Cafs Half Yearly Notes

CAFS HALF YEARLY NOTES * Parenting & Caring Becoming Parents and Carers: Parenting: The process of raising and nurturing children in a family Caring: The process of looking after the needs and wellbeing of another person due to their age, illness and/or disability Biological parents: The parent who has provided the genetic material, either sperm or ovum, to create a foetus. Pregnancy Planned Pregnancy: Planned pregnancies involve a strategic choice on when to parent * There are physical, emotional and economic impacts that result form this decision * A planned pregnancy is generally better for both the parents and child Unplanned Pregnancy: * May result from poor knowledge about contraception or the fertility cycle or failure with contraception methods * Become pregnant due to a consequence of tragic circumstances such as rape Assisted reproductive technologies: * In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) are examples of assisted reproductive technologie s.This means assistance in terms of expertise and technology is used to aid conception. Social Parents: Many individuals have parenting responsibilities towards a child with whom they do not share a genetic relationship. Adoption: * Adoption is the process by which legal responsibility of parenting of a child is given to a family or parent other than the biological parent. There are 3 types of adoption: 1. The child is already placed with prospective parents, such as a step-parent 2. Local adoption & overseas adoption . Adoption of a child with special needs Legal Implications: * Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) & Family Law Act 1975 (Commonwealth) * All legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from the birth parents to the adoptive parents * The change in parenting is permanent, so the birth parent loses all rights to the child. They may maintain the right to information and contact * The adoptive parents must be either married or in a de-facto relationship; or the step-parent must have lived with the child for 2 years or moreSocial Implications: * Society’s changing attitudes has resulted in fewer adoptions, due to greater acceptance of single mothers & the use of the contraceptive pill * Decision of telling the child that he or she is adopted can be distressing to adoptive parents * The child must overcome feelings of rejection by birth parents * Adoptive child verses the biological child acceptance if the parents have other children Fostering: Fostering provides an alternative living arrangement for children whose parents are temporarily unable to care for them in their family * The caregivers are volunteers who are paid a fortnightly allowance to help them meet the needs of the child * Foster care can range from a few days to a few years and includes: * Temporary care, * Respite care * Pre-adoptive foster care * Long term care * A child must be put into foster care if: * They are considered to be at risk of harm Their basic physical and emotional n eeds are not being met * There may be risk of abuse or exposure to domestic violence Legal Implications: * Foster care is regulated by legislation, such as Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) * Any person fostering children who is not related to them must have a licence to foster. In NSW a license is issued by the Department of Community Services about various parenting issues * The foster carer make medical decisions or take legal proceedings on behalf of the child Social Implications: Carers must encourage contact with the young persons birth family and accept that he or she will most likely return to their birth family * 30% of foster children have been abused in their biological family * Problems between biological family and the foster child may force the foster family to take a restraining order Step Parenting: * When a man or woman married or forms a de-facto relationship with a partner, who has a child or children from previous relationships, they become a step-parent * New family members need to be accepted, roles and responsibilities must be shared Legal Implications: A step parent has no legal responsibility towards the child * A step-parent who has acted as parent to a child for a long time, and who is now being divorced from the biological parent, may have visitation rights if judge decides that is best for the child’s interests * If a child is adopted by a step parent, rights and inheritance from biological parents are lost Social Implications: Community perception often holds that an intact original nuclear family is superior to any variety of blended family; a stepfamily may be seen as ‘deficient’ form of a nuclear family * Conflict can occur between the child and step parent, primary relationships and responsibilities become a blur * Partners may have different visions of family life and parenting styles that may need to be discussed * Poor relationships with step parents are recognised as a sign ificant factor in causing young people to leave home, with unresolved family issuesSurrogacy: * An arrangement made between a couple who cannot have a baby and a woman who gets pregnant on the couples behalf. The child is handed to the couple after delivery * A woman may need a surrogate If she is: * Infertile * Suffers from a serious medical condition * Uncontrollable diabetes * Cardiomyopathy * Moderate renal failure Surrogacy often means IVF treatment as the surrogate mother may use donor ova or sperm or the partners own egg & sperm * The infertile couple must apply to adopt the child to be listed on the birth certificate as the child’s legal parents * The court must get consent from the surrogate mother to give up parental rights Legal Implications: * Surrogacy is legally a ‘grey’ area in NSW, it is neither prohibited or encouraged * Very specific criteria needs to be established for both parties based on a honour agreement that is not legally binding * Payme nt cannot be madeSocial Implications: * The surrogate mother may have an ongoing attachment to the baby after giving birth * If the surrogate mother goes back on the agreement, there may be great disappointment between the parties * Community accepted may be mixed, as surrogacy isn’t a widely accepted practice * Surrogacy is very costly and may affect the parents economically * Social parents may change their mind and leave the baby with the surrogate mother who may not have the adequate resources or family support Carer Relationships:Carers are people who look after the needs and wellbeing of another person due to their age, illness and/or disability. Carers may be paid or unpaid. Many circumstances may be planned and lead to a person requiring care, these included: * A planned pregnancy * Adoption or fostering * Grand parenting * Looking after an aged parent Some circumstances may be unplanned and are unexpected and thus afford fewer preparations: * An unplanned pregnancy * Grand parenting * Health problems * Accident * Birth abnormalities When the caring role has been planned, decision-making will most likely be difficult-especially during initial stages * Both planned and unplanned care may require the primary carer to reallocate household roles Voluntary Carers: * Voluntary carers are unpaid, they are regularly family members (parents, partners, siblings, friends or children) * Carers may undertake the caring role for a few hours a week or all day everyday * Some carers are eligible for government benefits * Voluntary carers are often women, with 71% of primary carers & 54% of all carers in Australia being women Paid Carers: Paid carers undertake the role of caring as a form of employment and therefore receive financial payment * Types of paid carers can include: * Family day carer * Nanny * Doctor * Foster carer * Teacher * Nurse * Palliative carer Managing Parenting and Caring Responsibilities: * With effective management strategies, a person is more likely to be able to achieve goals * Physical, social, emotional and economic changes will need to occur during preparations for becoming a parent or carer Physical preparations:Biological Parenting: * Optimise physical health before conception and during pregnancy * Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and develop awareness of special needs during pregnancy * No use of alcohol or tobacco and other drugs * Participate in regular exercise * Attend regular paternal courses to learn about physical and emotional needs during pregnancy and birth * Attend regular appointments with a general practitioner to monitor the baby’s growth and development and undertake ultra sounds and other tests Social Parenting: The physical preparations for social parenting are often similar to the first 4 points of biological parenting Caring: * Participate in regular exercise to maintain optimum physical & emotional health * Maintain a healthy, balanced diet to ensure physical needs are met as cari ng can place a strain on wellbeing * Practise safe lifting skills to assist with the mobility needs of the dependent * Practise how to give an injection or use an oxygen mask * Investigate and install physical aids in the home, such as railings and ramps Social preparations:Biological Parenting: * Attend prenatal classes to meet others in the same situation- these friendships may continue after delivery * Investigate child friendly social activities in the local area * Locate parenting groups in the community * Organise baby free-time with partner Social Parenting: * Develop relationships with other parents, such as through child’s sport and recreational activities * Locate parenting groups in the local community * Arrange child-free time with partner to develop and maintain own relationship Caring: * Enlist the support of family members Identify necessary support groups, such as carers of people with dementia or cancer * Be aware of support groups, that cater for cultural an d language differences * Let close friends know about the situation Emotional preparations: Biological Parenting: * Discuss moods and emotions with partner, family & friends * Investigate and practice relationship techniques Social Parenting: * Discuss the concerns, fears and thoughts with the partner and other parents to identify with others and gain insight into possible actions and solutions * Recognise if help is required from a formal or informal support network Caring: Enlist in a support group to deal with varied emotions * Make friends with others in a similar situation-often carers lose touch with family and friends * Grieve for changed personal situation but be aware of potential for depression and sources of help Economic preparations: Biological Parenting: * Plan for financial management; prepare and stick to a budget * Analyse and adjust finances, such as mortgage payments * Investigate maternity and paternity leave and provisions in the workplace * Investigate payments from Centrelink Social Parenting: * These actions are similar to the ones above Caring: Plan for financial management; prepare and stick to a budget * Analyse and adjust finances, such as mortgage payments * Investigate leave provisions in the workplace Factors influencing resource management in the caring relationship: * The values and goals of parents and carers within relationships, such as families, provide the incentive for management and will therefore impact decision-making * Age, skills & capabilities and special needs of the dependent will influence both the resources identified by the parent or the carer and the strategies selected to effectively manage their parenting or caring role Age: The age and maturity of the dependent will determine the level of care required * If a child has a disability or illness, it may not be possible to leave them on their own at any time * An aged person may not require care just because they are elderly Skills & Capabilities: * Once the de pendent has developed a variety of personal skills and capabilities, it will be possible for he or she to contribute to the relationship and management resources * Skills may need to be interchanged or substitutedSpecial Needs: * Special needs can refer to those of the dependent or the carer and can affect what services are needed either temporarily or permanent * Modifications mays be needed for housing in the form of ramps and railings * The parent may have the special needs and the young person is responsible to act as a carer * Services such as Centrelink payments may be required Resources: * The resources that require management and prioritisation most often are time, energy, finance and housing. Access to services such as support networks is vital * Negotiating and using these resources can lead to difficulties in the caring relationship Time: * The personal care of dependents, such as feeding and washing * Developing close relationships * Communicating and sharing activities * Personal pursuits (transporting children to sports training) Energy: * Feeding, changing and playing with infants * Transporting adolescents to leisure activities Shopping and providing house maintenance for an aged parent * Feeding and lifting a child, such as one with a cerebral palsy Finance: * Finance is required to access many other resources required for parenting and caring such as material goods and formal support networks * Circumstances of the dependent relationship will determine the demands on finances Housing: * Suitable housing is required to meet the needs of the dependent and carer * The family home may require modification Other housing choices can include a hostel or nursing home Access to Services: * Educational: schools and pre schools * Health: doctors, hospitals, early childhood centres * Homecare assistance: Meals on Wheels, home care * Recreational: libraries, sporting clubs and dance groups * Financial: Centrelink * Housing: Department of Housing, nursing homes and hostels, Ronald McDonald houses * Transport: community transport, maxi-taxis * Spiritual: church, synagogues, mosques Management strategies: The actions that will assist when the management of a specific situation is required * Strategies may be utilised together to achieve the desired goal: * Management decisions involve the use of resources to achieve goals * The two most important factors that affect decision-making are the values of the family and the resources available to them * Values determine that goals will be set and resources determine how well the goals will be achieved * Management strategies that are a starting point for action as the need to be applied