products are sent to the customers and important risks and title incentives are shifted to the client. The deferred tax is accounted for after calculating it based on anticipated way of realization. The company also has trade receivables account and trade payables (Banerjee 2005, p. 4-5). 2.2 Going Concern Going concern is regarded as one of the most important assumptions in accounting used in preparation of final accounts with an assumption that the business will continue to operate in the next foreseeable future. The company is expecte d to successfully settle their liabilities after realizing their assets. It is always upon the management of the company to check on the ability of the organization to continue doing business in the coming future. The accounts of Marks & Spencer are prepared in the basis of going concern and the directors are convinced that the company will be able to operate in the next future. The directors are very much concerned that there are no uncertainties that may interfere with the company’s operations in their future (Gibson 2012, p.11-12). The company managed to make a profit of $458 as at March 2013 and positive cash and cash equivalents. The company’s current assets also exceed the current liabilities thus showing an element of going concern. The company is also in a position of paying out her dividends and financing The company will not likely to fail in its operations in the near future considering her statement of financial position and the consolidated income statemen t (Marks & Spencer 2013, p. 1-3). There are a number of indications of a going concern business which are not reflected in the financial statement of Marks & Spencer. Some of the dangerous signs indicating challenges of going concern are poor liquidity positions, high financial risk and delay in payments as well as serious litigations affecting the company. Marks & Spencer do not also have any indication of defaulting by one of their chief customers that may eventually affect her operations (Gibson

Health and Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Health and Wellness - Essay Example â€Å"The total cost of osteoporosis in the United States alone is estimated to be over $14 billion per year† (Christodoulou & Cooper 133), and is expected to increase with the growing proportion of elderly people. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to identify the symptoms of Osteoporosis, examine how the disease develops, review the latest research on the topic, investigate the costs to community, and express one’s beliefs on the subject. Bone mass is the chief determinant of bone strength. Loss of bone occurs silently and progressively, often without symptoms until the first fracture occurs (IOF, 2006). When bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, the symptoms of the disease present as â€Å"back pain which can be severe† (Manila Bulletin, 2009) in the case of a fractured or collapsed vertebra, gradual loss of height with increasingly stooped posture, and fractures of the vertebrae, wrists, hips, or other bones. In the case of women, bone loss in the spine begins shortly before menopause, and as early as the mid-30s in the femoral neck (Christodoulou & Cooper 133). The years following menopause bring about radical depletion in bone mineral density as a result of decreased estrogen levels (Lineback 43). In both men and women, bone density and strength depend greatly on the extent of mineral content, such as calcium and phosphorus (Manila Bulletin, 2009). The size and density of bone are mainly dependent on genetic factors, but lifestyle factors also play a significant part. Recommendations from latest research for building and maintaining bone matrix and reducing the risk of osteoporosis are as follows: 1. Nutritious Diet: A balanced nutritious diet which includes not only sufficient calcium and vitamin D, but also adequate protein as well as vitamins and minerals (Feinstein, 1996). A healthy body weight is essential, since being underweight with a body mass index less than 18.5 kg/ m2 is a strong risk factor for osteoporosis

Corporate Income Taxes - Reorganizations and Consolidated Tax Returns Research Paper

Corporate Income Taxes - Reorganizations and Consolidated Tax Returns - Research Paper Example One disadvantage of this type of reorganization is the dealing with dissenting shareholders if the laws in place require a consent to the deal by majority shareholders of the acquiring and acquired corporations. Some of these dissenting shareholders are difficult to deal with. Moreover, the law requires that all liabilities of the target company be assumed by the acquiring one (Ginsburg, 2012). Type B reorganizations have the advantage of isolating the liabilities of the target in a subsidiary. As such, these commitments do not affect the principal acquiring corporation. Moreover, the assets and contracts that are deemed non-transferrable are not lost in the reorganization. Type B reorganizations are simple and easy to carry out. They involve no losses or gains by either the shareholders or the corporations involved. These reorganizations have the disadvantage that only the voting stock can be used as consideration by the acquiring company. Another disadvantage of the same is the fact that the minority shareholders of the target can bring problems to the acquiring company and its operations. Thus, for the acquiring company to be safe, it has to acquire 100% of the target company’s stock. The type C reorganizations have the characteristic of one company acquiring all the assets of the target. It exchanges these assets for its voting stock, as well as a limited collection of some of its other property. One of the advantages of this reorganization is the fact that the acquiring company can choose the liabilities of the target that it wants to assume. In so doing, the acquiring company is not overwhelmed with the unwanted liabilities of the acquired corporation and does not undergo much struggle in offsetting them. An acquiring company chooses the commitments that it knows it can easily meet and settle. Another advantage is the fact that the

Gender Equality Education in the U.K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Equality Education in the U.K - Essay Example This essay stresses that teachers are expected to set high expectations and provide equal opportunities to both the boys and girls in studying subjects of their choice. This way, students learn that anything can be done and there is nothing like science subjects and Mathematics are for boys and not girls; also, that women belong to the languages and humanities sector. This has impacted on the future careers of girls as they choose courses in the humanities and language sector and not physics and mathematics courses , being that the science subjects and mathematics are considered masculine. This continues in the U.K, being more entrenched in the education system. In and out of school, pressure to conform to traditional behavior has persisted with women avoiding Physics and Information Technology while opting for English, Biology and History. This paper focuses on various gender issues in education and their impact on student performance. It has been made clear to us why students from both sexes should be treated equally in terms of the subjects to be done and not limit boys to a particular group of subjects and the girls too. These stereotypes based on gender are the ones that have impacted much negatively on students’ performance in the U.K. We equally have seen how girls have managed to prove wrong the idea of them not being able to perform as better when it comes to boys and the science subjects. Therefore, it is important noting that every pupil whether male or female can succeed in whichever subject and direct their career to the direction they please.

American Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

American Foreign Policy - Essay Example When there is an issue that needs to be discussed in regards to the foreign policy, each facet of the process serves their own agenda before looking at the overall responsibility of the decision. In this regard, it is evident that each of the working unit feels an essential player in the process and seeks to safeguard the interests of the particular arm of the state. This is both beneficial and detrimental to the presidential power and ability to make decisions. For the latter, the best decision is reached at, and a decision that favors all involved departments and thus the state. As for the former case, the solution that is realized is largely as a result of compromised standards, and conflicts amongst the involved officials. There is diversification of interests amongst the parties, some of whom may have undue influence thus negatively affecting the process and wasting more time in the same. Foreign policy bureaucracy suppresses rationalism in decision making. This is again influenced by the influence of a particular department in policy formulation. A good example to this is the reason that compelled the U.S. to attack in Iraq in 2003. Just rationalism was definitely not used in the final decision making process, given the issues that erupted thereafter. This is detrimental to the president’s personal choices but acts or the best of the nation. In foreign policy decision making, the President is the most powerful and central figure. Psychologically, the President is bound by some limitations as time and energy, ideology as well as rationality. With the presence of the foreign policy circle of advisers, the process of decision making is decentralized from the President making life and governance much easier. In this case, the bureaucracy in foreign policy safeguards the president from making decisions constrained by irrationality and psychological inabilities. Bureaucracy in foreign policy is decentralized to four components

Definition of family Essay Example for Free

Definition of family Essay The definition of a family according to the U. S. Census Bureau is that a family consists of a householder and any other person living in the same household. However, the people living in the family should be related to the householder either by birth, marriage, or by adoption. The people in a family who are related to the householder are termed as his family members. However, in some houses there might also be people living in a family who might be unrelated to the householder, therefore they are not to be included in the householder’s family while the census is being carried out and thus, the number of family households is equal to the number of families, but the family households may include more members than do families. Therefore, the crux of this would be that all the households do not contain families as they might be unrelated as well. Functions of a family Basically the two functions of a family are: †¢ Economic functions †¢ Political functions Other than these two major categories, a family has a number of functions after doing which a family can be really termed as a family in a true sense and these are mentioned below. One of the most important functions is reproduction of babies and once a child is born, it is the duty of the householder to look after the children, take care of them, monitor that day to day activities, supervise them on certain things, interact with them and provide them with all the necessities and love it would require to make them good grown ups. As it is not just necessary to give birth to the baby, however they should also be taken care of so that they survive to become adult members of the society. Two persons basically tie the knot of marriage in order to legitimize their sexual relationship and this ensures the offspring is healthy. The household head is supposed to provide economics support to the family as well as to fulfill the love, emotional, security needs of the family. In the end, I would also add that the family is looked upon in the society with respect and they have a certain position in the society than those individuals just living together without marriage. (Schwartz Scott, 2007). As mentioned above, a family consists of the household member who is basically responsible for his family members. However, to define my family I would say that my family does not fulfill the definition of the family mentioned above. This is because the fathers are usually the ones who are said to be the household heads and they are responsible of taking care of the family members. I am only the child in my family and my parents were divorced when I was four years old. I am living with my Mom right now and the rest of my family is living in China. Most of the family functions that I mentioned above are not actually applicable to my family. This is because my parents had an unhappy marriage and this thing gave me a lot of bad experiences. The first function of the family is to ensure that the baby grows as an adult of a society. In my case, however I did become an adult but it was just my mother who took care of me and looked after all my needs. A father is always necessary to make a family more strong as the responsibilities of a father are different than ones of a mother but in my case, my mother was my mother as well as my father. She was the one who was responsible for each and every activity of mine. It is believed that a family is economically supported mostly by the fathers, however as my mother had a divorce with my father, she was the one who had to support my needs all by herself. And I think that my family did not manage things well. The divorce of my parents at the time when I was just four was a shock for me as for a family to survive well; both the mother as well as the father has to be there so that they might fulfill their own set of responsibilities and ensure that the family is living happily. However, this was not the case for my family as the divorce between my parents made things worse for me. Although my mother did all she could do for me but still the presence of the father is essential for a family to prosper well. Thus, according to me, my family did not address the functions of a family well as it was an unhappy and irresponsible family. The fundamental purpose of each family is to fulfill the requirements and the functions of a family. It is vital for each family to fulfill their responsibilities as this not just affects the family alone but the society and the environment as well and it also affects the people around you. No one likes to be friends with the families who are not well settled in a way that the parents might have conflicts amongst each other or they might not want to live with each other and this would create lots of problems for their children. Therefore, for a country to prosper well it is essential that the families living there are happy and contended. The functions of the family highlight the responsibilities the household head has with reference to their family. Therefore, its informative nature helps to think about families in terms of the functions it fulfills. Reference Schwartz, M. A. Scott, B. M. (2007). Marriages and families: Diversity and change. 5th Edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Human resource strategy proposal for bp

