Republic of South Africa Essay

South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological sites in the world.[19][20][21] Extensive fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three million years ago.[22] These were succeeded by various species of Homo, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus and modern humans, Homo sapiens. Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River by the fourth or fifth century CE. (see Bantu expansion). They displaced, conquered and absorbed the original Khoisan speakers. The Bantu slowly moved south. The earliest ironworks in modern-day KwaZulu-Natal Province are believed to date from around 1050. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoisan people. The Xhosa reached the Great Fish River, in today’s Eastern Cape Province. As they migrated, these larger Iron Age populations displaced or assimilated earlier peoples, who often had hunter-gatherer societies.[citation needed] Republic of South Africa (1961–present) In 1487, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the southernmost point of Africa. Initially named the Cape of Storms, The King of Portugal, John II, renamed it the Cabo da Boa Esperanà §a or Cape of Good Hope, as it led to the riches of India. Dias’ great feat of navigation was later immortalised in Camà µes’ epic Portuguese poem, The Lusiads (1572). In 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a refreshment station at the Cape of Good Hope on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch transported slaves from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India as labour for the colonists in Cape Town. As they expanded east, the Dutch settlers met the south-westerly expanding Xhosa people in the region of the Fish River. A series of wars, called the Cape Frontier Wars, ensued, mainly caused by conflicting land and livestock interests. Great Britain took over the Cape of Good Hope area in 1795, ostensibly to stop it from falling under Revolutionary French control. Given its standing interests in Australia and India, Great Britain wanted to use Cape Town as an interim port for its merchants’ long voyages. The British returned Cape Town to the Dutch in 1803, but soon afterwards the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy. The British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806. The British continued the frontier wars against the Xhosa, pushing the eastern frontier eastward through a line of forts established along the Fish River. They consolidated the territory by encouraging British settlement. Due to pressure of abolitionist societies in Britain, the British parliament first stopped its global slave trade with the passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807, then abolished slavery in all its colonies with the Slavery Abolition Act 1833. Boers in combat (1881)In the first two decades of the 19th century, the Zulu people grew in power and expanded their territory under their leader, Shaka.[23] Shaka’s depredations led indirectly to the Mfecane (â€Å"Crushing†) that devastated the inland plateau in the early 1820s.[24] An offshoot of the Zulu, the Matabele, created an even larger empire under their king Mzilikazi, including large parts of the highveld. During the 1830s, approximately 12,000 Boers (later known as Voortrekkers), departed from the Cape Colony, where they had been subjected to British control. They migrated to the future Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal regions. The Boers founded the Boer Republics: the South African Republic (now Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West provinces) and the Orange Free State (Free State). The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior encouraged economic growth and immigration. This intensified the European-South African subjugation of the indigenous people. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor between Europeans and the indigenous population, and also between the Boers and the British.[25] The Boer Republics successfully resisted British encroachments during the First Boer War (1880–1881) using guerrilla warfare tactics, which were well suited to local conditions. However, the British returned with greater numbers, more experience, and more suitable tactics in the Second Boer War (1899–1902), which was won by the British. 20th century After four years of negotiating, the Union of South Africa was created from the Cape and Natal colonies, as well as the republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal, on 31 May 1910, exactly eight years after the end of the Second Boer War. The newly created Union of South Africa was a dominion of Great Britain. The Natives’ Land Act of 1913 severely restricted the ownership of land by ‘blacks’; at that stage they had control of a mere 7% of the country. The amount of land reserved for indigenous peoples was later marginally increased.[26] In 1931 the union was effectively granted independence from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster. In 1934, the South African Party and National Party merged to form the United Party, seeking reconciliation between Afrikaners and English-speaking â€Å"Whites†. In 1939 the party split over the entry of the Union into World War II as an ally of the United Kingdom, a move which the National Party followers strongly opposed. â€Å"For use by white persons† – sign from the apartheid eraIn 1948, the National Party was elected to power. It intensified the implementation of racial segregation begun under Dutch and British colonial rule, and subsequent South African governments since the Union was formed. The Nationalist Government systematised existing segregationist laws, classifying all peoples into three races, developing rights and limitations for each, such as pass laws and residential restrictions. The white minority controlled the vastly larger black majority. The system of segregation became known collectively as apartheid. While the White minority enjoyed the highest standard of living in all of Africa, often comparable to First World western nations, the Black majority remained disadvantaged by almost every standard, including income, education, housing, and life expectancy. On 31 May 1961, following a whites-only referendum, the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II ceased to be head of state, and the last Governor-General became State President. Apartheid became increasingly controversial, leading to widespread international sanctions, divestment and growing unrest and oppression within South Africa. A long period of harsh suppression by the government, and at times violent resistance, strikes, marches, protests, and sabotage by bombing and other means, by various anti-apartheid movements, most notably the African National Congress (ANC), followed. In the late 1970s, South Africa began a programme of nuclear weapons development. In the following decade, it produced six deliverable nuclear weapons. The Mahlabatini Declaration of Faith, signed by Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Harry Schwarz in 1974, enshrined the principles of peaceful transition of power and equality for all, the first of such agreements by acknowledged black and white political leaders in South Africa, which would ultimately end with the negotiations between F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela in 1993. In 1990 the National Party government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination when it lifted the ban on the African National Congress and other political organisations. It released Nelson Mandela from prison after twenty-seven years’ incarceration on a sabotage sentence. A negotiation process known as the Convention for a Democratic South Africa was started. The government repealed apartheid legislation. South Africa destroyed its nuclear arsenal and acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. South Africa held its first multi-racial elections in 1994, which the ANC won by an overwhelming majority. It has been in power ever since. In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment has been extremely high. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of blacks worsened between 1994 and 2003.[27] Poverty among whites, previously rare, increased.[28] While some have attributed this partly to the legacy of the apartheid system, increasingly many attribute it to the failure of the current government’s policies. In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Since the ANC-led government took power, the United Nations Human Development Index of South Africa has fallen, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s.[29] Some of this could possibly be attributed to the AIDS pandemic and the failure of the government to take steps to address it.[30] Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (Xhosa pronunciation: [xoˈliÉ ¬aÉ ¬a manˈdeË la];), born 18 July 1918, [1] served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, the first South-African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of the African National Congress’s armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. The South African courts convicted him on charges of sabotage, as well as other crimes committed while he led the movement against apartheid. In accordance with his conviction’s sentence, Mandela served 27 years in prison, spending many of these years on Robben Island. Following his release from prison on 11 February 1990, Mandela supported reconciliation and negotiation, and helped lead the transition towards multi-racial democracy in South Africa. Since the end of apartheid, many have frequently praised Mandela, including former opponents. In South Africa he is often known as Madiba, an honorary title adopted by elders of Mandela’s clan. The title has come to be synonymous with Nelson Mandela. Mandela has received more than 250 awards over four decades, most notably the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly announced that Mandela’s birthday, 18 July, is to be known as ‘Mandela Day’ to mark his contribution to world freedom.[2] Apartheid (Afrikaans pronunciation: [É Ã‹Ë†pÉ rtÉ ¦Ã‰â„¢it], separateness) was a system of legal racial segregation enforced by the National Party government in South Africa between 1948 and 1994, under which the rights of the majority black inhabitants of South Africa were curtailed and minority rule by whites was maintained. Racial segregation in South Africa began in colonial times, but apartheid as an official policy was introduced following the general election of 1948. New legislation classified inhabitants into racial groups (â€Å"black†, â€Å"white†, â€Å"coloured†, and â€Å"Yellow†), and residential areas were segregated by means of forced removals. From 1958, Blacks were deprived of their citizenship, legally becoming citizens of one of ten tribally based self-governing homelands called bantustans, four of which became nominally independent states. The government segregated education, medical care, and other public services, and provided black people with services inferior to those of whites. Apartheid sparked significant internal resistance and violence as well as a long trade embargo against South Africa.[1] A series of popular uprisings and protests were met with the banning of opposition and imprisoning of anti-apartheid leaders. As unrest spread and became more violent, state organizations responded with increasing repression and state-sponsored violence. Reforms to apartheid in the 1980s failed to quell the mounting opposition, and in 1990 President Frederik Willem de Klerk began negotiations to end apartheid, culminating in multi-racial democratic elections in 1994, which were won by the African National Congress under Nelson Mandela. The vestiges of apartheid still shape South African politics and society.[2] After decades in a Robben Island prison, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is released in 1990 and works immediately to bring about the end of apartheid and the initiation of full democratic elections where the black majority population can vote. Mandela wins the race for President of South Africa and takes office in 1994. His immediate challenge is â€Å"balancing black aspirations with white fears.† The country’s still-present racial tensions are shown, in part, through Mandela’s security team, which is composed both of new black and old white officials. The black and white groups are immediately hostile to one another despite sharing the same job and goal. While Mandela attempts to tackle the country’s largest problems – including crime and unemployment – he attends a game of the Springboks, the country’s rugby union team. Non-whites in the stadium cheer against their home squad, as the Springboks (their history, players and even their colours) represent prejudice and apartheid in their mind. Knowing that South Africa is set to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in one year’s time, Mandela convinces the South African rugby board to keep the Springbok team, name and colours the same. He then meets with the Springboks’ captain Franà §ois Pienaar (Matt Damon). Though Mandela never verbalizes his true meaning during their meeting, Pienaar understands the message below the surface: if the Springboks can gain the support of non-white South Africans and succeed in the upcoming World Cup, the country will be unified and inspired. Mandela also shares with Pienaar that a poem, Invictus, had been inspiring to him during his time in prison, helping him to â€Å"stand when all he wanted to do was lie down†. Pienaar and his teammates train, but the players (all but one are white) voice disapproval that they are to be envoys to the poor and public – fearing exhaustion from overwork. Mandela, too, hears disapproval from friends and family. Many more, both white and non-white citizens and politicians, began to express doubts on using sport to unite a nation torn apart by some 50 years of racial tensions. For many non-white, especially the radicals, the Springboks symbolised white supremacy and they did not want to support their national team. As the tournament approaches, Mandela collapses from exhaustion and the Springboks’ only non-white player, Chester Williams, is sidelined with a pulled hamstring. Things begin to change, however, as the players went around interacting with the locals. During the opening games, support for the Springboks begins to grow amongst the non-white population. By the second game Williams is fit once again. Citizens of all races turn out in numbers to show their unanimous support for the Springboks. At the suggestion of several security guards, Mandela decides to sport a Springbok jersey with Pienaar’s number 6 on it to show his support and his name is chanted repeatedly by the home crowd during his entrance, a contrast to a previous rugby match scene, in which Mandela is booed by some of the whites in the crowd. As momentum builds, even the security team members become at ease with each other and the black members who disliked rugby eventually began to enthusiastically support their national team alongside their white colleagues. The Springboks, possessing a sub-par record, were not expected to go very far and are expected to lose in the quarterfinals. They surpass all expectations and make the final, only to face the New Zealand rugby team – called the All Blacks – the most successful rugby team in the world, the favourites to win the World Cup and historically the Springboks’ greatest rivals. Roared on by a large home crowd of both whites and non-white, Pienaar motivates his team to overcome their doubts and push their bodies to the limits. After ending in a tie, the game goes into extra time, where the Springboks win on a long drop kick from fly-half Joel Stransky (Scott Eastwood) and a score of 15-12. Mandela and Pienaar meet on the field together to celebrate the improbable victory amidst a crowd of some 62,000 fans—of all races. Once there, Mandela thanks Pienaar for his service to the nation, but Pienaar insists the President that he deserves the real thanks. In one particular scene, some white police officers celebrate by hoisting a young black boy, who had been lingering near their vehicle to listen to the radio broadcast of the game, onto their shoulders.