to situations that are in need of managing: * Identifying values Setting and prioritising goals * Establishing standards * Identifying resources and using them wisely * Maintaining a positive attitude * Encouraging cooperation * Aiming to have flexible attitudes when necessary * Sharing role allocation * Havi ng effective time management * Developing sound planning procedures * Establishing routines * Using a problem-solving approach Recognising ‘change’ not whether it is good or bad Parenting and caring relationships: Roles in Parenting and caring: * A variety of people play a role of parenting and caring within society. This role is associated with meeting the needs and wellbeing of the individual in care, as well as modelling behaviour that is acceptable to the wider society. Individuals and groups who adopt roles: Parents: Biological and social parents play an important role, the importance of providing love, support and encouragement as well as providing physical needs * Overtime the parenting role is increasingly shared between parents compared to the past as the female taking responsibility of the care of the child at home * Non- custodial parent: the one who may have the child visit on the weekends and holidays parents (divorced/separated parents)Grandparents: * Chil d-rearing: passing on family traditions and culture * Children develop special affection for and interest in their grandparents * Increase emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, self-confidence * Grandparents may meet the needs of family members by assisting in childcare for their grandchildren * Valuable in providing economic, social & emotional support Relatives, including siblings: Members form extended family can provide support to parents by being alternative role models meaning for sporting activities or leisure * Many adolescents take on responsibility for younger siblings baby sitting, transport, cooking Teachers, including childcare staff: * Physical needs providing play activities and encouraging a balanced diet * Intellectual needs teaching skills and knowledge * Social needs providing encouragement and support in learning to work ith others, following school rules and resolving conflict * Cultural needs teaching children about the culture in which the way they live, history & traditions * Emotional needs developing self-esteem of students through recognition and rewards, as well as teaching resilience and coping skills * Spiritual needs some schools a particular faith is taught and students have the opportunity for prayer, worship and fellowship Paid Carers: The most convenient and expensive form of childcare is a nanny, the child can develop a bond with parents are constantly absent * Carers provide assistance to the aged, chronically ill or disabled Homecare helping with cooking and housework Significant others: * Doctor can provide immunisation and treat illnesses within children or assist with mental health issues * Neighbours and friends may provide practical assistance or occasional care for children if parent needs to run an errand * Social workers improve the socio-emotional wellbeing of a child or dependent by explaining the situation.The assist with the child, dependent, parent or carer to develop strategies to deal with hard situations Signif icance of gender roles and parenting: * The mothers roles was originally: nurturing and feeding while the father was the provider and the disciplinarian * It has dramatically changed. E. g. fathers can receive paternity leave, to allow the bonding process with his child to begin earlier. Men also participate in more tasks at home to make sure the household functions correctly * Discipline and financial providers are seen as more shared responsibilities in contemporary familiesFactors influencing parenting and caring relationships: Age: * Age of parents and carers can influence the relationships developed with those in their care * With age comes experience * Older adults may have carefully planned for parenting to occur at a time when finances and relationships are stable * Size of age gap can influence the relationship when the age gap is smaller, closer relationships can develop Culture and religion: Many people are born into a culture which beliefs and customs are passed from one generation to another * Persons culture can be significant influence on nurturing and the development of parenting and caring relationships as sharing culture and belief can be a source of bonding * In the multicultural society conflict can erupt in relationships when cultural norms are different to one another * Adolescence and early adulthood can be a time when people are searching for identity, with religious exploration being a part of the process * Carers need to respect the religion and values of their dependents observant of their faith Education: * The form of education may very from formal schooling to specific courses offered at TAFE. An educated parent or carer is more likely to be aware of support services available and have the confidence to use them * If a carer is formally qualified or has significant experience in caring, the dependent will usually have a higher quality of care offered Gender: * Because of socialisation, people of different genders behave distinctly and this carries through parenting and caring roles * A child’s concept of ‘female’ and ‘male’ develops from observing parents behaviour * Demonstrating flexibility in household responsibilities linked to gender roles, reflects in less conflict and greater cooperation * Expectations of parents hold for their children will influence their interaction with them and the other gender * In caring professions such as nursing, teaching and social welfare majority are females Previous experience and upbringing: If a person comes from a positive family life and experiences this will be repeated for their own children feel more secure and valued and leading to stronger bonds * Negative experiences may lead the parent to reconsider the values from their own experience and upbringing Socioeconomic Status: * Is influenced by the income received, level of education & the occupation of the parents * Some parents with high incomes are forced to work longer hours wi th less involvement in their children’s lives * A lower socioeconomic family enjoys low-cost recreational activities, such as bowling or camping opportunities for effective bonding and communication Media: The media pervades all aspects of life in our society, individuals are exposed to behaviours and opinions that are expressed on television, radio & internet * Parenting and caring relationships may emulate interactions in relationships in the media without even realising that they are doing so * Internet websites such as Facebook and MySpace can interrupt with ‘family time’ Style of parenting: Authoritarian: * characterises a demanding and inflexible parent who usually has a preconceived goal to achieve * allow children to put little input into decisions that may affect them * this can result in the child being resentful and distant * ‘My way or the highway’ Democratic: * this style invites all family members to have a say in decisions made * child ren feel appreciated, especially when their ideas form part of the solution Cafs Half Yearly Notes CAFS HALF YEARLY NOTES * Parenting & Caring Becoming Parents and Carers: Parenting: The process of raising and nurturing children in a family Caring: The process of looking after the needs and wellbeing of another person due to their age, illness and/or disability Biological parents: The parent who has provided the genetic material, either sperm or ovum, to create a foetus. Pregnancy Planned Pregnancy: Planned pregnancies involve a strategic choice on when to parent * There are physical, emotional and economic impacts that result form this decision * A planned pregnancy is generally better for both the parents and child Unplanned Pregnancy: * May result from poor knowledge about contraception or the fertility cycle or failure with contraception methods * Become pregnant due to a consequence of tragic circumstances such as rape Assisted reproductive technologies: * In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and gamete intra-fallopian transfer (GIFT) are examples of assisted reproductive technologie s.This means assistance in terms of expertise and technology is used to aid conception. Social Parents: Many individuals have parenting responsibilities towards a child with whom they do not share a genetic relationship. Adoption: * Adoption is the process by which legal responsibility of parenting of a child is given to a family or parent other than the biological parent. There are 3 types of adoption: 1. The child is already placed with prospective parents, such as a step-parent 2. Local adoption & overseas adoption . Adoption of a child with special needs Legal Implications: * Adoption Act 2000 (NSW) & Family Law Act 1975 (Commonwealth) * All legal rights and responsibilities are transferred from the birth parents to the adoptive parents * The change in parenting is permanent, so the birth parent loses all rights to the child. They may maintain the right to information and contact * The adoptive parents must be either married or in a de-facto relationship; or the step-parent must have lived with the child for 2 years or moreSocial Implications: * Society’s changing attitudes has resulted in fewer adoptions, due to greater acceptance of single mothers & the use of the contraceptive pill * Decision of telling the child that he or she is adopted can be distressing to adoptive parents * The child must overcome feelings of rejection by birth parents * Adoptive child verses the biological child acceptance if the parents have other children Fostering: Fostering provides an alternative living arrangement for children whose parents are temporarily unable to care for them in their family * The caregivers are volunteers who are paid a fortnightly allowance to help them meet the needs of the child * Foster care can range from a few days to a few years and includes: * Temporary care, * Respite care * Pre-adoptive foster care * Long term care * A child must be put into foster care if: * They are considered to be at risk of harm Their basic physical and emotional n eeds are not being met * There may be risk of abuse or exposure to domestic violence Legal Implications: * Foster care is regulated by legislation, such as Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) * Any person fostering children who is not related to them must have a licence to foster. In NSW a license is issued by the Department of Community Services about various parenting issues * The foster carer make medical decisions or take legal proceedings on behalf of the child Social Implications: Carers must encourage contact with the young persons birth family and accept that he or she will most likely return to their birth family * 30% of foster children have been abused in their biological family * Problems between biological family and the foster child may force the foster family to take a restraining order Step Parenting: * When a man or woman married or forms a de-facto relationship with a partner, who has a child or children from previous relationships, they become a step-parent * New family members need to be accepted, roles and responsibilities must be shared Legal Implications: A step parent has no legal responsibility towards the child * A step-parent who has acted as parent to a child for a long time, and who is now being divorced from the biological parent, may have visitation rights if judge decides that is best for the child’s interests * If a child is adopted by a step parent, rights and inheritance from biological parents are lost Social Implications: Community perception often holds that an intact original nuclear family is superior to any variety of blended family; a stepfamily may be seen as ‘deficient’ form of a nuclear family * Conflict can occur between the child and step parent, primary relationships and responsibilities become a blur * Partners may have different visions of family life and parenting styles that may need to be discussed * Poor relationships with step parents are recognised as a sign ificant factor in causing young people to leave home, with unresolved family issuesSurrogacy: * An arrangement made between a couple who cannot have a baby and a woman who gets pregnant on the couples behalf. The child is handed to the couple after delivery * A woman may need a surrogate If she is: * Infertile * Suffers from a serious medical condition * Uncontrollable diabetes * Cardiomyopathy * Moderate renal failure Surrogacy often means IVF treatment as the surrogate mother may use donor ova or sperm or the partners own egg & sperm * The infertile couple must apply to adopt the child to be listed on the birth certificate as the child’s legal parents * The court must get consent from the surrogate mother to give up parental rights Legal Implications: * Surrogacy is legally a ‘grey’ area in NSW, it is neither prohibited or encouraged * Very specific criteria needs to be established for both parties based on a honour agreement that is not legally binding * Payme nt cannot be madeSocial Implications: * The surrogate mother may have an ongoing attachment to the baby after giving birth * If the surrogate mother goes back on the agreement, there may be great disappointment between the parties * Community accepted may be mixed, as surrogacy isn’t a widely accepted practice * Surrogacy is very costly and may affect the parents economically * Social parents may change their mind and leave the baby with the surrogate mother who may not have the adequate resources or family support Carer Relationships:Carers are people who look after the needs and wellbeing of another person due to their age, illness and/or disability. Carers may be paid or unpaid. Many circumstances may be planned and lead to a person requiring care, these included: * A planned pregnancy * Adoption or fostering * Grand parenting * Looking after an aged parent Some circumstances may be unplanned and are unexpected and thus afford fewer preparations: * An unplanned pregnancy * Grand parenting * Health problems * Accident * Birth abnormalities When the caring role has been planned, decision-making will most likely be difficult-especially during initial stages * Both planned and unplanned care may require the primary carer to reallocate household roles Voluntary Carers: * Voluntary carers are unpaid, they are regularly family