Human resource strategy proposal for bp 1.1 Introduction The changes in business and the impact of globalisation on increased competitiveness have pushed organisations to incorporate a strategic approach to human resource management (HRM) to achieve competitive advantage. Strategy is defined by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), (http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=enlr=id=zXG_lJ8BrMwCoi=fndpg=PR9dq=the+key+to+improved+business+performanceots=GLUULx2eFZsig=I9jHj5YhE5QIBmWYn-o-U0NvDlc#v=onepageqf=false).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011) as a plan that integrates the goals, policies and action of an organisation into a cohesive whole. Fundamentally strategy is concerned with achieving a competitive advantage. By adopting a strategic approach to HRM, organisations seek to manage its human resources in a coherent approach that replicate the business strategy. CIPD views strategic HRM from two main perspectives, CIPD, [Online].(http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/corpstrtgy/general/strathrm.htm?IsSrchRes=1).(Accessed 05 Mar. 11); The ways in which an organisation achieves its business goals by putting in place activities that support and guide employees behaviour. And the manner in which the human resources and activities are planned to achieve the business goals. Therefore, strategic HRM is an integrated approach that aligns the internal and external context of an organisation for organisational performance, that is, a strategic fit between strategic intent and organisation resources. In order to suggest an appropriate human resource strategy for BPs human resource issues (appendix), this paper shall adopt an integrated approach to the various views of strategic HRM; Best Fit, Resource Based and Best Practices approach. 1.2 Best Fit The best fit view is all about the vertical integration. It is a contingency view in which an organisation links its business strategy (external market) and individual performance (internal environment) to create an effective HR policies and practices and achieve competitive advantage. Beardwell J and Claydon T., Human Resource Management: A contemporary Approach (Prentice Hall, 2010) used the life cycle and competitive advantage model to explain the best fit approach. The life cycle model links the appropriate HR practices to the different stages in the life cycle of a business. This model suggests that the HR policies at start up will differ with those during an organisations growth, mature and decline phase. Drawing evidence from BPs website, a statistical review in June 2010 by then BPs CEO, Tony Howard, BP,(http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9023752contentId=7044473).[Online ].(Accessed 05 Mar.2011), shows a sharp decline on record in global energy consumption and falling energy prices caused by global recession which is likely to continue in the long term. This decline in global energy consumption will affect energy companies especially BP which is a major player in the energy market with its huge global presence. Assuming this trend continues as predicted, this would set BPs business life cycle at its mature or decline phase. This means the HR strategy for BP will be one of downsizing and redundancy of employees but which needs to retain viability and contribute to sustainable competitive advantage. This dual strategy will enable BP to master the present while preparing for the future eventualities. A proposed strategy will be to retain high performance staff, recruit less and train staffs to multi task. On the other hand, the competitive advantage model argues that HR practices work best when adapted to the competitive strategy; Redman T and Wilkinson A., Contemporary Human Resource Management (Prentice Hall, 2009). The model identifies three types of strategic behaviour which can be linked to BPs HR practices: defenders, prospectors and analysers. Defenders operate in small niche market producing high quality products and services backed by high prices. Prospectors are more flexible and use innovative strategy to change product line quite often. Analysers are less innovative but stable and efficient and will only enter the market when it is risk free. Evidence from BPs website, (http://www.bp.com/productlanding.do?categoryId=9025115contentId=7047794).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011) shows that innovations and technology and an efficient energy are a priority to tackle the challenges to meet energy demand and environmental concern. Therefore, to gain competitive advantage BP could adopt a dual strategy of make defender and buy prospector to remain both innovative and efficient at a lower operating cost. That is a make strategy that invests in employees to seek efficiency and a buy strategy for new technology to remain innovative in the market. This is a similar dual strategy approach that has been successfully used by the Singapore Airlines (SIA), (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/ftmsc/modules/modulelist/pop/articles/singapore_airlines.pdf).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011) that adopts a cost reduction strategy while providing premium services. The best fit view has been strongly criticised for its lack of flexibility in a dynamic changing environment. To achieve dynamic fit and given that BP is; an innovative, a high risk taker, results oriented, flexible to change, quality and process focus company, it should develop a human capital pool with these broad range of skills that will promote behavioural flexibility among its employees. This should help solve the problem of flexibility in changing environment. 1.3 Resource Based View (RBV) The resource based view is a paradigm shift from the best fit approach that draws on the internal resources of an organisation. It is particularly applicable in unpredictable external environment and focuses on achieving uniqueness and sustainable competitive advantage through the manipulation of an organisations resources. The VRIO (Value, Rarity, Inimitable, Organisation) framework, Beardwell J. and Claydon T., Human Resource Management: A contemporary Approach (Prentice Hall, 2010), is a useful tool to explain RBV relationship and formulation of a strategy. Value is all about the impact of HR contribution through improved customer service and customer added value. Rarity is simply to exploit rare characteristics of the firms human resources to gain competitive advantage. Inimitability means recognising an organisations unique history and culture to develop unique practices and behaviours that make it difficult for competitors to copy. Organisation is integrating internal resources into a coherent system so that they can capitalise on adding value, rarity and inimitability. The VRIO framework has been successfully used by the Singapore Airlines, (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/ftmsc/modules/modulelist/pop/articles/singapore_airlines.pdf).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011) to develop a set of unique characteristics such as replacing its fleets more frequently than do its competitors. As a result, its fleet is young and energy efficient and operates at a lower cost. BPs website (http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9025116contentId=7046892) .[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011) shows that BP is very keen on deep sea exploration, an activity other energy companies are afraid to venture into. Using this approach, BP can make deep sea exploration its unique culture and develop unique practices such as training and developing deep sea specialists to make it difficult for its competitors to copy. Implementing HR policies has been a key issue highlighted with the RBV and BP can overcome this by creating opportunities that will improve the discretionary behaviour of both line managers and employees such as; team working, training and development schemes, long term employment security and better pay structure. 1.4 Best Practice Best practice or high commitment human resource practices are a distinctive set of successful HR practices which firms can adopt irrespective of their setting and which will lead to improvement in performance. Due to the global economic crisis, most organisations are now adopting a policy of negotiating reduced wages to maintain job security and employment commitment. In same way, BP can adopt this best practice and integrate it with others that are specific to its needs. The BPs career webpage; What BP is Looking For, (http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9031574contentId=7057908).[Online].(Accessed 11 Mar. 2011), shows that BP is committed to developing leaders and supporting its employees through continuous improvement. Therefore, the appropriate best practices for BP should focus on enhancing the skill base of employees and this could be achieved through HR activities such as; introducing succession planning scheme to train future leaders, comprehensive training and development opportunities, selective staffing, results based performance and working in teams. 