Reasons for Communication Essay

The reasons why people communicate is to (a) express needs (b) to share ideas (c) to build relationship and socialise (d) to ask question and share experience 1.2HOW COMMUNICATION AFFECTS RELATIONSHIP IN THE WORK SETTING communication affects relationship at work place e.g. with colleagues, people using services, children and their families, help to build trust, understanding of individual needs, communication is used to negotiate, to prevent or resolve conflict and prevent misunderstanding. Relevant theories e.g. tuck man stages of group interaction (forming, storming, norming and performing) Read more: Reasons for communication  essay 2.2 THE FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PROMOTING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Argule’s stages of the communication cycle (ideas occur, message coded, message sent, message received, message decoded, message understood) type of communication for example complex, sensitive, normal or non-normal: context of communication e.g. one-one; group, with people using services, children or young people, with professional/colleagues; purpose of communication; cultural factors, needs to adapt communication; environment; time and resources available 3.1 HOW PEOPLE DIFFERENT BACKGROUND MAY USE AND/OR INTERPRET COMMUNICATION METHODS IN DIFFERENT WAYS People from different backgrounds may use or interpret communication in different ways by looking at that ;an individual background can influence communication for example age, gender, culture, socio economic status: differences in verbal communication e.g. language, vocabulary, dialect, intonations, non-verbal e.g. facial expression, use of body language, eye contact, gesture etc 3.2 THE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION The barriers to effective communication are: language e.g. dialect, use of jargons, sector specific vocabulary. Environment e.g. noise, poor lighting. Emotional and behavioural e.g. attitude, anxiety, lack of confidence, aggression, sensory impairment health or medical conditions learning disability, effect of alcohol or drugs 3.5 HOW TO ACCESS EXTRA SUPPORT OR SERVICES TO ENABLE INDIVIDUALS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY To access extra support and services, the use of interpreting services; translation services; speech and language services; advocacy services; third sector organisations example stroke association, royal institute for deaf people (RNID) 4.1 THE MEANING OF THE TERM CONFIDENTIALITY The term confidentiality means one person receives personal or sensitive information from another person. This information should not be passed on to anyone else without the person from whom the personal or sensitive information was received: meaning of confidentiality as contained in principles of current legislation e.g. the data protection act of 1998 4.3THE POTENTIAL TENSIONS BETWEEN MAINTAINIG AN INDIVIDUAL’S CONFIDENTIALITY AND DISCLOSING CONCERNS Maintaining confidentiality in day to day communication in different inter-personal situation e.g. adult receives personal or young person receives personal or sensitive information about other adults or colleagues, child or young person receives personal or sensitive information about an adult, following policies and procedures in own work place setting for example policies from sharing information, situations where unconditional confidentiality cannot be maintained, support and guidance regarding confidential information, role of manager or supervisor, referral, training types of information to the collection, recording and storage of different of information There is a potential tension caused by confidentiality and the need to disclose information when information; understanding when information may be shared without consent, concept of need to know, need for transparent policy and protocols in information sharing Unit 2 1.1THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OWN WORK ROLE the duties and responsibilities of own work role are: contractual responsibility e.g. hours, line of reporting, specific roles and responsibilities e.g. behavioural support, supporting children and young people with special educational needs, supporting bilingual children and young people: compliance with policies and procedures of work setting e.g. behaviour, children and young people protection,. Health and safety: keeping up to date with changes to procedures; keeping up to date with practice 1.2 THE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT OWN WORK ROLE AS EXPRESS IN RELEVANT STANDARDS the expectations of own work role as express in relevant standards are example national occupational standards for children’s care, learning  and development (NOS CCLD), national occupational standards for learning and development for support services (NOS LOSS) in relation to duties and responsibilities e.g. role to support children or young people with educational needs , expectation to meet standards 2.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN CONTINIOUSLY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES PROVIDED The importance for reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided and aiming to continually review progress to improve or change approaches, strategies, actions, benefits to children, young people. Setting and individual of improved performance e.g. enable learning to take place and practice to improve. Enables all relevant factors to be taken into account. Provides clarity, identification of learning cycle (KOLB) 2.3 HOW OWN VALUES, BELIEF SYSTEMS AND EXPERIENCE MAY AFFECT WORKING PRACTICE Personal values, belief system and experience may affect working practice through self-awareness of values, beliefs experience affection approach to working practice example motivation, conformity, cooperation, consistency, respect fairness, creativity of previous experience of learning: ways of own values affect practice positively and negatively e.g. conflict between own values, beliefs and standards 4.1 THE SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR PLANNING AND REVIEWING OWN DEVELOPMENT The sources of support for planning and reviewing own development can be: sources of support e.g. mentor, supervisor, teacher, manager, local authority, training providers awarding organisation further and higher educational institutions, learning direct, teachers development agencies (TDA). Children’s workforce development council (CWDC) 5.1 THE EVALUATION OF HOW LEARNING ACTIVITIES HAVE AFFECTED PRACTICE Learning activities such as formal lessons, training programmes/sessions research activities observing practice, practical activities can affect practice by applying newly learnt theories and using different approaches. How reflective practice leads to improved ways of working e.g. ways that continually challenging current behaviour has developed and enhanced own practice and skills: how monitoring own practice has enabled changes to take place UNIT 3 1.1 WHAT IS MEANT BY THE TERMS DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION Diversity- differences between individuals and groups e.g. culture, nationality, ability ethnic origin, gender, age religion, beliefs, sexual orientation and social class Equality- this is the promotion of individual rights, giving choices and opportunity, respect and fairness, services in response to individual needs. Inclusion- individual at the centre of planning and support, valuing diversity 1.2 THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF DISCRIMINATIONS The effect of discriminations is: direct discrimination, institutional discrimination etc. Individual being treated less favourably than others: lack of opportunities, prejudice and injustice. 1.2 HOW INCLUSIVE PRACTICE PROMOTES EQUALITY AND SUPPORT DIVERSITY Promoting equality: policies and procedures in work place setting inclusive practice procedures: challenging discrimination, promoting rights, empowering, removing barriers e.g. physical access to effective communication, improving participation, promoting dignity and respect, individual at the centre of planning and delivery of services. Supporting diversity, valuing differences between using positive images of individual from diverse groups. Celebrating differences 2.1 HOW LEGISLATIONS AND CODES OF PRACTICE RELATING TO EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND DISCRIMINATION APPLY TO OWN WORK ROLE Legislation and codes of practice: codes of practice of sector, policies of work place settings, human rights act 1998, disability discrimination act 2005, special educational needs and disability act2001, race relation (amendment) act 2000,the equality act 2010, the European convention on human rights 3.3 HOW TO CHALLENGE DISCRIMINATION IN A WAY THAT PROMOTES CHANGE In order to challenge discrimination to promote change, I will identify and challenge discrimination behaviour; recognised stereotypes in attitude or written materials; understand and adopt own belief attitude; know how to report concerns; review and develop policies and procedures UNIT 4 1.1 WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A DUTY OF CARE IN OWN WORK ROLE duty of care in own work role is accountability e.g. exercising authority, managing risk working, safe guarding children and young people, monitoring  own behaviour and conduct, maintaining confidentiality, storing personal information appropriately, reporting concerns and allegations, making professional judgement, maintaining professional boundaries, avoiding favouritism, maintaining high standards for conduct outside the professional role 1.2 HOW DUTY OF CARE CONTRIBUTES TO SAFEGUARDING OR PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS The contribution of duty of care to safeguarding and protection of individuals is safeguarding children and young people e.g. protection from sexual, physical or emotional harm, preserving respect and dignity. Engendering trust protecting children and young people e.g. safety in the environment, safe use of resources and equipment, prevention from intimidation or humiliation, protecting self e.g. ensuring against risk of allegation of misconduct or abuse. Avoiding risk of accusation of malpractice 2.1 THE POTENTIAL CONFLICT OR DILEMMA THAT MAY ARISE BETWEEN THE DUTY OF CARE AND THE INDIVIDUAL’S RIGHT The potential conflict or dilemma and individual right that may arise between individual rights and duty of care are e.g. attitudes and unsafe behaviours such as drugs, alcohol, abuse, treating, staying out without permission aggression and violent, bulling and intimidation, vandalism. Individual rights for example respect for views and actions, safety and security, love and belonging, education equality 2.2 HOW TO MANAGE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONFLICT OR DILEMMABETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL RIGHT AND DUTY OF CARE In order to manage risks associated with conflict or dilemma will be by e.g. implementing policies and codes of practice, acting in individual’s best interest, fostering culture of openness and support, being consistent, maintaining professional boundaries, following systems for raising concerns 2.3WHERE TO GET ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND ADVICE ABOUT CONFLICT AND DILEMMA ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND DILEMMA CAN BE GOT FROM: EG LINE MANAGEMENT, TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, SCHOOL/ college advices, counselling services, mediation and advocacy services 3.1 methods of responding to complaints Ways in which we can respond to complaints are: e.g. listening to complaints, referring complaints to policy, suggesting that complaints be made in  writing, reporting complaint to line manager 3.2 THE POINTS OF AGREED PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING COMPLAINTS The main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints are: e.g. acknowledgement of complaints, stages within procedures, report and recommendation, review and appeals Unit 5 The aim of this assessment is to understand the national and local context of safeguarding and protection of vulnerable people from abuse. The assessment will take into account and how to understand ways to reduce the likelihood of abuse and finally knows how to respond and report unsafe practices. 3.1 THE NATIONAL POLICIES AND LOCAL SYSTEMS THAT RELATES TO SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTION FROM ABUSE According to the codes of practice, all agencies and individuals involved with vulnerable adults have duty to protect them from abuse. The wishes of the vulnerable adults should be central to the use of the multi-agency policies and procedures for the protection of vulnerable adults from abuse. The policies and procedures respects an adult’s rights to live free from abuse in accordance with the principles of respect, dignity, autonomy, privacy, beliefs and equality. Services will be provided in a manner in which does not discriminate on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or b eliefs, disability, gender, age or sexual orientation 3.2 THE ROLES OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS FROM ABUSE It is the responsibility of everyone to seek to prevent and protect vulnerable people fro abuse. Suspected or actual abuse must be reported to social services or the police within 24 hours. An adult protection enquiry coordinator will be appointed by social services to coordinate the investigation and will a senior practitioner or first tier manager with appropriate skills, in most cases, an inter-agency strategy meeting, chaired by a senior manager at team manager level or above will be converted to determined the action plan 3.3 REPORTS INTO SERIOUS FAILURES TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS FROM ABUSE Agencies have a duty of care to protect vulnerable adults from abuse and to recognised and take actions within the present legal framework, there will be occasions when vulnerable adults may choose to remain at risk in dangerous situations. Professional staff may find no statutory power in cases where the adult is judge to sufficient capacity to make his/her own choices and refuses the help or treatment which the staff  or carer feels is needed and where public interest consideration do not apply. In this case, the decision of the vulnerable should be respected. At the same time, accurate record must be made of the situation 3.4 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ADVICE ABOUT OWN ROLE IN SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTING INDIVIDUALS FROM ABUSE Confidentiality must not be confused with secrecy. Staffs have clear duty to report any concerns they have relating to abuse or suspected abuse of vulnerable adults to their line manager at their earliest opportunity. Workers in all agencies owe a duty of confidentiality to vulnerable adults. A vulnerable adult has a right to expect that information about them and held on them in what ever form, will be treated with due regards to the principles of confidentiality. These principles are applicable to information sharing both within and between agencies in matters concerning abuse.