members (parents, partners, siblings, friends or children) * Carers may undertake the caring role for a few hours a week or all day everyday * Some carers are eligible for government benefits * Voluntary carers are often women, with 71% of primary carers & 54% of all carers in Australia being women Paid Carers: Paid carers undertake the role of caring as a form of employment and therefore receive financial payment * Types of paid carers can include: * Family day carer * Nanny * Doctor * Foster carer * Teacher * Nurse * Palliative carer Managing Parenting and Caring Responsibilities: * With effective management strategies, a person is more likely to be able to achieve goals * Physical, social, emotional and economic changes will need to occur during preparations for becoming a parent or carer Physical preparations:Biological Parenting: * Optimise physical health before conception and during pregnancy * Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and develop awareness of special needs during pregnancy * No use of alcohol or tobacco and other drugs * Participate in regular exercise * Attend regular paternal courses to learn about physical and emotional needs during pregnancy and birth * Attend regular appointments with a general practitioner to monitor the baby’s growth and development and undertake ultra sounds and other tests Social Parenting: The physical preparations for social parenting are often similar to the first 4 points of biological parenting Caring: * Participate in regular exercise to maintain optimum physical & emotional health * Maintain a healthy, balanced diet to ensure physical needs are met as cari ng can place a strain on wellbeing * Practise safe lifting skills to assist with the mobility needs of the dependent * Practise how to give an injection or use an oxygen mask * Investigate and install physical aids in the home, such as railings and ramps Social preparations:Biological Parenting: * Attend prenatal classes to meet others in the same situation- these friendships may continue after delivery * Investigate child friendly social activities in the local area * Locate parenting groups in the community * Organise baby free-time with partner Social Parenting: * Develop relationships with other parents, such as through child’s sport and recreational activities * Locate parenting groups in the local community * Arrange child-free time with partner to develop and maintain own relationship Caring: * Enlist the support of family members Identify necessary support groups, such as carers of people with dementia or cancer * Be aware of support groups, that cater for cultural an d language differences * Let close friends know about the situation Emotional preparations: Biological Parenting: * Discuss moods and emotions with partner, family & friends * Investigate and practice relationship techniques Social Parenting: * Discuss the concerns, fears and thoughts with the partner and other parents to identify with others and gain insight into possible actions and solutions * Recognise if help is required from a formal or informal support network Caring: Enlist in a support group to deal with varied emotions * Make friends with others in a similar situation-often carers lose touch with family and friends * Grieve for changed personal situation but be aware of potential for depression and sources of help Economic preparations: Biological Parenting: * Plan for financial management; prepare and stick to a budget * Analyse and adjust finances, such as mortgage payments * Investigate maternity and paternity leave and provisions in the workplace * Investigate payments from Centrelink Social Parenting: * These actions are similar to the ones above Caring: Plan for financial management; prepare and stick to a budget * Analyse and adjust finances, such as mortgage payments * Investigate leave provisions in the workplace Factors influencing resource management in the caring relationship: * The values and goals of parents and carers within relationships, such as families, provide the incentive for management and will therefore impact decision-making * Age, skills & capabilities and special needs of the dependent will influence both the resources identified by the parent or the carer and the strategies selected to effectively manage their parenting or caring role Age: The age and maturity of the dependent will determine the level of care required * If a child has a disability or illness, it may not be possible to leave them on their own at any time * An aged person may not require care just because they are elderly Skills & Capabilities: * Once the de pendent has developed a variety of personal skills and capabilities, it will be possible for he or she to contribute to the relationship and management resources * Skills may need to be interchanged or substitutedSpecial Needs: * Special needs can refer to those of the dependent or the carer and can affect what services are needed either temporarily or permanent * Modifications mays be needed for housing in the form of ramps and railings * The parent may have the special needs and the young person is responsible to act as a carer * Services such as Centrelink payments may be required Resources: * The resources that require management and prioritisation most often are time, energy, finance and housing. Access to services such as support networks is vital * Negotiating and using these resources can lead to difficulties in the caring relationship Time: * The personal care of dependents, such as feeding and washing * Developing close relationships * Communicating and sharing activities * Personal pursuits (transporting children to sports training) Energy: * Feeding, changing and playing with infants * Transporting adolescents to leisure activities Shopping and providing house maintenance for an aged parent * Feeding and lifting a child, such as one with a cerebral palsy Finance: * Finance is required to access many other resources required for parenting and caring such as material goods and formal support networks * Circumstances of the dependent relationship will determine the demands on finances Housing: * Suitable housing is required to meet the needs of the dependent and carer * The family home may require modification Other housing choices can include a hostel or nursing home Access to Services: * Educational: schools and pre schools * Health: doctors, hospitals, early childhood centres * Homecare assistance: Meals on Wheels, home care * Recreational: libraries, sporting clubs and dance groups * Financial: Centrelink * Housing: Department of Housing, nursing homes and hostels, Ronald McDonald houses * Transport: community transport, maxi-taxis * Spiritual: church, synagogues, mosques Management strategies: The actions that will assist when the management of a specific situation is required * Strategies may be utilised together to achieve the desired goal: * Management decisions involve the use of resources to achieve goals * The two most important factors that affect decision-making are the values of the family and the resources available to them * Values determine that goals will be set and resources determine how well the goals will be achieved * Management strategies that are a starting point for action as the need to be applied to situations that are in need of managing: * Identifying values Setting and prioritising goals * Establishing standards * Identifying resources and using them wisely * Maintaining a positive attitude * Encouraging cooperation * Aiming to have flexible attitudes when necessary * Sharing role allocation * Havi ng effective time management * Developing sound planning procedures * Establishing routines * Using a problem-solving approach Recognising ‘change’ not whether it is good or bad Parenting and caring relationships: Roles in Parenting and caring: * A variety of people play a role of parenting and caring within society. This role is associated with meeting the needs and wellbeing of the individual in care, as well as modelling behaviour that is acceptable to the wider society. Individuals and groups who adopt roles: Parents: Biological and social parents play an important role, the importance of providing love, support and encouragement as well as providing physical needs * Overtime the parenting role is increasingly shared between parents compared to the past as the female taking responsibility of the care of the child at home * Non- custodial parent: the one who may have the child visit on the weekends and holidays parents (divorced/separated parents)Grandparents: * Chil d-rearing: passing on family traditions and culture * Children develop special affection for and interest in their grandparents * Increase emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, self-confidence * Grandparents may meet the needs of family members by assisting in childcare for their grandchildren * Valuable in providing economic, social & emotional support Relatives, including siblings: Members form extended family can provide support to parents by being alternative role models meaning for sporting activities or leisure * Many adolescents take on responsibility for younger siblings baby sitting, transport, cooking Teachers, including childcare staff: * Physical needs providing play activities and encouraging a balanced diet * Intellectual needs teaching skills and knowledge * Social needs providing encouragement and support in learning to work ith others, following school rules and resolving conflict * Cultural needs teaching children about the culture in which the way they live, history & traditions * Emotional needs developing self-esteem of students through recognition and rewards, as well as teaching resilience and coping skills * Spiritual needs some schools a particular faith is taught and students have the opportunity for prayer, worship and fellowship Paid Carers: The most convenient and expensive form of childcare is a nanny, the child can develop a bond with parents are constantly absent * Carers provide assistance to the aged, chronically ill or disabled Homecare helping with cooking and housework Significant others: * Doctor can provide immunisation and treat illnesses within children or assist with mental health issues * Neighbours and friends may provide practical assistance or occasional care for children if parent needs to run an errand * Social workers improve the socio-emotional wellbeing of a child or dependent by explaining the situation.The assist with the child, dependent, parent or carer to develop strategies to deal with hard situations Signif icance of gender roles and parenting: * The mothers roles was originally: nurturing and feeding while the father was the provider and the disciplinarian * It has dramatically changed. E. g. fathers can receive paternity leave, to allow the bonding process with his child to begin earlier. Men also participate in more tasks at home to make sure the household functions correctly * Discipline and financial providers are seen as more shared responsibilities in contemporary familiesFactors influencing parenting and caring relationships: Age: * Age of parents and carers can influence the relationships developed with those in their care * With age comes experience * Older adults may have carefully planned for parenting to occur at a time when finances and relationships are stable * Size of age gap can influence the relationship when the age gap is smaller, closer relationships can develop Culture and religion: Many people are born into a culture which beliefs and customs are passed from one generation to another * Persons culture can be significant influence on nurturing and the development of parenting and caring relationships as sharing culture and belief can be a source of bonding * In the multicultural society conflict can erupt in relationships when cultural norms are different to one another * Adolescence and early adulthood can be a time when people are searching for identity, with religious exploration being a part of the process * Carers need to respect the religion and values of their dependents observant of their faith Education: * The form of education may very from formal schooling to specific courses offered at TAFE. An educated parent or carer is more likely to be aware of support services available and have the confidence to use them * If a carer is formally qualified or has significant experience in caring, the dependent will usually have a higher quality of care offered Gender: * Because of socialisation, people of different genders behave distinctly and this carries through parenting and caring roles * A child’s concept of ‘female’ and ‘male’ develops from observing parents behaviour * Demonstrating flexibility in household responsibilities linked to gender roles, reflects in less conflict and greater cooperation * Expectations of parents hold for their children will influence their interaction with them and the other gender * In caring professions such as nursing, teaching and social welfare majority are females Previous experience and upbringing: If a person comes from a positive family life and experiences this will be repeated for their own children feel more secure and valued and leading to stronger bonds * Negative experiences may lead the parent to reconsider the values from their own experience and upbringing Socioeconomic Status: * Is influenced by the income received, level of education & the occupation of the parents * Some parents with high incomes are forced to work longer hours wi th less involvement in their children’s lives * A lower socioeconomic family enjoys low-cost recreational activities, such as bowling or camping opportunities for effective bonding and communication Media: The media pervades all aspects of life in our society, individuals are exposed to behaviours and opinions that are expressed on television, radio & internet * Parenting and caring relationships may emulate interactions in relationships in the media without even realising that they are doing so * Internet websites such as Facebook and MySpace can interrupt with ‘family time’ Style of parenting: Authoritarian: * characterises a demanding and inflexible parent who usually has a preconceived goal to achieve * allow children to put little input into decisions that may affect them * this can result in the child being resentful and distant * ‘My way or the highway’ Democratic: * this style invites all family members to have a say in decisions made * child ren feel appreciated, especially when their ideas form part of the solution