1.5 Recommended Strategy and Main Features The recommended human resource strategy for BP to adopt will be one that integrates all the key features of best fit, RBV and best practice views proposed above and as explained in the table below. Key Strategic Features Explanation Leadership Qualities A Priority Management should introduce comprehensive leadership training and development programmes. A succession planning scheme should be encouraged and practiced. Recruitment process should be selective and make leadership qualities a priority A Deep Sea Organisational Culture Employees should be encouraged to be innovative, take risk, results oriented, flexible to change, quality and process focus. There should be continuous training for specialists and high investment in deep sea exploration. Management should invest in employees to seek efficiency. Combined Organisational and Industrial Best Policy and Practice Retain high performance staff, recruit less and train staff to multi task. Negotiate reduce wages to maintain job security and employment commitment Continuous training programme for all employees to develop a broad range of skills. Team working should be encouraged to improve on discretionary behaviour. 1.6 Conclusion Strategic HRM is a complex process which is constantly evolving. The HRM strategy identified above is unique to BP in terms of the evidence found from its website and its major human resource issues discussed during the module session. The strategy adopts an integrated approach of best fit and resource based incorporating best practice as seen fit. Given that the economy is constantly changing, flexibilities have been imbued in the proposed strategy to make it dynamically feasible. 2.0 STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PROCESS 2.1 Introduction The biggest asset in any organisation is its people. In order to remain a high performance company and stay competitive, BP needs to attract and nurture the right people with the right talent and right leadership qualities. Therefore, BPs HR practices and policies will play an important role for managing its people and achieving its business objectives. The challenges faced by BP to manage its people can be categorised as, BP,(http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9031553contentId=7057895).[Online].(Accessed 02 Mar. 2011); Attracting, developing and retaining talent. Shortage of skilled personnel. Developing a true leadership. Developing corporate social responsibility Transferring key knowledge and relationships. Responding to these challenges, BP has introduced a number of initiatives; BP, (http://www.bp.com/subsection.do?categoryId=2319contentId=7060032) [Online].(Accessed 02 Mar. 2011). Though these measures are good, a strategic recruitment and selection process can be adopted to tackle these challenges. 2.2 Strategic Recruitment and Selection Process. According to a survey by CIPD, Annual Survey Report 2007: Recruitment, Retention and Turnover (CIPD, 2007) only 51% of the organisations surveyed in the UK had a resourcing strategy. Given that eight in ten of the employers ranked recruiting as a top priority in resourcing, it becomes imperative for BP to develop a recruiting strategy. To source the right type of employees, BP can select its talents internally, externally, use a combination of both or adopt alternative methods. The internal approach is a traditional method where employees are given priorities for unfilled vacancies before an external source is considered. The advantage with this method is that it motivates employees, improves their morale and provides them with opportunities for career progression. However, internal sourcing is expensive and generally leads to inbreeding and lack of creativity while external recruitment brings in fresh ideas and skills by hiring employees with different backgrounds. Whatever method BP decides to use, it is crucial that BP adopts a strategic approach that will identify the skills required before selecting the most suitable people to meet the human resource needs of an organisation; Boxall P. and Purcell J., Strategy and Human Resource Management, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2003). Furthermore, Beardwell J. and Claydon T., Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach (Prentice Hall, 2010) emphasis this need of a strategic approach as a prime source of competitive advantage to ensure the organisation has the right people in the right place at the right time. The strategic recruitment and selection process include techniques that stretch from attracting, selection and induction. 2.2.1 Attracting Talents: BPs Brand Strategy CIPD, (http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employer-brand.aspx) .[Accessed 03 Mar. 2011) defined employers brand; as a set of attributes and qualities often intangible that makes an organisation distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture BPs brand strategy will depend on its brand strength and how it differs from its competitors. A useful strategic approach is that by CIPD: A no-nonsense approach, (http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employer-brand.aspx).[Online].(Accessed 03 Mar. 2011). In this step-by-step approach, BP will first need to investigate by communicating with top management, the employees, and external talent sources to understand the true perception of its employees experience. Secondly, BP should use the feedbacks from this investigation to create a distinctive Value Propositions (VP); a unique and compelling offer by BP to attract, retain and engage the employees in return for their performance. A suggested unique and compelling VP for BP is shown in fig 1 below; Next BP is to make sure it can deliver on its brand promise. By doing this and thinking about the employees experience not only from the recruitment stage but through induction to actual work life experience, BP will be using its employees to sell itself in a process known as employee branding. Therefore a good employee branding should be reflective of the employee experience as shown in fig 2 below; Finally BP will need to continuously measure, evaluate and review its brand strategy to make sure it is delivering real value.  This will be reflected through increase in application and enquiries, employees going the extra mile, and advocating for BP. 2.2.2 Strategic Recruiting Methods Globalisation and the global economic recession have pushed many employers to search creative employment channels and target a diverse application group. A CIPD report, Annual Survey Report 2007: Recruitment, Retention and Turnover (CIPD, 2007) indicated that local newspaper and corporate website were still favourite routes used by most employers. But due to technological changes and employees preference for a more flexible approach, organisations are now resorting to online recruitment techniques such as social networking sites like Facebook because they are cost effective and faster. BP a strong promoter of diversity, (http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9023446contentId=7058326).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011), can win the war on diversity by creating a diverse recruitment policy that is inclusive of both the traditional (newspapers and corporate website) channels plus mainstream recruiting channels. Fig 3 portrays the diversity recruitment process; To use both traditional and mainstream recruiting methods such as; Newspapers, Universities, E-recruitment, social networking sites, career fairs, and iPhone, to develop a heterogeneous group of applicants. Top management to become involved and support line managers in implementation. To provide management with diversity training. To keep altering recruitment practice so as to avoid recruiting every time from same social background and age groups in case it discriminates against certain job seekers. 