Popular Opinion of Under a Cruel Star

Popular Opinion of a Cruel Star Heda Margolius Kovaly was a woman who during her time in Czechoslovakia lived through many harsh periods for not only the country, but people of Jewish heritage as well. Her memoir Under a Cruel Star tells her story of hardship from 1941 to 1968. In this memoir she explains her time in Auschwitz, her escape, as well as life in Communist Czechoslovakia, concentrating more on the hardships of Czechoslovakia after World War II.While Kovaly’s memoir depicts the suffering of the Czechoslovakian people as well as the Slansky trials, which her first husband was a victim of, she never really touches upon the fact that many of the people tried, convicted, and killed were of Jewish decent. However, an article entitled â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,† by Kevin McDermott depicts the suffering of the Czech people as well as the trials in a completely different manner, addressing the anti-Semiti c actions of the Czechoslovakian government under the rule of Joseph Stalin and the influence that followed his death.Both the memoir and the article explain the Slansky Trial, each with a different view. In Kovaly’s memoir her husband was one of the Jewish KSC leaders which were tried during that time. It is explained in text that her husband had no connection to Richard Slansky, but it left him questioning the years of devotion he made to the communist government. While the Kovaly perspective shows an outsiders view of what was happening to Slansky McDermott’s article explains why and how Slansky was brought to trial.The article explains how Slansky was a very powerful leader in the KSC party, â€Å"he was effectively second in command to Gottwald, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party machine and co-responsible for formulating policy and strategic direction†¦ He was a member of the party’s top decision-making- bodies. † Stalin sent a letter to Gottwald stating that he had â€Å"committed a number of errors† in promoting leading personnel which has caused a threat to the party and the people and advised him to remove Slansky. This could have been caused through a change in geopolitical support In the Middle East.This could infer that Stalin’s increasing anti-Semitic tendencies impacted Czechoslovakia. Other than the fact that both Kovaly and Slansky were Jewish another reason for their demise was their different view on the communist ideal. When Heda tries to beg her husband to leave his government position he responds by saying â€Å"if all the decent people leave now, things will get worse. † Leaders like Slansky and Kovaly believed in the communist party actually as one for the people, they did not take huge bribes or look out for only themselves.They worked to do good for the party and the people. However, the Czech economy was failing, there was widespread social discontent and with tha t brought demonstrations and strikes. â€Å"Workers universally cursed the fact that everything is dear and wages are low†¦ A year ago salami cost 8 crowns and today it’s 28 crowns. † The government needed a scapegoat and Slansky (mainly him) as well as many Jewish officials were the perfect people to blame. Vzpominky Goldstucker actually spoke about Slansky saying â€Å"†¦He was cleverer than all the others so they had to get rid of him. †When the arrest of Kovaly’s husband took place and her friends and family found out, people purposefully avoided her and severed all contact with her. The government had effectively influenced people to fear going against them by staging arrests and trials such as Kovaly’s husband. A lot of what Kovaly writes in her memoir shows her being ostracized by society. Her husband’s arrest was one of those times. She wrote that people would spit at her and other people who were like her were stoned. At t his point in her memoir she doesn’t mention any anti-Semitic acts, only the ostracized effect that came with her â€Å"traitorous† husband’s arrest.When the trials began Heda was hospitalized due to her being sick of sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and stress, while she was in the hospital she heard her husband present a statement on the radio. Hearing his â€Å"flat and halting† voice leads her to believe that he is repeating a written statement which he was forced to memorize. Both Kovaly and McDermott touch on this subject of torture and forced statements. McDermott writes that the conduct of the court hearings came under criticism among citizens. Some people are saying that they have the impression that the trial is a show rehearsed in advance†¦ because the accused reply so fluently as if they are reading their statement. † Slansky was forced to do the same thing. He originally apologized for allowing some wrong people to make it through t he government ladder, but denied ever being traitorous, that was until the secret police began to interrogate him. They used a series of â€Å"physical and psychological pressures bordering on torture† which finally influence him to confess his â€Å"guilt†.While both Kovaly and McDermott addressed the torture that some of the prisoners received to influence their confession, Heda addressed a personal experience focusing only on her husband while McDermott’s article addresses several sources as well as explained deeper detail why the torture was used. With the regime change it was written that â€Å"The Death of Stalin Means Death to Communists. † The regime changed in 1956 and Kovaly writes that Nikita Kruschev gains power and criticizes Stalin’s reign. Quickly satellite nations begin releasing prisoners and declare them to be rehabilitated.The party even admitted that confessions were forced through torture, drugs, and psychological manipulation. The article does defend these points which Kovaly is making as well as takes it one step further by explaining some of the signs citizens were apparently posting in the towns. Even though Stalin was dead his anti-Semitic influence was not. An example would be an inscription found on the ground floor of a residential block which read â€Å"DEATH TO THE JEWISH TRAITORS-TO JEWS, GOTWALD AND THE JOINT- WE WANT A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. † Although not mentioned by Heda Kovaly, hatred towards Jewish people was still present after Stalin’s death.People were influenced to believe that it was Jewish leaders fault for the hurt economy which is why many jokes, comments, and almost fighting broke out. Although the extreme hatred towards Jewish people was un-intentionally publicly created it grew to something that the government could almost not control. While Kovaly’s memoir depicts the suffering of the Czechoslovakian people as well as the Slansky trials, which her first hus band was a victim of, she never really touches upon the fact that many of the people tried, convicted, and killed were of Jewish decent.However, Kevin McDermott depicts the suffering of the Czech people as well as the trials in a completely different manner, addressing the anti-Semitic actions of the Czechoslovakian government under the rule of Joseph Stalin and the influence that followed his death. This difference in historical focus during the same time period happens because Kovaly is writing on personal experience while McDermott is not. His research however does allow weight to be brought to the experiences which Kovaly is writing by showing detail which she is missing.Still, Kovaly’s work does lack the reference of anti-Semitic acts which were extremely present during that time and continuously present in the article. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. McDermott, Kevin. â€Å" , â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. (846) [ 2 ]. McDermott 847 [ 3 ]. McDermott 847 [ 4 ]. Kovaly, Heda. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Cambridge, MA: Plunkett Lake, 1986. Print. (101) [ 5 ]. McDermott, Kevin. , â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. [ 6 ]. McDermott 859 [ 7 ]. Kovaly 150 [ 8 ]. Kovaly, Heda. Under a Cruel Star: A Life in Prague 1941-1968. Cambridge, MA: Plunkett Lake, 1986. Print. 170 [ 9 ]. McDermott 852 [ 10 ]. McDermott 856/857 [ 11 ]. McDermott, Kevin. â€Å", â€Å"A ‘Polyphony of Voices’? Czech Popular Opinion and the Slansky Affair,†. †Ã‚  Slavic Review. 67. no. 4 (2008): 840-865. 849 [ 12 ]. McDermott 859 [ 13 ]. McDermott 859

MGT WK7 CHECKPOINT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

MGT WK7 CHECKPOINT - Essay Example Thirdly, the hospital management does not know employees work. This is because evaluations are rare and when done they are based on complaints. The complaints in this hospital even after paying the nurses well and the nurses do not seem to be bothered is a motivation problem. The supervisor must establish a period after which all nurses go through an evaluation giving each nurse a chance to contribute ideas to make work interesting and share their expectations. This will improve work conditions and make work interesting as their ideas are incorporated. Routine and boredom will no longer be part of their work. In addition, evaluations give employees accurate and timely feedback to their work that they can work on to improve their performance. Secondly, a supervisor must look for a way to relate rewards to performance and provide valued rewards. Thirdly, supervisors must treat employees as individuals. The aspect of generalizing employee’s needs is not good since it undermines their unique natures and