Schools as Organisations

6. 2 Explain the role of schools in national policies relating to children, young people and families. As part of the National Governments incentive to help provide backing and encouragement to practitioners in schools 2 new funding programmes were introduced by the Department for Children, Schools and Families as part f the Government Children Plan. These programmes; Every Child a Talker (ECAT) and Social and Emotional Aspects of Development (SEAD). These were launched to increase the skills of early year’s specialists and were a part of the government’s wider pledge to the education workforce development. These packages were designed to address the need for children in schools to experience a language rich setting through staff in ensuring that they work successfully with both parents and families. Through SEAD, staff in schools would gain the knowledge and understanding to help engage parents more effectively in order for them to be better prepared to support their child’s social and emotional needs. It was the abuse and ultimate death of Victoria Climbie in 2000 which prompted changes in children’s services. The Every Child Matters paper set out a national agenda and plan with the aim of providing more services that were accessible for the needs of children, young people and families which stated that schools and other child care providers must demonstrate ways that they could work towards each of the outcomes. The 5 key aims and intentions were; Be healthy: schools needed to play a leading part in health education towards children and young people which included questioning the significance of snacks and the nutritional contents of school meals, as well as enabling children to enjoy a good physical and mental health by being part of a healthy lifestyle. Stay safe: a survey among 11~16 year olds in mainstream schools claimed that almost 46% had been the victim of some form of bullying, in order to break these statistics it is vital that pupils need to feel that they are being protected in school, in order for schools to do this they must continue to make behaviour management and anti bullying an significant issue. Enjoy and achieve: in order for students to get the most out of life and develop the necessary skills for adulthood children and young people must enjoy their lives and achieve their potential. In order for schools to assist with this they must make improvements in failings across different ethnic groups and unauthorised absences that are unacceptable. Contribute: children and young people need to be involved in their community rather than involve themselves in anti social behaviour. Schools can teach children the ethics of social responsibility and a feeling of ‘belonging’ by providing link to a pupils own community and how they can become a part of it. Achieve a good standard of living: children and young people with parents who are unemployed or existing on low incomes must be encouraged to aspire to a better career and lifestyle for themselves. Schools can develop strategies to enable all students to reach their full potential. At Parkhill School we are part of a walk to school programme which encourages pupils at the school to walk rather than take other forms of transport, for every child who participates they are awarded with a different badge at the end of each month which they proudly display on their bags. We also are part of War Child International; this is a charity which works across the world to support children that are affected by war. Each Christmas the children at our school are asked to provide a shoe box filled with items that would be suitable for a child living in a war torn country. The children feel a great deal of fulfilment and happiness when they know they are helping a child and that gives them a sense of realization about children who have a lot less than themselves

All that glitters isnt gold

We be a nation of immigrants. in-migration has evermore been a fundamental part of the Statesn account statement because immigrants substantiate been coming in to America ever since it was discovered. This counter became unfeignedly big generator in the twentieth ascorbic acid when a huge influx of immigrants came from Ireland , Italy , Germany , and many other European countries at the same time. Fleeing cut down failure, land and job shortages, go up taxes, and famine, they came to the join States because they believed it was the land of economical opportunity. Others came seeking somebodyal liberty or relief from semipolitical and religious persecution. My own family migrated from Germany approximately flipper generations ago on 1844. Recently I plant a letter scripted by my great-great grandfather closely 4 generations ago, dated revered 20th, 1882, during the first big swing of immigration. His letter was addressed to family in Ohio and detailed his voyage to America and explained what he experiences  is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers! His letter was alter with details about his jobs and culture practices in Minnesota where he settled. Times were hard and he had to pop off during the daytime at a brand name mill and self-employed person as a work whenever he could. Life was unreactive for every immigrant looking for success, exhausting to settle down in areas where their previous countrymen had settled. Many go about discrimination because they were different and employers didnt pay them as oft as the native innate(p) in America hitherto though immigrants were looked down upon, they machinate significant contributions to the development of America . Many have let the cat out of the bag that thanks to the immigrants, our economy has self-aggrandising tremendously, U. S. demographics have changed, and a new increase in ball-shaped development and international communication theory has made earth.