2.2.3 Strategic Selection Techniques Strategic recruitment is a continuous process and includes adopting the right selection techniques. There are different techniques organisations have used to select potential employees: interviews, integrity test, curriculum vitae, assessment centres and psychometric tests. CIPD, Annual Survey Report 2007: Recruitment, Retention and Turnover (CIPD, 2007) reported that local newspapers and corporate websites were still favourite routes used by most employers though the psychometric and assessment centres have been popular. Whatever method BP chooses, it is important that the method is reliable and valid. Reliability measures the accuracy and consistency of the selection test while validity measures its predictability. The psychometric test has typically been associated with the best practice for employee selection; Redman T and Wilkinson A, Contemporary Human Resource Management (Prentice Hall, 2009). The psychometric tests are designed to accurately measure a candidates knowledge, abilities and personality traits. These tests have become popular with recruiters because they are designed to be reliable and predictable and are effective for handling large volumes of applicants. Assessment centres on the other hand focus on behaviours required for the job and involves candidates completing a number of different tasks as part of the selection process; CIPD, (http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/selection-methods.aspx).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 11). BP website shows its corporate website is the preferred selection route; (http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9031578contentId=7057906) .[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 2011). But selection is more than just using a particular technique, BP needs to implement a strategic psychometric approach which takes into account a social framework that includes selection as best fit and as an interactive discussion process; Redman T and Wilkinson A., Contemporary Human Resource Management, (Prentice Hall, 2009). To adopt a best fit approach, BP will need to identity its unique qualities such as values and culture, employment patterns, market segment and use these qualities to differentiate it selection practices from a best practice approach. Furthermore, BP should make its selection process interactive. The HR department should exchange information with other managers that are directly affected. Moreover, negotiation with participants should be a two-way process and designed to be perceived as fair. That is; treating participants with respect and dignity, providing them with information and making them part of the whole process. In addition, it is important that BP should provide adequate training courses for all those involved in assessing candidates at all stages of the selection process and that they are adequately briefed about the jobs. 2.2.4 Induction It is the process whereby employees adjust to their jobs and working environment; CIPD, (http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/induction.aspx).[Online].(Accessed 05 Mar. 11). The purpose, which is to ensure a smooth integration of staff into the organisation. BP can make its induction process more effective by; Making induction a vital part of its recruitment process. Designing a well structured induction programme to ensure that all new recruits receive information consistent with BPs values and culture. Carrying out physical orientation to describe where the facilities are and an organisational orientation to show new employees the important role they play in the overall business strategy. Ensuring a quality welcome because employees develop lasting impressions within their first few weeks of working. In a nutshell, if BP decides to adopt a strategic recruitment and selection approach to tackle challenges in its people management it will be vital that BP differentiates its brand strategy from that of its competitors. Furthermore, BP should be able to determine its core competencies to determine the correct recruiting channel(s). Finally, how it assimilates its new employees speak loud about its culture and values. TOTAL WORD COUNT: 3000

Social Policy Responses To Domestic Violence Social Work Essay

Social Policy Responses To Domestic Violence Social Work Essay This essay will evaluate the current social policy responses to the social issue of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a multi-faceted issue affecting the perpetrator, the survivor and their families. This means that many agencies may need to be involved. Domestic violence is prevalent within all strata of society, rich and poor, with no regard for religion, ethnicity or geographical location, and accounts for fifteen percent of violent crimes (Home Office, 2009). It is estimated that domestic violence cost the nation  £23 billion per year (Womens Aid, 2007d). It is not only committed by men against women but by women on men and within same sex relationships. However as the majority of incidents are perpetrated by men against women with a greater risk of repeat offending and worse severity of violence experienced this essay will concentrate on this aspect. To fully understand this issue this essay will explore the historical roots of domestic violence, looking at how attitudes may have originated, what challenges have caused them to change and what further changes may be necessary. It will then explore changes in the legislation and how this affects the polices powers and their use of them. It will then go on to explore criminal justice responses, such as Specialist Domestic Violence Courts and Integrated Domestic Abuse Programmes, evaluating their efficacy. It will then examine the social policy responses affecting the survivors of domestic abuse, such as the creation of police Domestic Violence Units, sanctuary schemes, housing, support services, and child protection. It will also look at methods used to identify possible domestic violence victims. It will show that the current emphasis on criminal justice responses is diverting resources away from frontline womens services, which can disproportionately affect women from Black and et hnic minority communities. Historically there has been no concept of domestic violence. According to Carlson Brown (1994) this is because of the patriarchal society that existed, and to some extent still exists, which was sanctioned by religious texts. It was the belief was that women and children were the property of the man and it was his duty to discipline them as he saw fit. This ideology was only challenged in recent decades by the rise of feminism. The introduction of the contraceptive pill in the nineteen-sixties gave women the freedom of choice over their reproduction, and therefore other areas of their lives. However, at first only physical abuse was considered domestic violence but in the nineteen-eighties sexual abuse began to be considered as domestic violence. In spite of this re-evaluation marital rape was not considered a crime until 1991 in England and Wales (Rape Crisis, 2008). In recent times the definition of domestic violence has been widened to the current government definition: Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality (Home Office, 2009). This definition therefore covers less traditional family arrangements and practices from different cultures, such as honour-based violence, forced marriages and female genital mutilation. This means that domestic violence is not classified as a single offence but several different related offences, such as common assault, rape, false imprisonment and attempted murder. However there are still some incidents, such as psychological and emotional abuse, which whilst highly upsetting to the survivors are not prosecutable offences. This definition concentrates on adults and thus neglects those aged under eighteen, however a programme on youngsters in secure childrens homes revealed that girls as young as ten years old were experiencing physical abuse at the hands of their intimate partners (BBC Radio 4, 20 April 2009). Therefore there exists yet more of the population whos need for protection and support require addressing. One of the main ways for government to address the issue of domestic violence is through legislation. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 was introduced to tackle the issue of domestic violence in a multitude of ways. The acts intention was to give greater power to the police and courts when dealing with the perpetrators of domestic violence whilst providing increased protection to the survivors (Home Office, 2008a). One of the ways of increasing police powers was to make common assault an arrestable offence, this can allow the survivor a period of reflection to help them decide whether they wish to continue with prosecution or not. This continues moves, started in the nineteen-eighties, away from the police trying to reconcile the parties involved towards zero tolerance of domestic violence. However this may lead to less incidents being reported as the survivor may not wish to criminalize her partner, especially if he is the father of her children. This is even more ap plicable within the Black and ethnic minority communities who, due to fears over racist discrimination, are less likely to look to the police for aid (Womens Aid, 2007a). A further change in police power was to make the breach of non-molestation orders an arrestable offence, which carries a prison sentence of up to five years. The nature of non-molestation orders was also changed to recognise the needs of same sex couples and non-cohabiting couples for the same protection afforded heterosexual cohabiting couples. It is hoped that these measures will reduce the number of breaches of these orders, and therefore afford greater protection to survivors, due to the greater sanctions now attached. This change also means that the survivor is a witness in a criminal matter and no longer responsible for taking action over the prosecution nor burdened with the costs of that prosecution. However this can mean that the Crown Prosecution Service may pursue cases that the survivor may wish dropped, which could lead to her being disempowered and feeling not in control once again (Womens Aid, 2007a). Also in making breach of non-molestation orders a criminal matter th is moved them from closed family courts, where only the parties involved were in chambers, to criminal courts, which allows both press and public audience, although press restriction can be put in place to protect the identity of witnesses in these cases (Womens Aid, 2007a). Another government response was to create Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs). The SDVC programme started in 2006 with an initial twenty-three SDVCs, more have been accredited each subsequent year to give the current total of one-hundred-and-five. According to the Home Office (2006) the SDVC programme forms part of a multi-agency response to domestic violence, which is intended to provide greater safety for the survivors and call perpetrators to account through various means of intervention. Some of the measures used in SDVCs include using specially trained judges, fast racking of domestic violence cases and access to Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) to provide specialist support (Womens Aid, 2008a). In a Home Office (2008b) review of the original twenty-three SDVCs it was found that there was a higher percentage of arrests made for domestic violence crimes and there was a higher percentage of successful prosecutions when compared with non-SDVCs within the same area. There were high levels of support provided by the IDVAs both within and outside the criminal justice system which increased survivor safety and satisfaction. These results are believed to improve public confidence in the criminal justice system. However where SDVCs were found to have a lower percentage of successful prosecutions it was found that there was a higher percentage of Black and ethnic minority defendants. This shows that there are still issues to be dealt with when dealing with cases from these communities. Womens Aid (2008a) also calls into question the government emphasis on using the criminal justice system to tackle domestic violence issues as this means that only those who report an incident, about twenty-four percent of survivors, have access to this specialized help. This means that a large proportion of survivors are without support or accessing other domestic violence support services that are lacking political and financial support as a result. Another government initiative designed to reduce incidents of domestic violence is the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP). This is a programme for up to twenty-seven week for the perpetrators of domestic violence to address their offending behaviour. The perpetrator must have a Community Rehabilitation Order (CRO) or a Community Punishment and Rehabilitation Order (CPRO) with conditions to attend. Its aim is to challenge the perpetrators beliefs and attitudes towards domestic violence thus reducing the risk of reoffending. It also offers the partners of the offenders a support group (Home Office, 2004). This programme requires a lot of staff time and training; it also requires significant administration. All of which comes from the probation areas budget. Womens Aid (2007b) believes that these programmes can modify offender behaviour and provide support survivors with support. However these programmes are not always successful in changing the perpetrators behaviour and can gi ve survivors unrealistic expectations that may lead to unsound decisions around their own safety. They may also neglect supporting the survivor to concentrate on their role reporting on the perpetrators behaviour. Also reports have shown that due to budget restraints there are long waiting lists of up to two years for these programmes. This has lead to, in 2007, over four thousand orders by the court being handed down whilst only one thousand eight hundred being completed, with some cases of repeat offending whist waiting for a place on a programme (Doward, 2008). A government study shows that there is a strong link between domestic violence and alcohol abuse with sixty-two percent of offences involving alcohol and forty-eight percent of the sample group being alcohol dependant (Gilchrist et al, 2003). Therefore another approach to tackling domestic violence is ordering perpetrators with alcohol problems to attend treatment programmes. However alcohol abuse is not a cause of domestic violence but it is often used as an excuse for violent behaviour. In fact, according to Womens Aid (2005a) treating the perpetrators alcohol or drug issues can lead to an increase in violence especially during the withdrawal period. Therefore this must be tackled holistically addressing both the offending behaviour and the drug and/or alcohol problem whilst ensuring the survivors safety and that of her children, if any. Not all social policy responses deal with the perpetrators of domestic violence. Many focus on the survivors and their families. One of the main responses was to create dedicated Domestic Violence Units (DVUs) with specialist trained officers. The overriding aim of these units is to protect survivors and their families and ensure that domestic abuse is treated just as seriously as any other violent crime. These units specifically try to tackle the unwillingness of survivors to report incidents of domestic violence due to the belief that the police will not take them seriously or will be unable to help (Womens Aid, 2008b). This is particularly the case with women from the Black and ethnic minority community who can face stigmatism from their communities and may also fear institutional racism from the police. Those survivors with insecure immigration status may also fear deportation should they leave their partner and report domestic violence (Womens Aid, 2009c). To assist survivors DV Us can refer them onto other support services, which can advise them about their rights, and liaise with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the prosecution of domestic violence. To help protect survivors from repeat victimisation DVUs can refer them to the Sanctuary Scheme which allows the survivor to stay within their own home, and avoid upheavals and further distress, as long as the perpetrator is no longer living with them. It does this by providing extra security measures such as sanctuary rooms where the survivor can remain safe from the