New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance Essay

New Methods of Human Communication and their Importance - Essay Example Today, communication to a great extent occurs through technological means. The existence of the mobile phone and social networking websites has made the world smaller and communications easier. However, the question remains as to whether there has actually been an increase in the amount that people talk to each other because of such inventions. Has communication between people increased as a result of the improvement in systems of communications? On the other hand, one also needs to look into the question as to whether the modern methods of communication that are present today have actually improved communication between people or whether the whole affair is a misconception or a mirage. This paper shall look into these questions and attempt to facilitate a discussion of the matter. With the introduction of the telephone, it became possible for people to communicate events and activities over long distances. Due to high costs and limited availability, the use of the telephone was limi ted during its initial stages but later, its use became widespread. The use of the letter reduced and there were many feelings and emotions that were left uncommunicated as a result. The written word could carry a lot of nuances in passages that a conversation on the telephone could not. Letters were written with deliberation and time was consumed during the composition of letters, unlike the conversations that are heard on telephones. The lack of speed in the delivery of letters had its own charm that the telephone could not replicate. There are often representations of people who are unable to communicate over the telephone in popular culture that indicate that the speed of communication in some cases kills the thought that goes behind communication. It is with the introduction of newer methods of communication all over the world that theories regarding the inadequacy of language and methods of communication came to be proposed by many thinkers. While this may seem like a paradox, proximity between the communicants can lead to an alienation between them. On the other hand, conversations on the telephone and especially on the mobile phone have a certain spontaneity associated with them that is natural to the manner in which it is used. While it may obviously not have the polish of a conversation carried on through letters, one is allowed to scream and lisp over the phone in a manner that is quite unimaginable in a conversation of letters. It also enables people to know where the other is, immediately, if one has made a plan to go to a certain place with other people. The opportunity to vent one’s anger is infinitely more effectively employable over a phone conversation that any other means of communication. Thus, one can see that with the invention of newer methods of communication, there are newer forms of information that are created and newer content that is modified so as to be placed in the framework of the new forms. Thus, it is not as if people do not communicate more, but both the forms and the content of communication has changed in the world of today. This is owing to the proliferation of newer methods of communication, the mobile phone being one of them. In many situations,

The contribution of Human Resource Management Essay

The contribution of Human Resource Management - Essay Example The second task aims to evaluate Marie Detert statement in the February 2008 issue of management today. The author stated that about 10-15% of the people in any organization are likely to be outstanding and around 5-10% do not perform. The majority of the employees works at an acceptance level, but is often neglected by the managers who concentrate on the outstanding and the inadequate. This study will discuss why it is important for organizations to retain the employees who are performing acceptably. The research will explain and justify the HRM strategies that can be used by organizations to retain and motivate its acceptance employees. The third task will evaluate the need of organizations to design jobs that empower their workers. Also, this task will analyze if the job design should be amended once change is contributed into the HR systems. The importance of job design towards the success of organizations will also be evaluated. Secondary research has been used to collect information for this study. A number of books, journals and magazines have been consulted to collect information and reach a conclusion that is presented towards the end of this study. In this section the study will identify ... These models will be evaluated for their efficiency and effectiveness in the organization. (i) Training and Development The HRM department at Xerox realized the importance of training and development to survive and sustain in the changing business environment. Today, the leaders are expected to have not only good verbal skills, but also excellent videoconferencing skills. It is no longer enough to simply mail things to clients and the customers now expect well written and prompt emails. Board meetings through videoconferencing were becoming very popular and Xerox decided to train their employees to use new technology (Pulley et al, 2002). The company approached the Center for Creative Leadership and asked them to design unique leadership development program that minimized the time needed for training the employees. Xerox wanted to train future leaders but was keen on minimizing their time away from the job. In addition, the company aimed to cut down the learning costs, and use learning technology to reach it goal. The Center for Creative Leadership introduced Xerox the idea of leadership development v ia the web (Pulley et al, 2002). The e-leadership program was delivered through web to geographically dispersed and targeted high-potential employees. The e-learning program used the web to conduct online face-to-face sessions, which included assessment, personal coaching, and mentoring. The new HRM model for training and development was successful in improving the performance of the employees at Xerox (Pulley et al, 2002). The e-learning program enhanced the learning efficiencies of the targeted employees and lowered the total costs of training. Xerox also enabled to reduce the time employees had to spend

Employability Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Employability Skills - Assignment Example According to Arthur (2012), every store has a store manager so do Flagship store. It is the responsibility of the store manager to see that the store achieves its target and earns profit. It is his duty to see that the image of the store is maintained throughout the time. Store should be attractive enough in designing. He should see that the stock is available all the time in the store as this is the main retail outlet. A store manager should be aware of all the products because if any problem occurs about the description of the product, then the customer will ask the manager only. Quality assurance is also the responsibility of the store manager as he should see that there are no expired products as this may ruin stores image. The flagship store has been set up new. Previously, company use to sell through online and it was big success. The sell which use to take place through online can’t be compared to the retail store as it is new and it has not created brand name yet. Avai lability of the product can be an issue as it may happen that transportation of products from the factory to the store has not been fixed and so the product shortage takes place frequently. It may happen that products which are available online are not available in the store as transportation is again the issue. Proper precautions have to take regarding fabrics as it can be out of fashion and still lying in the store which affects the brand image. Quality of fabrics has to be maintained as it can get dirty or spoiled due to negligence. A store cannot keep all the stocks as it is available in online because online store purchasing doesn’t need storage, order is directly packaged from the factory itself but products in the outlet needs storage with proper maintenance. There are many flaws and effectiveness in the set up of main outlet which will be rectified slowly as this is time

The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S Research Paper

The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S - Research Paper Example For commercial coverage, a pregnant woman to deliver by vaginal birth will incur average payments of $12,500 while for cesarean childbirth the patient has to pay $16,983. In Medicaid, payments are down: vaginal births cost $6,117 and $7,983 for cesarean births. For both Commercial and Medicaid, payments are 25% lower. Commercial insurers have a record of 100% payment than Medicaid. (Truven Health Analytics, 2013, p. 17) Payments for both vaginal and cesarean methods go to professional services, surgical fees, therapeutic fees, and so on. Payments for maternal care are higher than childbirth. These payments go to facility fees, professional fees, laboratory charges, and payments for drugs, among others. (Truven Health Analytics, 2013, p. 18) Will Affordable Care Act (ACA) solve this problem of rising cost of childbirth? The ObamaCare wants to expand the responsibilities and benefits of Medicaid by discarding the preconditions and cover more benefits for pregnant women. If the Obama ad ministration is able to fully implement the ObamaCare, then this might solve the problem. The Medicaid program can solve the problem by expanding the benefits and by strengthening its imbursement rate. One of the complaints against the Medicaid was its imbursement rate which was too low (Chua, 2006, p. 2). Enrollees had to search for private insurance to have more benefits. But if this discrepancy is corrected, then American women might change their minds. Through the Affordable Care Act, the administration has put more investments for health insurance in the amount of $10 billion annually for the next five years. The first goal is to digitize the health information system. The next step is to scratch away the... The Rising Cost of Obstetrics and Pre-natal Care in the U.S. The problem with cesarean births and the needed medicine has first to be addressed because of its high cost. The ObamaCare has also increased the coverage of Medicaid. This is one of the most significant phases of the law since Medicaid has a reputation of low imbursement rate. Added to this is the fact that it covers the poor and most vulnerable sector of society. Putting more emphasis on financing, the government can improve the performance of Medicaid and Medicare in order to improve quality of healthcare. High cost of medicine, hospitalization, and all the other allied expenses can be addressed adequately and fairly. The ObamaCare must provide immediate help to the four million childbirths every year. The cost for this human phenomenon can be lowered to ensure that our young mothers and new-born babies receive the best quality-healthcare possible. Young pregnant women don’t know where to go. The government should address this by redirecting local governments to help solve the problem. Present costs of vaginal and cesarean childbirths, from $32,093 and $51,125 respectively, have got to be reduced through government financing. The situation – that young pregnant women have nowhere to go and are struggling of the high cost of laboratory tests – can be reversed. The world must again feel that the American healthcare system is the best. That can only happen if Americans feel safe about their health.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Philosophy - Essay Example Modern philosophical thinking tries to explain the theory of cognition thereby trying to explain why and how the events take place and subsequent pattern of behaviour of man under certain condition involving emotional and metaphysical reaction. Philosophy can be broadly defined as an attempt to explain the sequence of events or happenings around us that directly or indirectly influence our actions and reactions in our daily life. It makes special efforts to examine and evaluate the thought processes and principles regarding truth, duty and knowledge about the things in general. Hence, philosophy is that branch of social science that tries to interpret everything and anything in the wider empirical consideration of our experiences of conscious and unconscious manifestations of our being. It therefore, can be said that each of us, follow a definite philosophy which guides our actions and our efforts to gain knowledge. Philosophy, with its wide ranging implications and its inherent tendency of examination and evaluation of ideas and events, is amalgamation of all areas of learning and encompasses all fields of social sciences. â€Å"Philosophy is the most inclusive of all branches of learning, and acts as a touchstone to all other aspects of human knowledge† (Sw. Krishnanand). Where all other branches of social sciences like biology, physics, sociology, history etc., work towards explaining and researching subjects and areas that come within its precinct, philosophy and philosophical thoughts promote learning through the application of various fields of social science as well as explaining through the metaphysical aspect of the experiences and events. Various philosophers like Aristotle, Pluto, Hume etc. have espoused philosophies regarding different aspect of our life’s ideologies and concept of living a moral and ethical life. The philosophy is part and parcel of every human being and he or she exhibit