Describe and discuss how OSHA makes use of Section 5(a)(1) of the Act Assignment

Describe and discuss how OSHA makes use of Section 5(a)(1) of the Act - Assignment Example 1). For the clause to be invoked, there must be a hazard that is existing although there are consensus standards (as agreed upon) which exposes an employee to potential physical injury or even possibly serious harm such as hospitalization or death. Hazard here means danger, and it is quite subjective but as long as there is potential injury or harm, then a hazardous situation exists. The hazard must be recognized or evident, such as a construction worker who is above a scaffold that is ten feet high but working without a safety belt or no rails were being provided by the construction company. The law requires safety measures (belt or rails) for anyone who works at more than six feet in any construction-related project to prevent accidental falls. A fall at more than six feet height is very likely to cause serious physical harm, such as a broken arm, broken leg or a broken neck (resulting in paralysis) or even much worse, death (if the worker happens to fall head first). Just because no accident has happened yet does not mean a hazard does not exist, and the General Duty Clause is precisely intended to prevent accidents. The employer (construction firm) must provide abatement measures that will reduce or eliminate the hazard from an accidental fall, such as issuing safety belts or building those rails. It is feasible or easily doable by the company but may entail some additional expense on its

WK2_mketing_VALS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WK2_mketing_VALS - Essay Example The survey results will show the main features of a customer: conservative or liberal, intellectual or a working man, prefer innovation or stick to old products. Translating marketing information into intelligence requires three related general functions: surveillance, assessment, and prediction. This activity consists of observing the reports of marketing occurrences, discerning patterns and deviations from standards, and trying to make sense out of them. Surveillance serves two ends: it indicates likely trends and changes in the marketplace and then suggests what must be known and done to meet the changes. Assessment attempts to evaluate more specific knowledge of particular opportunities, or competitors capabilities and vulnerabilities. Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses of specific competitors supplies the basis for developing ones own marketing strategies and programs. Predictions provide a dimension of futurity that makes intelligence relevant for planned decisions. The surv ey shows that the company has area intelligence, which is concerned more with localized details and shorter-run aspects of the marketing-activities programs. It is of particular value to marketing personnel in specialized or functional areas, since they deal directly with operations but lack policymaking responsibility. For example, area intelligence guides the actual recruitment, selection, training, and direction of salesmen; the determination of specific prices and advertising programs; and the specification of product qualities (Paley, 87). The survey results will show a need in new products and designs and ability of customers to perceive innovations. The survey will determine the character of a consumer and his life style. Both the quality of the raw data and the effectiveness of the primary analysis determine the kind of marketing information that will be derived. Data must be sorted, classified,

Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Literacy - Essay Example Functional literacy's popularity, that since formulations by UNESCO in the 1940s is based upon the assumption that it is of great practical importance as it enables access to work and economic security. Functional literacy occupies a place at the low extreme of a literacy continuum on which cultural and critical forms of literacy occupy the high extreme. High forms of literacy are associated with high order cognition (abstraction, logical reasoning, simultaneous consideration of several ideas and wisdom beyond knowledge) but significant ideological differences separate cultural literacy and critical literacy (McLaren, 2001). Cultural literacy is a contemporary version of the classical paradigm in that it focusses upon the transmission of mainstream linguistic and cultural knowledge. Critical literacy is a refinement and extension of the progressive paradigm and is concerned with 'decoding the ideological dimensions of texts, institutions, social practices and cultural forms such as television and film, in order to reveal their selective interests' (McLaren, 2001: p. 213). Within the critical paradigm, attention is given to reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, speaking, listening, viewing, etc. only in so far as they enable one to use language critically and intentionally to serve one's own purposes. The term of 'literacy' has been chosen for a number

High school graduation speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

High school graduation speech - Essay Example The failure of the reconciliation attempts through compromises of 1820 and 1850 only emphasized the vulnerability of the situation. With the battle for economic supremacy between the north and the south not reaching any resolve, the war had to eventually break in 1860. The country had managed to achieve reconciliation in the Missouri statehood crisis, the Philadelphia Convention, and the tariff cries of 1828, 1832 and 1850. However, the failure to reach a compromise is 1860 was based on the difference of with the other situations. For instance, the concerns of the entire nation on the Revolutionary War, Congress funding and the nation’s bankruptcy caused the whole nation to compromise and pull together. However, the events leading to the Civil War were not going to lead to any meaningful compromise among the parties. According to Woodman (2009), compromise was unattainable in 1860 because the possible measures would mean the Union losing more in the compromise than the Confederate State of America and vice versa.For instance, the South felt that the abolishment of slavery would negatively impact on their booming cotton business. This move would significantly reduce their economic superiority.The North had received an influx of immigrants from Europe who could offer labor at reduced wages thus no need for slaves. The moral conflict between these regions was interpreted by the South as an attempt by the North to affect is plantation production. The reason why a compromise was reached in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 was the common cry for liberty across the nation. The Missouri statehood crisis was resolved by ensuring that each party got what they wanted.The ‘one slave, one free’ rule ensured that a balance was maintained and the South and North were equally satisfied. However, the lack of commonalities between the North and South meant that none was willing to reach a compromise.Despite

Student action plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Student action plan - Essay Example d kind of living that is dedicated towards a reduction on the use and exploitation of the natural resources as well as personal resources in order to save them (Fiksel 5330). There are many importances of sustainability and to an individual and the community; it guarantees a clean and healthy environment. One of the goals of sustainability is reduction of pollution by using recyclable resources so that they can be absorbed back into nature. When inorganic materials are used especially in industries, the by-products from manufacturing accumulate in rivers, soils and air. Accumulation of these materials that are not biodegradable leads to pollution of the environment which causes health problems. On a large scale, sustainability is important to a nation in terms of production and feeding its population in that it enables governments to continue sustaining its citizens. In the long run, future generations will be able to access these same natural resources which have been recycled (5331). My educational and professional goals revolve around understanding the basic principles of environmental sustainability which is important for life sustenance on earth. In this regards, the ecosystem knowledge learned in this class is important for application in my environmental career in future. Take for instance the design and successful implementation of sustainable systems is predicated upon the knowledge on how ecosystems work for continuity purposes. It would be my pleasure to study the nature in future so that I can fully understand how it responds to changes of anthropological impacts within it (Fiksel 5333). Minimization of anthropological impacts on the natural ecosystem and organisms living within it entails living a sustainable lifestyle. A sustainable lifestyle advocates for a conservative approach to the use of natural and personal resources. By living such a lifestyle, the self ceases to be important and much attention is given to our surroundings in terms of both

Answer the Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Answer the Questions - Assignment Example Random error occurs within the experiment itself. Bias is systematic errors in an epidemiologic study that brings an incorrect estimate of the connection between exposures and outcomes. Bias can be divided into categories that is the selection, and information bias. Selection bias occurs when selection into a study gives results that are different from what is expected if the entire population was involved (McDaniel and Roger, Pp 15). If an individual involves the whole population and collects accurate data, then an individual could compute the correct association. If sampling is not represented by outcome distribution of the whole population, the measures of connection will be biased. A typical example is a jar filled with marbles of 500 red and 500 blue that are mixed randomly. If a person pulls out 50 at random, he is likely to get 25 red and 25 blue. It is also possible to get 27 red and 23 or 29 blue and 21 red. An individual can also get 40 red or 10 blue, which is highly unlikely because each is likely to be proportioned (McDaniel and Roger, Pp 35). This is a form of random error. Systematic error might occur when the blue marbles are near the top, and the reds are at the bottom. When an individual pulls from the top, he is likely to get 37 blues and 13 red because an individual is not getting a sample that represent the whole jar. Behaviour targeting is the act of targeting users based on their behaviour of using the internet. This behaviour is used to target online ads, but the techniques can also be used to target products. Behavioural targeting is used to target the people that matter most. Behaviour targeting only needs to give the audience the right information and the message they need. It divides users according to the content they watch on the sites (McDaniel and Roger, Pp 56). They are also targeted with a message that is appropriate to that segment. Behaviour targeting is deployed in two ways, which are on-site and network targeting.