perpetrator whilst waiting for the police to arrive. However not all home are suitable for this scheme due to their construction or location and not all survivors would wish to remain in their own home (Communities and Local Government, 2006). In these cases DVUs can refer the survivor to a refuge or the local authoritys homelessness unit. Domestic violence is one of the main causes of homelessness in women (Rights of Women, 2007) and is particularly problematical as there may be several issues complicating the matter. Womens refuges provide safe accommodation whether or not the woman has reported domestic violence to the police. However accessing a refuge is particularly difficult as there is limited provision with only 373 womens refuges in the whole country (Coy et al, 2009). Also not all refuges can accommodate large families, some place restrictions on the upper ages of male children, necessitating the splitting up of already distressed families. Some refuges are unable to accommodate those with physical disabilities or those with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. There are some refuges that specialise in meeting the needs of the Black and ethnic minority groups but demand far outstrips supply (Hall and Whyte, 2003). When a suitable place in a refuge is not available the local authority may have a duty to re-house survivors of domestic violence. There are certain criteria that must be met for the local authority to re-house survivors: that they have not made themselves intentionally homeless; they are in priority need; they are eligible; and they have a local connection. However it is up to the local authority to assess whether the survivor is in priority need. In some areas this means that those without children are not considered to be in priority need thus discriminating against those who for whatever reason do not have children. A further complication is that many survivors are financially dependent upon their abuser, although there help for some is available through the benefits system not all are aware of this, especially those whose main language is not English (Dhillon-Kashyap, 1994) and may have been kept unaware of this by their abuser as a means of control. Those subject to immigration control with no recourse to public funds would not be able to pay for a refuge place or other accommodation through housing benefit, as many do, but there other forms of funding sometimes available for refuges, but this is limited due to funding restraints (Womens Aid, 2007c). DVUs can also refer survivors to Womens Aid, which is a charity that provides specialist support and advice. However they do not limit themselves to those who have reported domestic violence, any woman suffering from domestic violence can access them. Womens Aid can help survivors access other forms of help such as helping children affected by living with domestic violence or experiencing abuse themselves, housing, benefits, mental health services and substance abuse treatment. Due to funding constraints there are waiting lists for this vital support. One of the most important aspects of Womens Aids work is their counselling service, as once a survivor has left their abuser one of the main indicators that they may return is whether they attribute of the responsibility for the abuse to themselves or the abuser (Worth and Tiggemann, 1996). The counselling offered examines this. Another indicator of return is the attitude of their family towards their actions (Worth and Tiggemann, 1996) , this is particularly pertinent for women from Black and ethnic minority communities who may face censure from their family and community. Womens Aid also supports those who wish to remain living with their violent partners, helping them to do so in the safest way possible. Womens Aid also works with other agencies representing its service users needs and experiences. Children who live in a home where domestic violence is taking place can be very badly affected and may experience behavioural problems (McFarlane et al, 2003). Although a child may not witness domestic violence they may be aware of it taking place: they may hear it; or witness the resulting injuries. If they do witness domestic violence they may get injured trying to intervene. Research has shown that between thirty and sixty-six percent of children that live in a home where domestic violence is taking place also face abuse themselves (Womens Aid, 2009b). In all of these cases it is more than likely that the child will need counselling to deal with the trauma experienced. Despite all this an abusive parent can still apply through the courts to have contact with their child. It is commonly felt that it is in the best interests of the child to have contact with both parents. When there is the risk of abduction of further abuse of the child an evaluation by an officer from the Children and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) can be made to ascertain whether contact is advisable and is so what nature it should take. Contact may happen in a contact centre. However these centres are usually staffed by volunteers and may not be able to provide the continuous supervision necessary (Womens Aid, 2009d). If the mother does not comply with the contact order because of fears for the childs or her own safety she will be in contempt of court and can face sanctions such as fines, withdrawal of legal aid, transfer of residence and even imprisonment. Womans Aid may also need to refer their service users to drug and alcohol services because women suffering domestic violence are fifteen times more likely to misuse alcohol and those who report domestic abuse are nine times more likely to misuse drugs than women in the general population (Womens Aid, 2009a). This may be because they use drugs and alcohol as a coping mechanism or their abuser has used drugs and alcohol as a means of control (Finney, 2004). Whatever the reasons this further complicates matters for the survivor. As mentioned earlier this can make it more difficult for a survivor to get a place in a refuge. Also it can be a hindrance in reporting domestic violence, as the survivor may fear being stigmatised as an alcoholic or a drug addict (Womens Aid, 2009a). If the survivor wishes to tackle their substance issues this can be difficult as funding for treatment is restricted and many treatment services are male-orientated and may have mixed groups where she may not feel able to discuss those issues affecting her (Womens Aid, 2009a). Another governmental response is attempting to identify potential survivors of domestic violence. As thirty percent of domestic violence starts during pregnancy and domestic violence is the prime cause of miscarriage or stillbirth, and maternal death during childbirth (Womans Aid, 2005b) the government has set up an antenatal screening policy to identify those at risk. This involves providing specialised training for midwives and other healthcare providers to help them encourage pregnant women experiencing domestic violence to disclose this, but it must be done in a safe way and this can be difficult with the, usually, controlling nature of the perpetrator. However it has been found that not all healthcare providers routinely question all patients as they believed that they were able to identify those who were experiencing domestic abuse and would only question those who they felt may be experiencing domestic violence (Jeanjot et al, 2008). Also midwives reported concerns about acces sing support for themselves and colleagues as almost nineteen percent had reported experiencing domestic violence themselves (Barnet, 2005). The Corston Report found that a disproportionate number of female prisoners, when compared to the general population, had suffered domestic violence (Corston, 2007). This may be for a variety of reasons: their abuser forced them to commit crimes; they committed crimes to go to prison and escape the abuse they faced; or they committed the crimes to support their drug and/or alcohol addiction. Whatever the reasons the Corston Report recommended that there should be mandatory provision of support for women who had been raped, abused or experienced domestic abuse in every regional