Social Class and Education in the USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Social Class and Education in the USA - Essay Example However, education is becoming elusive for more and more people each year, especially for the working class. But then again, people classified as working class are not the only ones who encounter such difficulty. Even the middle class, at times including those in the upper echelon, have a hard time sending their kids to good schools that provide high quality education. This paper discusses the factors that bring about this condition of education in the United States (US). In this paper, I intend to argue that rising income disparity and unbalanced funding system for schools are the primary reasons why it becomes harder for people who are not in the upper class of society to attend good schools. Apart from these, I assert that surging cost in relation to schooling and Americans' mounting consumption rather than saving up for future investment such as education are also major factors that exacerbate the state of US education. Since elementary and secondary schooling are mandated by law, college education is emphasized in the discussion. In the tertiary level, problems in education become more evident as students and families are more exposed to higher spending and more options. In terms of income equality, the US ranks only 92nd is the world income distribution ("Wikipedia"). In the US, although income inequality rose more slowly during much of the 90's, those with higher incomes continue to pull away, thus, widening the income gap. People with higher incomes are said to be concentrated in California and New York City. With higher earnings, people working in these states are more likely to get to good schools and perform well. To illustrate this point, it is deemed that roughly 44% of the student population at Stanford University is comprised of people from California. Such may be somehow explained by the fact that those with higher incomes have greater allocation for education. Furthermore, due to the higher cost of living in these states, these people are probably more driven to land higher paying jobs to sustain their lifestyle. They seek better education since there are greater opportunities available in the labor market for highly educated individuals. Moreover, it is seen that those in the upper class have greater chances of pursuing higher level of education. As at 2000, the percentage of families who are able to send their children to school with respect to their annual income is summarized as follows: Annual Income Bracket Percentage of People who are able to send their Children to College $62,629-$96,040 26.7% $35,902-$62,628 12.2% Below-$35,901 8.6% ("Seattle Post Intelligencer") In the table above, it is seen that participation rates in college vary depending on total family income. People belonging to the upper income bracket are more likely to send their kids to schools. As we move down the income range, there are lesser families who can afford to send their children to school. This trend is due to the fact that people with lower earnings would initially have to address their basic necessities such as food, shelter and clothing. These bare essentials would have to be answered first prior to the cost of further schooling. If their disposable income is already depleted with their spending food, rent and clothes, then the children's schooling are at times foregone. Often, college

College personal statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

College - Personal Statement Example caring and loving grandparents, I always longed for the presence of my own parents and for a lifestyle where I would be able to spend more time with them and share even little details of my day. My grandparents always ensured that my studies would not affected by the irregular working hours of my parents and taught me how to be focused towards the attainment of personal goals. The vacuum of the special bond with my parents never made me bitter about life, rather it always proved to be a driving force for my existence to lead a different life than theirs. After I completed my high school, my parents moved back to my city but it was too late for me to get close to them and nurture our relationship. One day, a fear that often came to my mind became a reality; my parents asked me to join their business. My lonely childhood had already taught me that this decision would not just be a choice of a career, rather a lifestyle that can influence one’s values and ideas due to its demanding nature. I declined their offer and decided to live my life on my own terms while standing on my own feet. Needless to state that their commitment to their business gave me a lifestyle and commendable opportunities to acquire education, however a balance should have been struck between work and personal life to provide their child with the things that money cannot buy. One of the facts that my life has made me believe is that family, friends, hopes and dreams do not accumulate to define us as much as what we do for a living. Everything can be influenced and changed by what we do in the real world to make our presence in the professional life. I aspire to get admission in your esteemed university and prove my own identity and existence which is free from other people’s ideologies. My independent childhood and focused vision has taught me how to organize myself and achieve personal goals. Alongside earning the status of a reputable and successful professional, I want to lead a family