Cutting physician salaries will not help solve the health care problem Essay

Cutting physician salaries will not help solve the health care problem - Essay Example The reason was to maintain outstanding individuals able in dealing with a critical issue. Medical field is extremely risky, and only requires potential students having competent brains who are willing to train in the tough environment. This was the reason Flexner report suggested the idea that is still used currently. After Flexner had finished doing his research and filing his report, many medical schools were graded as small trade schools that were not able to offer quality training in the medical field. The medical schools aimed at making profits hence did not offer compelling services to the patients visiting them. They did shoddy work to get more money for their personal and business needs. Some of the recommendations he suggested in his reports are as follows; for one to be admitted to medical college, he/she needed to possess a high school diploma, and experience of two or more years in university. Another recommendation was that the length of the college year should be about four years, and content to be taught should be agreed by CME. Proprietary medical learning institution should either be joined to other prominent universities or be entirely shut down. Flexner received many critics from other medical officers who were against his recommendations (Rayburn & Schulkin, 7). They believed it was unworkable and was a lousy way of solving the problems. Despite the negative reactions Flexner had to face, he stood for his report and promised to defend it from the critics. The effects of the Flexner’s report had the following effects in America; a person aiming at being a physician, one needs to spend six to eight years in training, in a university setting (Ann & C harles, 236-245). The government values medical training and makes sure that students going through the training get superior training. According to statistics, the average physicians skills and capabilities have improved significantly compared to the past periods (Waitzkin, 39). The government

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Example for Free

The History and Evolution of Personnel Protective Gear Essay Fire fighting is one of the most important jobs in the world because the threat of fire to the society is real and present everytime. Fire fighters are needed in different fields and in different locations fire fighting in the city inside residential and business districts, fire fighting in forests and woodlands and even fire fighting on seas when ships and sea vehicles catch fire. The threat to the place that is burning is as important as the threat to the life of the fire fighters who are battling fires. Because of that, it is important that fire fighters are equipped not just with equipment that can help them put out the fire, but also with equipment that can help them protect themselves from the threat posed by fire, like burning, smoke inhalation and oxygen deprivation, and worse, death. Through the years the equipment and materials used by fire fighters to protect themselves from fire has developed and evolved. This is because it needs to suit to the needs of fire fighting and adapt to the latest development and advancement in the field of fire fighting. The importance of protective gear and equipment of fire fighters and how it evolved through the years is a significant aspect of the fire fighting history in the world. Because of that importance, this paper will focus on discussing such developments and how it impacted fire fighting and made fire fighting a more effective aspect of social welfare service rendered by the government for the safety of the people and the environment. The protective gear of the fire fighters must take into consideration that the level of protection needed by fire fighters vary depending on the condition of the environment wherein the fire fighter operates. The protective gear, particularly, the basic protective outfit that fire fighters wear, must be able to protect the fire fighters in as many life threatening aspects of the job as possible. Aside from the immediate threat that the fire fighter might be burned while conducting fire fighting exercise, there is also the threat of environment like the weather (snow, rain etc) and the presence and exposure to water itself. â€Å"The environment that a fire fighter experiences in the normal course of duty ranges from benign to very dangerous. The protective clothing that fire fighters wear must meet a variety of performance criteria; it must protect from the extreme heat of fires, it must protect from the cold of winter (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † But the notion of protection is not just limited on the characteristic of protective gear and clothing inhibiting the impact of fire, cold and smoke to the body. Protection also means that the protective gear should not hinder the movement and ability for mobility of the fire fighter. In fire fighting, being unable to move is a very dangerous situation to be in, since fire fighters sometimes come inside a burning house to save individuals. But if they cannot manage the return trip outside of the burning house, it endangers not only the lives of those they were hoping to save but also the lives of the people who came in and was expected to save the people in trouble. Because of this, the notion of protection also included the idea that the protective gear should not impede or restrain the fire fighter so that the fire fighter can protect himself and the victims from fire by being mobile and moving from an unsafe location to a safe location as the fire fighting process is underway. â€Å"It must be light enough that sheer weight of the gear does not cause undue stress on their bodies. To this end, one design has become the standard for fire fighter turnout gear. This design includes a heat resistant outer shell, typically made of some synthetic fiber; a moisture barrier, typically made of a water resistant breathable material, and a thermal barrier, typically made of wool felt with some aramid fiber woven into it (Yarborough, 2005, p. 74). † The History of the Protective Gear and Clothing that Fire Fighters Used and Wore With the absence of technology and the knowledge about this particular discipline in social welfare service, the earliest forms of fire fighting was unorganized as it was lacking with suitable equipment. Fire protection among the fire fighters was not present then. The people doing the fire fighting have to rely on the clothes on their backs. The first notable development in fire fighting gear and protective clothing happened in 1730s after Jacobus Turck made what was considered as the first ever fireman’s helmet. Unlike modern day fireman’s helmet, the Turck helmet has a wide brim and was made with leather. It also featured a high crown. The development of the fireman’s head gear made its next milestone the following century, when Henry T. Gratacap improved the design of the fire fighters helmet. It was the improvement to Turck’s design including the protection in the neck and nape and the presence of front shield; while the hat itself was more reinforced than the previous design. Besides head protection, the development on coats and pants especially for fire fighting was also taking place, with fire fighters getting to use these clothing which was reinforced by wool so that it is more heat and water resistant compared to ordinary everyday clothing. Because fire fighting exposed fire fighters to hot surfaces and a terrain that is filled with dangerous materials like broken glass and splinters of sharp woods, rocks and mangled steel, fire figthers already started wearing safety boots right about the time the second development in the helmet happened and the fire fighters were wearing wool jackets and pants (Hasenmeier, 2008). The same century marked the work of Giovanni Aldini who was made one of the earliest attempts to design a mask that can protect fire fighters from the smoke present during fire fighting, working on this apparatus at 1825, an effort that was pursued similarly by other individuals including John Roberts. But a more definitive mask for fire fighting came out in 1863 behind the efforts of James Braidwood. Braidwood’s idea of a mask that can supply fresh air to the wearer consists of bags that act as artificial lungs, strapped on the back of the wearer and features a waist belt to go with the shoulder straps necessary to carry it and bring it wherever the fire fighter goes during the course of his work. A mouthpiece connects the hose to the sacs of air that the wearer can inhale. This development improved the fire fighter’s list of protective gears and clothing at the time, which also already included goggles, as well as whistles and leather hoods for added protection. This is to allow fire fighters to communicate even through non verbal means, allowing other fire fighters to know the position and location of each other during fire fighting operations. At the start of the twentieth century, rubber was integrated in the uniforms of the fire fighters. Hasenmeier (2008) noted in his article that there were already existing proofs that some fire fighting groups that used rubber jackets and rubber boots as early as the 1930s so that they are as dry as possible and far from the health threats brought about by being soaked in cold water especially during the cold parts of the year (Hasenmeier, 2008). Then came next are the bunker gears or turnout gears. The name of which Hasenmeier believed to have originated either from the act of bunking together and turning out during fire fighting missions, or because it was the same protective clothing worn by soldiers turned fire fighters especially those who are designated in the cannon positions in the bunkers during World War I. After the end of the Second World War, standards for protective equipment among fire fighters became official and enforced as a necessary protocol for fire fighters safety. It was also about the same time that improvements in the breathing apparatus for fire fighters were developed, including the time when the concept of Scott Aviation was applied in the 1945-era breathing equipment that fire fighters started using. In 1982 there was already what is known as the Personal Alert Safety System or PASS and the necessary standards to maintain this. Today, more and more efforts were being made to ensure that the gear and clothing of the fire fighters are more and more suitable to the needs of the fire fighters and their particular working condition. Different countries are making many different developments in the material of the coats and pants, as well as the design and ability of the breathing apparatus used by fire fighters so that they are safe, and so are the people they are trying to rescue in the process. Because of the presence of more modern approach to fire fighting and the development of fire fighting gears and clothing, the design of future apparatus for fire fighter safety includes the â€Å"harmonious design† of the gears and clothing, as well as the â€Å"functional integration of characteristics such as resistance to cuts and punctures, mobility, waterproofness, fit and durability (Barker, Coletta, 1986, p. 487). † Because fire fighting is more modern now, the design includes other safety considerations like the consideration that â€Å"fire figthers also may come in contact with poisonous, flammable, or explosive gases and chemicals, as well as radioactive or other hazardous materials that may have immediate or long term effects on their health. For these reasons, they must wear protective gear that can be very heavy and hot (US Department of Labor, 2006, p. 360). †