resettlement plan (Corston, 2007). The government has accepted this recommendation and it is part of the Strategic Plan for Reducing Re-Offending, which was launched in spring 2008, and it is hoped that it will help prevent chronic social exclusion (Ministry of Justice, 2007). However it has not been implemented as yet. It has been shown that domestic violence is a highly complex issue where both the perpetrators and survivors tend to have multiple needs that must be addressed. Legislation has tried to meet the needs of people with different life-style choices. It has also been shown that the creation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts has had some success in improving conviction rates and survivor satisfaction, but still needs to address conviction rates amongst Black and ethnic minority defendants. The Integrated Domestic Abuse Programmes have had limited success, due to budgetary restraints causing long delays in perpetrators being placed on a programme and their offending behaviour is difficult to change. Also any other issues the perpetrator may have need to be addressed at the same time. It has been demonstrated that the emphasis on a criminal justice response neglects the majority of cases that are not reported to the police. This can disproportionately affect women from the Black and eth nic minority communities, and those with insecure immigration status as they are less likely to report incidents of domestic violence for various reasons. The emphasis on the criminal justice approach to tackling domestic violence also means that a disproportionate amount of funding is directed away from other important measures, such as refuges and other support services, that could be of more help to the vast majority who decide not to report incidents of domestic violence or do not want to engage with the criminal justice system. This funding could also be used for increased staffing at contact centres to help ensure the safety of children and their mothers, whilst still allowing them to interact with their fathers. Or it could be used for female orientated substance misuse treatment. Extra funding, which could come from other sources such as that allocated for the use of CCTV, could also identify and help other survivors through antenatal screening or within the female prison po pulation. Word Count: 3649 REFERENCES Barnet, C. (2005) Exploring Midwives attitudes to domestic violence screening. British Journal of Midwifery. 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Closing the Achievement Gap Essay -- Education, Minorities

Closing the Academic Achievement Gap Crisis in America The Achievement Gap in America has separated and divided America's youth into more or less, two different cultures of socioeconomic placement. The first being the predominantly Caucasian students at American elementary schools, high schools, and colleges that excel greatly in their education. Most of the time earning them middle to upper class jobs in the economy, the aforementioned group contrasts significantly with its opposite culture of American youth. The second culture, the population that is mostly made up of the minority races, takes it's place in the American education system as the population of students who are less interested in getting a decent education and taking advantage of the resources that are offered, for various underlying reasons. This in turn manufactures less people of this type of culture to be readily available for higher paying jobs, and often times unemployable for a job at all. The Achievement G ap in America is influenced by many cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that separate lower and higher achieving students based on these factors, and leave a high amount of unemployed Americans as a result, if not incarcerated or deceased. The first issue that has been identified as a significant problem involved in the Achievement gap, is that it is partially the fault of America's educational system. Because of the suffering economy that has spurred the increasing lack of basic necessities in schools across America, there are an increasing number of children who are not being properly educated. Whether it is a deficiency in supplies, poor teacher selection, or administration and staff who are indifferent to the students at their sch... ...ell can work together to solidify the learning environment for the student in need and create a better learner as a result. In conclusion, the Academic Achievement has been fueled by society's presets, minority students' lack of effort, and the failures of the schooling system in America. There has been some challenging setbacks, but the Gap can be fixed to create a common ground for all prospective members of America's society to excel on equally. By realizing that change can be achieved, there are little to no limits for minority students to create a better mindset towards education. Students, parents, and teachers have to be willing to work together, as well as tackle obstacles upheld by society, and the economic deficiencies that effect schools across America. This will, in turn, take America one step closer to closing the Academic Achievement Gap in America.

Contrasting Settings in A Midsummer Nights Dream :: comparison compare contrast essays

Contrasting Settings in A Midsummer Night's Dream      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare's play, â€Å"A Midsummer Night's Dream† offers a wonderful contrast in human mentality.   Shakespeare provides insight into man's conflict with the rational versus the emotional characteristics of our behavior through his settings. The rational, logical side is represented by Athens, with its flourishing government and society.   The wilder emotional side is represented by the fairy woods.   Here things do not make sense, and mystical magic takes the place of human logic.   Every impulse may be acted upon without a forethought to there outcome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The city of Athens represents the epitome of civilized man.   Ruled by the laws of man and kept in check by society's own norms.   The human struggle to suppress its unrestrained and irrational tendencies, still being undertaken today, discourages the ‘civilized' man from making rash and foolish actions. Thus every action should have a sound and logical purpose, based on the social norms.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the play, Egeus, the father of Hermia, has thoughtfully chosen what he considers an acceptable mate to wed his daughter.   Egeus most likely based his decision on economic, political, and social factors in his choosing of Demetrius.   He is making a reasonable decision based on Hermia's future in their society.   Unfortunately Hermia is smitten by Lysander and vice versa.   Although her father may have made his decision with every good intension, keeping with the traditional customs of his day, and even perhaps taking into consideration such things as attractiveness, he failed to foresee the desires of his daughter. The young Lysander, who like most young men, cares little for the rules of society, is willing to break tradition and flee Athens to obtain Hermia. Therefore they must leave the rational Athens to enjoy their irrational love.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theseus, the king of Athens, is the highest symbol of law and order in his kingdom.   After winning a war with another kingdom, he chooses to marry their queen, Hippolyta.   His decision may very well have been inspired by love, but the political ramifications of their marriage is a more plausible rationale. In fact Theseus' apparent love for Hippolyta seems almost as an added reward to an already beneficial partnership. Whether any attraction was there or not probably would not have made a difference.   As king, Theseus must place the kingdom before his own feelings.   It simply comes with the position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In short Athens represents the desire to suppress feelings and impulses and to make decisions based on logic.   Thus it does not give the power of raw emotion the true respect it requires, for man is both emotional and rational.