South African national parks Essay Example for Free

South African national parks Essay Kruger National Park was established in 1898 to protect the wildlife and habitats of South Africa. The largest of South African National Parks (SANParks), Kruger has been admired worldwide by conservationist, environmentalist, and tourists for its pristine environment and beauty. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), Kruger has been heralded by many to be a leader in â€Å"environmental management, infrastructure, and, of course, biodiversity† (C-407). Although the main purpose for which Kruger National Park (KNP) was created is and remains conservationism, as a result of the park’s mission KNP attracts over a million visitors each year and is regarded as an â€Å"icon destination in international tourism† (Merwe Saayman, 2008, p. 154). The motives of tourists visiting KNP, according to Merwe Saayman (2008), are identified as escape – such as visiting exciting places, and nature –described as to see endangered species. As seen by the tourists of KNP, the park has provided â€Å"a place to escape while enjoying the Big 5†. (Merwe Saayman, 2008, p.158). Ethical Dilemma To maintain and protect the environment of the park has required a large operating budget. As of 2010 the dollars necessary to meet the strategic goals of SANParks was well over 5. 5 million (Strickland Mixon, 2010). At the same time the South African government, a large grant provider to the park, began to reduce its funding of the park. As a result, SANParks needed to increase revenue streams to make up for the shortfall in grants provided by the government. One such source of income has been via wildlife sales through the game capture unit of the park. Originally the game capture unit of Veterinary Wildlife Services (VWS) was established to provide critical support to conservation efforts for rare and threatened species of animals in the park. This effort included the endangered rhino. The capture unit’s main objectives with regards to the endangered rhino were to control the population, expand the population both inside and outside the park, and make the population more resilient (Strickland Mixon, 2010). As pressure for self-funding has increased the objectives of the game capture unit have been shifted and have become more focused on the revenue stream provided by the sale of rhinos. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), revenue from the sale of rhinos generated over 7 million dollars in 2009. For VWS and conservationist biologists of SANParks two crucial strategic organizational objectives have become conflicted: Enhancing the conservation status of rare and threatened species Generating revenue for the SANParks through wildlife sales Impact on Strategic Vision There has been a tremendous demand for rhinos in the world market both for trophy hunting and for the horns of these animals. Although SANParks has had strict criteria under which these animals are sold, by selling rhinos they have indirectly contributed to the hunting and illegal poaching of these animals. In addition, while SANParks controls the primary market in which they sell rhinos, it is difficult if not impossible to control the secondary markets where many of the SANParks rhinos eventually ended up. According to Coniff (2011) conservationists, like Tom Milliken of Traffic, a group that monitors the international wildlife trade, agree that â€Å"trophy hunting can be a legitimate contributor to the conservation of rhinos. † At the same time, they also agree that hunting has produced a â€Å"moral gray zone† (Coniff, 2011). It is imperative that SANParks finds new sources of revenue streams to maintain the mission and objectives for which the Kruger Park was originally created. Internal Strengths: Unrivaled wildlife diversity and easy viewing Leaders who want to see Kruger and its wildlife prosper Exceptional game capture unit. Income generation from selling of rhinos Internal Weaknesses: Less income due to gov’t grant to Kruger being done away with Less money for VWS to take care of wildlife as best they can Selling rhinos for income generation given the uncertainty of where they will end up (private park, private hunting park, black market, different cultures) Leasing out land to private companies who are making money that Kruger could make if they were to utilize the space for other income generating activities External Threats: Buyers with wrong intentions Cultures value rhino horns because of cultural beliefs. Demand is extremely high for rhino horns and is worth $7,200 per pound on the black market Poaching has become more prominent because of the value of horns on black market External Opportunities: Research and solicitation for other conservation organizations for funding Explore more tourist opportunities for funding Hunting on Kruger premises as an income and tourist generator. SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis is a powerful tool that is used for analyzing organizations internal strengths and weaknesses and its market opportunities and external threats to ensure a healthy future well-being for the organization. Organizations use the SWOT to evaluate current conditions and make strategic changes that will help to strengthen them. An organizations strengths and weaknesses are the internal situations within the organization and its opportunities and threats are the external situations outside its organization. Internal Strengths The SWOT analysis above demonstrates that Kruger has a great deal of strengths to work with in order to generate the income needed while fulfilling its mission as a conservation site for the endangered rhino. First and foremost, Kruger has some great leaders that truly care for the well-being of Kruger National Park. Among these prominent leaders is Dr. Markus Hofmeyr, head of Veterinary Wildlife Services for SANParks and has been taking care of the park animals for a number of years. As head of VWS he is concerned with how KNP will be able to continue to take care of its wildlife with the amount of money that is required. Dr. David Mabunda, SANParks’ chief executive officer, is also concerned about the wildlife population of KNP. Dr. Mabunda has stressed the importance of protecting the rhino population both inside and outside the park by either selling or donating rhinos. According to Mabunda, â€Å"it is too risky to keep the entire rhino population at Kruger because of the danger of losing them should there be an outbreak of disease or rampant poaching†(C-409). With Kruger being the largest supplier of rhinos in the world, the park generates about $32k per sale of a rhino. In 2009, 500 rhinos were sold in South Africa, 252 of these transactions came from Kruger. That is approximately $8,064,000 of revenue that Kruger saw in 2009 just for selling rhinos. Although a costly activity, Kruger’s exceptional game capture unit plays a large role in Kruger being the largest supplier of rhinos. Game capture has also made it easier to manage rare species by placing them in breeding enclosures. Because of KNP’s expert game capture unit, the park is able to ensure protection and a healthy environment for not only the rhinos but all of its wildlife. Kruger’s reputation for its unrivaled wildlife diversity and easy viewing of its many species is another of its many internal strengths. Internal Weaknesses The SWOT analysis displays some internal weaknesses that Kruger has been experiencing. Lack of money has become a major issue due to the cut of an annual grant that has long been provided to SANParks by the South African National Government. This cut has put pressures on Kruger to come up with ways to self-fund its park and has, according to Strickland and Mixon (2010) â€Å"threatened the ability of SANParks’ Veterinary Wildlife Services to continue to deliver normal veterinary and operational services† (C-406). Strickland and Mixon (2010) state that there are 7 private lodge concessions and over the years these concessions have been leased to partnerships between communities and private companies. The concessions were placed on tender, and areas were allocated for 25 to 30 year leases where these companies had tourist operations. When the lease is up, the fixed assets become SANParks property and they can decide whether to lease or retender the concession. This land that has for so long been leased could be a major missing income generator. Currently this as an internal weakness of Kruger’s because this land could provide many income generating activities that Kruger is missing out on due to its decision to lease out the land to private companies. External Threats. Although the selling of rhinos is listed as a strength because it is an income generator, it can also be classified as a weakness because we are uncertain that the rhinos being sold are in the hands of people with the best intentions. Kruger’s rhino conservation efforts are being jeopardized due to buyers who are in secondary markets, most of which include hunters and members of the black market. The unknown destination of rhinos sold in the secondary market pose an external threat to Kruger National Park. Private parks buy these rhinos then turn around and have them hunted for a profit of 82k. Because of the high demand for rhino horns on the black market, buyers in the secondary market buy these rhinos for 32k and sell their horns on the black market for $7,200 per pound of rhino horn. That is roughly $43,200 per rhino horn. Poaching has become more rampant than ever due to the high value of horns in the black market. In Asia the rhino horn has been prevalent in traditional medicine, used as a cure for the common cold and other illnesses. Some even believe it can cure cancer. Oryx says the rhino horn is in great demand in North Yemen; men wear rhino horn daggers around their neck as a symbol self-defense, honor, and a man’s word. Since 1970, it is said that half of the rhino horn on the market has ended up in North Yemen. Vietnam is also a major player in the illegal sale of rhino horns due to the beliefs of the horn being a healing agent. Market Opportunities Although there are a significant number of external threats, there are some market opportunities that Kruger can take advantage of that would greatly increase funding for the park and its veterinary wildlife services. Solicitation for other conservation groups to come and research Kruger’s wildlife is a large opportunity not only for the park but also for the conservations groups that are solicited to. The presence of conservation groups will also give Kruger the opportunity to add more wildlife and endangered species to the mix. This will in turn give way for more tourist opportunities. Hunting is a desirable of many; a possible opportunity for Kruger could involve hunting of these wild beasts. This would then give Kruger the opportunity to select the Rhinos that are eligible for hunting, which will become a win-win for income generation and conservation of healthy Rhinos. Solutions to Contributing factors The SWOT analysis identified four factors that are contributing to the ethical dilemma facing SANParks. The main factors are a lack of money, hunting practices, cultural beliefs around the world and poaching. After much discussion and thought solutions were identified for each of the issues and the benefits and drawbacks of each one. Budget shortfall solutions The first issue identified was the lack of money. SANParks has had funding pulled by the government and this has created an operating deficit. Without additional income, it will be difficult for the park to continue its normal operations. That being said, the solution for the money issue needs to include a way to generate more money. Two solutions are recommended to solve this issue. The first would be to solicit to conservation groups and private investors around the world for additional funding through donations. In return, they park could provide research opportunities to these groups. The added income would be the biggest pro argument and would allow the park to continue its current operations. However, this solution does come with several drawbacks. Donated funds are inconsistent and can be pulled at any time. Relying on donations would offer the possibility of the park ending up in the same spot in a few years. Accepting donations also opens the park to criticism from the private investors and donators. For example, they may not agree with the capturing process done by SANParks and may pull their funding if the practice continues. Another viable option to increase income for the park is to allow more tourist options within the park. These options can include safaris, hunting, fishing, research and all other areas of tourism. These tourist options are already done on the park and often by private companies. This is an area where SANParks could step in and begin