Living In A Surveillance Society Information Technology Essay

Living In A Surveillance Society Information Technology Essay To say we are consciously or unconsciously sleep walking into surveillance society is a question of fact because frankly speaking individuals in society go through some form of surveillance. The security attached to surveillance allows individuals embrace it and sometimes with the knowledge of risks that come with being watched meanwhile others walk into a surveillance society without any knowledge of such dangers. 1.2 Judging from past and present events reported in several cases, journals and articles about the benefits and dangers that accompany a surveillance society, I am of the opinion that there is a need to analyse the concept of a surveillance society to ascertain if the concerns of the Information Commissioner are justified or not. 1.3 This essay would surround different issues in relation to a surveillance society such as individual privacy, data protection, laws that provide for data protection, different forms of surveillance and surveillance technologies with a view to providing some clarity regarding the concerns of the commissioner on the concept of a surveillance society. 2.0 Surveillance 2.1 Definition of surveillance Surveillance is viewed as having information about ones movement and activities recorded by technologies on behalf of the organisations and governments that structured our society.  [1]  Surveillance was also defined as a purposeful routine, systematic and focused attention paid to personal details for the sake of control, entitlement, management, influence or protection.  [2]   In my opinion, to be under surveillance means that almost every aspect of an individuals life is been watched, monitored and controlled by others who consider themselves superior and thereby deny people of their right to privacy and control of different aspects of their lives. Professor Ian J.Lloyd, referring to Alan Westins seminar work on Information Technology in a Democracy identified three types of surveillance as: physical, psychological and data surveillance  [3]   Physical surveillance involves the watching and monitoring of acts of individuals in a society and can be carried out with or without the use of surveillance technologies. The use of spies, spooks and acts of security agencies fall within the above and is applied to limited individuals. Psychological surveillance involves the use of surveillance technologies to monitor the activities of individuals in a society by the use of interrogations. Furthermore, data surveillance involves the use of ones personal information to monitor their activities. Due to technology compliance by countries, dataveillance is the most prominent form of surveillance used which is supported by electronic devices. 2.2 Living in a surveillance society The idea of a surveillance society springs from the fears of the government and people as regards the reoccurring threats to lives of individuals based on past events like terrorism, fraud, armed robbery and shop lifting. In finding solutions to these problems, certain measures and forms of surveillance were introduced to provide security, and whether these solutions are appropriate, remains a question as there might be more invasive answers which result to an individuals right to privacy and anonymity being infringed. Focus should reflect the attainment of social goals rather than living in the shadow of the consequence of a surveillance society.  [4]   The United Kingdom (UK)is an example of a country that is fully compliant with the idea of a surveillance society because almost every aspect of their lives starting from taking a walk on the streets, driving their cars, going shopping in the supermarkets, going to the hospital and even in their work place they are under surveillance and this is so because the UK is a highly technologically developed country with access to lots of surveillance technologies used to monitor the activities in the life of their citizens and the UK has been described as the most surveyed country with more CCTV cameras but the irony is that it still has loose laws on privacy and data protection. In Britain there are about 4.2 million CCTV cameras, one for every fourteen people, meaning that an individuals activities can be captured by over three hundred cameras a day. Reporters claim Britain has the biggest DNA data base with over a million innocent peoples data on, with some being aware and others in the dark and with the advent of new and improved modern surveillance technologies being introduced individuals will be subjected to even more surveillance than they are going through today.  [5]   A surveillance society is not a totally bad concept as it has its advantages and disadvantages. Its advantages include provision of security and protection of people from computer hackers, terrorists, threats to public security, provides speed and enhances co-ordination  [6]  . Consequent upon the pros of a surveillance society, the greatest negative effect of a surveillance society is the threat to privacy of individuals, though we seem to be more concerned with our fears and in the process over look the possibility that being fully dependent on surveillance technologies for safety could end up being of more harm to us than good. Surveillance creates lack of trust and raises suspicion between citizens, citizens and the state, thereby heightening the need for us to control and monitor our activities. 2.3 Surveillance Technologies There are different kinds of surveillance technologies that are used in our society today which can also be summarized under the different forms of surveillance. Some examples of surveillance technologies includes as follows: (a) Video surveillance i.e. the use of Closed-circuit Televisions (CCTV) (b) Telecommunications surveillance (c) Biometrics (d) Shop Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags (e) Loyalty cards (f) Internet cookies (g) Data Flows (h) Locating, Tracking Tagging Technologies (I) London Oyster Cards e.t.c Video Surveillance This is considered the most popular kind of surveillance technology used in a surveillance society because the use of CCTV cameras enable the capturing of images of individuals who go about their activities with the aim of preventing crime. CCTV cameras are devices that have actively been used in Britain to watch people and as such it has been predicted by experts that by the year 2009, 642 million pounds would have been spent on video surveillance software as against the 147million pounds spent in 2004 in a bid to reducing the crime rate.  [7]   Telecommunications surveillance This involves the use of technical equipments such as Global Positioning System (GPS), tapping of phones by the police or security services and it involves the exchange of data and information which is enabled by large scale digital and computing systems such as the internet. Biometrics Surveillance Biometrics is another very common surveillance technology being used today in most organizations, embassies and airports. This form of identification includes body trace e.g. fingerprints, iris scans, facial topography and hand scans which are all used on different passports and I.D card systems. Biometrics has been predicted to cause UK a healthy sum of 4.7 billion industry in 2009 which initially in the year 2003 cost 675 million and this is so because of the creation of more sophisticated surveillance technologies like smart cameras to iris identification, all with the belief that there will be accuracy in identification and crime will be reduced.  [8]   Radio Frequency Identification Technologies (RFID) It involves the use of radio frequency communications as a way to track goods as they move through the supply chain. RFID are embedded into products, pallets and cases thereby enabling the RFID readers read information from those tags  [9]  . Data flows Surveillance This is a very sensitive form of surveillance as it is gathered by surveillance technologies and it flows around computer networks and has been described by Clarke R as dataveillance which is the systematic use of personal data systems in the investigation or monitoring of the actions of one or more persons  [10]  .In most circumstances of data subjects consents to giving their data, but what now happens in a situation whereby the data is transferred elsewhere and there is no idea as to where the data goes by either the public or data sharing agencies. In such a case one tends to wonder if we can say we have confidence in the state as regards the safety of our data. With the use of these technologies you can see that in a surveillance society our lives can be monitored entirely as everything you do has one form of surveillance technology which can be used to track you. Some of these technologies include Global Positioning System(GPS) which can be use in tracking your precise location, loyalty cards which can be use to determine your capacity in shopping and as such marketers know how to target a customer based on his or her spending habits and even the internet can be monitored because every individual leaves trails when browsing the internet and this trails are called cookies which are left on a users machine thereby recognizing when visits were made to that site thereby making the activities of user traceable  [11]  . There are also non-technological means of surveillance of surveillance which we practice as individuals in the society such as eavesdropping, watching, use of human spies and many others  [12]  . But these methods due to the advent of technology and modernity are gradually fading away because they are looked upon as ineffective compared to technological mediums. This is because surveillance technologies provide faster means of security, safety and certainty. We are left with the concern of how effective surveillance technologies are to our lives and to what extent can we say that they have made a positive impact on our lives than the negative ones. 2.4 The Negative and Positive Impact of Surveillance on our society. A surveillance society has its negative and positive impacts on our lives as individuals in the society but the negatives impacts are greater than the positive ones. Surveillance society has a way of setting traps for individuals in a society and this trap includes: (a)Thinking that surveillance is a product of new technologies and (b)Thinking of surveillance as a malign plot hatched by evil powers.  [13]   Ones an individuals looks at the concept of a surveillance society in this light then it is easy for one to fall into the trap of a surveillance society and the dangers that it poses to how lives. Apart from a sense of security, safety, minimum amount of risks, swift flow of goods, people and information which we as individuals believe are the positive effects of surveillance on our lives, what other way can we really say that a surveillance society has improved our lives or limited the risks and dangers we go through every day because irrespective of all the different forms of surveillance both technological and non-technological, It has not kept us out of harms way. The presence of CCTV cameras in the UK has not reduced the level of crime as terrorist still find means of operating and planning attacks. More so, individual personal data are still being used against them and all thanks to surveillance. Surveillance creates room for suspicion and lack of trust in the society because why should employers feel there is a need to monitor the affairs of their employees by bugging their cell phones, putting tracking devices in their company vehicles, storage of employees personal data, making them undertake certain medical tests and answering personal questions about their lives which could be used against them in the future. Surveillance exposes individuals in a society to harm as we may not know who is watching us and what purpose our data is being used for because in the UK and the world at large, we still do not have updated data protection laws that would secure our database from unauthorized access or leakage and therefore leaving us in harms way if our personal data was to fall into the hands of the wrong person because those watching us could pose a threat to us, instead of providing us with security. Surveillance encourages social discrimination relating to race and ethnicity as sometimes our personal data is used to determine the level of benefits we get in the society. Surveillance encourages deceit, dishonesty and function creep in the sense that the data controllers tell the people that they need their data for a particular purpose and end up using such data for another purpose. Also surveillance technologies help marketers to manipulate customers data in the sense that the use of Loyalty Cards which is common in the UK helps producers to monitor the resources of a customer by their shopping habits and as such they come up with ways to direct marketing to that customer in order to make profits and this is wrong. Another negative effect of a surveillance society which I consider to be the most crucial is the infringement of ones right to privacy and the total loss of an individuals anonymity in the society. Privacy is a fundamental right of every individual in a society but you find that in a surveillance society, it is not possible for one to exercise that right because everywhere you go, you cant be anonymous because cameras are watching in the streets and as such the whole idea of privacy and anonymity has been defeated. The above effects of surveillance are more negative than positive and much more has to be done to grant us more confidence that our society is safe. 3.0 The Right to Privacy In Relation to a Surveillance Society 3.1 What is Privacy? The concept of Privacy in relation to a surveillance society is of paramount importance because an individuals privacy in society is a constitutional right which should not be infringed. One cannot talk about a surveillance society without the issue of privacy. Privacy and surveillance cannot co-exist together without one being a hindrance to the other. A surveillance society cannot function without crossing the path of privacy while privacy cannot be secured in a surveillance society, which poses a dilemma to individuals because we are left with two options which are: (a)Choose Surveillance and forego your privacy and (b)Choose your Privacy and live with the possibility of being exposed to danger and risks at any time With these options, whatever choice will make us prone to loosing something important to our lives. 3.2 Definitions of Privacy Privacy was defined by Judge Cooley in the year 1888 as The right to be left alone   [14]  . Privacy has also been defined by some writers as: The right of the individual to be protected against intrusion into his personal life or affairs or those of his family, by direct physical means or by publication of information  [15]   Privacy is very important to individuals in the sense that it is the only form of dignity and pride individuals have. Therefore laws need to protect this right, otherwise people in a surveillance society will become puppets who have no control as to how their personal data and information is used and manipulated by the Puppet masters. Article 8 of the Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms (Convention), 1985 provides which was ratified by the Council of Europe provides that: (1) Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence. (2)There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interest of national security, public safety of economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health morals or for the protection of the rights of freedoms of others.  [16]   This convention as of that year was not a confirmed law and its provisions could only be confirmed in European Courts and because UK was a signatory for the Council of Europe, the Convention applied to the UK but in 1998 the Human Rights Acts (HRA) was enacted in the UK and were incorporated into the UK law and a more recent Law was enacted in 2000 in charter (7) of the Fundamental rights of the European Union which provided for right to privacy in respect to modern day communication.  [17]   3.3 Issues of Privacy in Relation to a surveillance society A surveillance society is a huge area of contention in relation to privacy in the sense that it affects every aspect of an individuals life. Eric Barendt ,Described the fight between surveillance and privacy as (Political) he said: prominent figures mostly politicians, celebrities, members of the royal family are trying to protect their lives from media scrutiny meanwhile on the other hand the press which is surveillance in this case is fighting to retain their liberty of publication  [18]   He was also of the view that privacy is a fundamental human right that should not be Infringed on either by the government, business, individual or the media  [19]   As individuals in a surveillance society we need to have the right to preserve our privacy but if our actions keep on being monitored by technological or non-technological means of surveillance, it will leave a trail which can be traced back to us. Also, the fact that our personal data is constantly being transferred from one data base to another and processed by different processors makes access to our personal information easy. In the case of R v Brown  [20]  , Lord Hoffman in his judgement stated: Privacy which is the right to keep oneself to our self, to tell other people that certain things are none of their business is under technological threat due to the different and various types of surveillance e.g. surveillance cameras, telephone bugs, which are used by individuals in the society today.  [21]   Also in the case of Leander v Sweden  [22]  , Mr Torsten Leander was denied employment as a result of his personal information which was held in a register and was revealed to his employer without knowledge of the kind of information that was kept about him and for what purpose it will be used and this constituted a breach of his right to privacy provided for in Article 8 (1) Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms (Convention). In the case of Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers  [23]  , taking pictures of Miss Campbell outside the Nacortics Anonymous, breached her right to privacy when her photos were published. She appealed on the grounds of breach of confidence by the media and which is one of her fundamental human right and against the provisions of the Data protection Act (1998). The court of appeal was against the verdict of the case but on appeal the House of Lords passed judgement in her favour which also gave rise to other opinions concerning the extent to which ones privacy can be said to have been breached. In the case of Craxi v Italy, it was established that there was indeed an infringement of Article 8 of the European convention on human rights, though Mr. Craxi was guilty of committing certain offences, it was held that: the state failed to provide safe custody of the transcripts of telephone conversation which Were presented as evidence before the court and to subsequently carry out an effective Investigation as to how those private communications were released into public domain  [24]   Privacy is gradually becoming lost in our society irrespective of the different Laws that have been established in our society, we cant honestly say that they protect our personal information from the dangers of a surveillance society such as globalization, the internet and the continuous invention of new technologies by virtue of new discoveries. 4.0 REGULATIONS A society cannot exist without laws and supervisory authorities that would regulate the actions and behaviours of individuals. In a surveillance society, there is a great need for laws and bodies to be established in other to oversee and supervise the way our personal data is being used because without people watching those who process our data, there is a risk of danger to us as our information could be manipulated and used against us if it were to fall into wrong hands. Blackmail by criminals and discrimination to our person could result where medical data about an individual who has HIV or other deadly diseases was to leak, as the person could be subject to social discrimination and stigmatisation. As a result of this, different countries have supervisory authorities who possess some powers to ensure that our privacy is protected in a surveillance society. Article 28 (1) and (2) of the data protection Directive provides for the establishment of these supervisory authorities and their powers. In the UK we have the information commissioner meanwhile other member countries except Germany have a single supervisory authority who supervise the affairs of their personal data.  [25]   Different Laws have been enacted and put in place in our society today so as to make sure that our personal information is protected but these laws have their strengths and weaknesses and cannot be relied on completely by individuals in a surveillance society. Most of this law are guided by some basic principles such as: (a)Personal data must be processed fairly and lawfully. (b)Personal data should not be use for any purpose other than the purpose it was obtained for. (c)Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date. (d)An individual must be informed of when personal data about them is collected. (e)The purpose for which personal data was obtained should be stated. (f)The consent of the individual must be obtained before obtaining their personal information (g)Individuals must be told how their data will be protected from misuse. (I)Individuals should be told how they can access their data and should be able to verify its accuracy and request changes where necessary  [26]  . The above represent the basic fair information principles (FIP) that regulate the control of our personal data in a surveillance society. These principles exist side by side with some laws in controlling the use of our data. Some of these laws include: (1)European Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. (2)Data Protection Act 1998. (3)Regulation of investigatory powers Act 2000. (4)Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001. (5)The Council of Europe Convention. (6)OECD 1980 Laws. (7)Telecommunications Directive (97/66/EC). (8) Electronic communications Act 2000. 4.1 Data Protection Act (1998) The need of data protections laws arouse out of the growing use of computers in the 1970s and the threat to personal privacy that rapid manipulation of data posed and as a result data was made easily accessible from many different points. Computer technology makes it possible for data to be transferred from one data base to another by data controllers and processors such as employers, companies, government agencies and so on and data subjects most of the time are not aware of the purpose for which their personal data is being used.  [27]   Schedule 1 of the Act provides for the principles of data protection, schedule 2 provides for all personal data and schedule 3 provides only for sensitive personal data. The Act defined personal data in section 1 as data which relate to a living individual who can be identified from those data or from those data which are under procession of or is likely to come into the possession of the data controller  [28]  . It also provides in section 2 for sensitive personal data which is personal data consisting of information as to racial or ethnic origin, sexual life, mental health, religious beliefs  [29]   The Act is a regulatory law that is recognised by the UK and as such section 6  [30]  of the Act provides for the Office of the Information Commissioner and the tribunal and their powers as supervisory authorities with regards to our personal data and this Act applies to the United Kingdom (UK) and any other (EEA) state by virtue of section 5 of this act  [31]   The Act also provides data subjects with some rights in order to protect their personal data such as: Right to access of our personal data Right to be informed of our personal data and the purpose for which they are used Right of rectification and erasure of data when it appears incorrect e.t.c Schedule 1 of the Data protection Act (1998) provided for eight principles which data controllers and processors are to apply when handling our personal data which is in conformity with the fair information principles mentioned above. 4.2ORGANIZATION OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ( OECD 1980) LAWS The OECD guidelines were adopted in 1980 on the protection of privacy and trans-border data flows of personal data. It comprised of 24 countries throughout the world and including the U.S and it was enacted to harmonize national privacy legislation and uphold human rights and prevent interruptions in international flows of data. The OECD 1980 guidelines include: (1)Collection limitation: There should be limits to the collection of personal data and it should be obtained by lawful means with the consent of the data subject where necessary (2)Data quality principle states that personal data should be relevant for the purposes in which they are used and should be accurate and up to date. (3)Purpose specification: The purpose for which the data was collected must be specified (4)Security safeguards principle for example loss, unauthorized access, destruction and so on should be observed. (5)Openness Principle (6)Individual participation principle (7)Accountability principle: A data controller should be accountable for complying with measures which give effect to the principles stated above (8) Use limitation principle: Personal data should not be disclosed, made available or used for purposes other than those specified except with the consent of the data subject or the law.  [32]   4.3 Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act (2001) This law was established to reduce the level of terrorism and crime and to provide for the retention of communications data and for many other connected purposes. This law is issued by the secretary of the state who from time to time can revise a code of practise in relation to the retention of communications providers of communications data obtained by and held by them in other to safeguard national security and prevent crime by virtue of section102 (1),(2) and (3) of the Act.  [33]   Judging from our analysis of a few laws, reports have shown that these privacy laws are not efficient enough to safeguard our privacy and personal data in a surveillance society. Other measures of regulation include: (1)Self regulation by the use of codes to regulates their conduct  [34]   (2)Privacy enhancing technologies (PET)  [35]   (3) Individual s