managing these services themselves. Again, the biggest pro to this solution is the possibility of income generation. According to Strickland and Mixon (2010), SANParks is currently selling its captured rhinos on the market for $30,300. A typical rhino hunting expedition can cost $82,400 per hunter. That is over $50,000 per rhino in opportunity costs. The park could definitely look into hunting as a tourism option and gain some of this market share. There are a couple of cons to getting into the tourism business. Some of the attractions or services would require some up-front costs. For example, Safaris require vehicles to transport tourists around the park and also requires guides. The park will need to make an initial investment to purchase the equipment and pay tour guides. The same can be said if hunting is allowed as part of the tourism attractions. Another drawback to this solution is that if the park promotes hunting, it may be viewed as a conflict to their goal of conserving rhinos. That view can be debated in that population management is a key success factor to maintaining a healthy herd of rhinos. For this reason, it may be a benefit to allow hunters on the park if it is managed properly. Hunting solutions The second issue or factor is the amount of rhino hunting that takes place. Currently SANParks captures and sells rhinos on the open market. Private companies buy these rhinos and place them on controlled hunting plots and allow individuals to hunt these rhinos. As stated above, these hunting expeditions can cost $82,400 per hunter. This demand has resulted in more and more rhinos ending up in the hands of hunters. Once they are sold, SANParks has no control over how the rhino is managed. This practice goes against the main goal of the park to conserve rhinos. There are a couple of solutions to reduce the amount of hunting going on outside the park and on private land. The first is the same solution for the lack of money issue. SANPark should allow hunting to take place on the park. This should decrease some of the hunting on private land and will allow the park to some of the market share. The drawback is also the same as above. Allowing hunters on the park could hurt the image of the park’s main goal which is to conserve rhinos. Another solution to limiting the amount of hunting on private land is to restrict the sale of rhinos only to other conservation groups. This may include other parks, zoos and research groups. The biggest benefit to this is it would reduce the number of rhinos available to private hunting organizations. This solution would be difficult to carry out. It would be difficult to manage the sale of every rhino and the effort may be too great to be realistic. Limiting the amount of rhinos available to private buyers may also increase the demand in the black market and in turn may increase poaching. Cultural solutions The third issue discussed that is contributing to SANPark’s dilemma is the practices of various cultures around the world. Some cultures view the rhino horn as a cure for diseases, aphrodisiac, and rhino horn daggers. This increases the demand for rhino horns and threatens the safety of rhinos on the park. According to Coniff (2011). , the demand spiked in 2008 after claims that a rhino horn cured liver cancer in Vietnam. One solution to this issue would be to educate other cultures on the damage caused by purchasing rhino horns. Perhaps if they were made aware that their practices were putting rhinos at risk, they would change. This solution is probably not viable. The benefit would be great in that it would reduce demand for the horns; however, the cons heavily outweigh the pros. Getting cultures to change their practices would not be easy, cost effective, or in the best interest of the park. Changing a cultures belief is not something that can be done easily as these beliefs develop over years and years in a culture. It would also require an investment for the park to produce and circulate the education material. In addition, it could also reflect badly on the park if they were to attack or try to change a cultures belief. The second solution to the culture dilemma would be to lobby governments to increase punishments for rhino products sold on the black market. Most activity of rhino horns being sold occurs on the black market. A higher penalty for selling and buying these horns on the black market may defer some traffic and reduce the demand. The negative side of this is that the demand for these horns by the final buyers is not likely to change. The end result may just be that prices are driven up and the supply and demand remains the same. Poaching solutions The final factor contributing to SANPark’s dilemma is poaching. According to the Strickland and Mixon (2010), the demand for rhinos and rhino horns has steadily increased over the past 15 years and has resulted in an increase in poaching. Poaching is a big problem for both the park and for rhinos around the world. The two solutions offered to reduce poaching are to lobby for higher penalties if caught and to increase security on the park. Lobbying for higher penalties could deter some poachers from taking the risk. The increase in the penalty would probably have little effect on established poachers that dominate the market. The other option to reduce poaching would be to increase security on the park. The biggest pro for this solution is that it would make it harder for poachers to gain access to the park and rhinos. However, it is Strickland and Mixon (2010) suggest Kruger already has one of the best anti-poaching units in South Africa. According to France-Presse, (2011), poachers are using helicopters, night vision goggles and high powered rifles to hunt the rhinos. Strickland and Mixon (2010) also discuss the advanced weaponry that is used by poachers. Combating this type of criminal has been and will continue to be a tough obstacle to overcome. This presents the question; at what point does putting more money into defense become wasteful SANParks may have already reached that limit. Recommended Solution Since the lack of funding is Kruger’s biggest hurdle, the recommended solution is to explore more tourist options within Kruger Park in order to generate income. This will include guided safaris, hunting, fishing, and camping which will allow the park to utilize its resources. Rational 1. This is the recommended solution because it is the solution that will allow Kruger Park to generate more of its own income. Tourism at Kruger Park is already one of the largest in South Africa, so to enlarge what already exists they should introduce hunting to the national park. When SANparks captures and sells a rhino, the consumer pays an average of $30,000 per rhino. The rhinos are sold to many different consumers, private game owners, ranchers/breeders, and other parks. When these rhinos are sold to private game owners, they are sometimes hunted at which people pay about $80,000 to hunt their property. (Strickland and Mixon C-407) The recommendation is to include hunting at Kruger Park and make a possible profit of $50,000 per rhino. Rational 2 By allowing these new tourist options, Kruger Park will in turn protect the rhino population and prevent more poachers from killing the rhinos for their horns, which is SANparks main goal, to protect the rhinos from extinction. SANparks should continue to sell to other protected parks so that the rhinos do not become extinct, due the risk of wide spread disease in certain parts of the world. Rational 3 This solution to solve the money deficit is also low cost, which is necessary to make a profit. Since Kruger Park already hosts safaris and camping, a lot of extra equipment should not be needed. The main objective to low cost solutions is to use the resources that are already in your possession. The park includes 7,722 square miles of conservation area that is already gated to control trespassing. The park is also known for the wide variety of species on the property; 147 mammal species, 49 species of fish, 507 bird species, etc. . (Strickland and Mixon C-407) The park should utilize these great resources and generate its own income. Rational 4 Out of all the solutions presented, this solution is the most attainable. Since several cultures believe that the horns contain healing properties, or they make good weapons, or is an aphrodisiac, it would be difficult to convince a group of people that their culture is wrong. Although the horns are believed to be healing, they are really only made up of the same materials that our finger nails are made of and Amin, a researcher says, â€Å"You’d do just as well chewing on your fingernails. † (2012) While this may be true, it would be hard to convince a specific group of people that what their ancestors taught them is a lie, and therefore protesting against poachers and trying to raise awareness may, or may not work, and the rhinos will still be unprotected. But, with this solution the money earned from extra tourism can be filtered down to other contributing factors and help to solve those issues as well. Action Plan As Kruger Parks moves towards offering more options to promote tourism they will first need to look into their target markets as well as the current industry of rhino hunting and safaris. Looking at the competition it would seem logical for Kruger parks to focus on offering safari tours, camping, hunting, helicopter tours and educational exhibits in order to increase their tourist appeal. Now that Kruger is focusing on running these activities themselves it would make most financial sense to cancel all previous contracts with outside companies that were able to offer these concessions on their land. In offering these extra tourist options it will be necessary to increase their current marketing team to promote their parks and set up vacation packages working with airlines and resorts in the area. Kruger will also need to purchase Safari automobiles, a helicopter, and hunting gear. By keeping their park in the most natural state possible it will allow them to save money as opposed to setting up a zoo environment. One of their largest overhead costs may be the addition of more staff such as the marketing team, expert hunters, a helicopter pilot and tour guides. Kruger may have to bring on an extra helicopter to support more rides a couple years down the line when they are been able to raise enough capital. Until then, they will be able to use their current revenue to finance these new additions in staff and marketing. If they will set up a lower cost hunting price to gain customers they will be able to raise prices when their name and brand get out to the consumers. Until then Kruger should increase prices of items not in the hunting packages such as equipment and trophy prizes that the clients will not think about till they are on property. The biggest risk Kruger may face would be spending all of their current revenue/assets on jumping into a new market and not seeing sufficient return in profits. If they are unable to compete with the current companies in this market it will be in a bigger hole than when they started. The good news is Kruger will be entering the tourist/hunting market after learning from competitor’s current prices and build off of their mistakes to enhance the experience for customers. Other risks may include activist groups coming at them for not caring for the Rhino. One way to make them happy would be offering hunting trips with darts so that Rhinos will not be killed. Kruger will be able to charge extra dart and trophy prizes on these trip while still offering lower prices. Luckily, many activists see the logic in controlling the Rhino population in parks. â€Å"Friedman, Muir and Pelham Jones, of the Private Rhino Owners’ Association, said most state-run parks in South Africa were reaching the end of their productive carrying capacity and there was a need to remove â€Å"surplus† rhino (Carnie, 2012). † It is a positive that they already have a pretty large fallowing, however, another potential risk may be losing some of their previous customers due to the change in their business model. Finally, they will need to keep a close eye on the supply and demand of Rhinos on their property because they do not want to run into the risk of losing to many Rhinos to their hunting business. Linda’s References Coniff, R. (2011). Defending the Rhino. Smithsonian, 42(7), 64 Merwe, P. , Saayman, M. (2008). Travel motivations of tourists visiting Kruger National Park. Koedoe African Protected Area Conservation And Science, 50(1), 154-159. doi:10. 4102/koedoe. v50i1. 140 Strickland, A. , Mixon, W. (2010). Rhino Capture in the Kruger National Park. In Thompson, A. , Peteraf, M. , Gamble, J. , Strikland, A. (2012). Crafting and executing strategy. (18th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Jeff’s Reference Carnie, T. (2012). Ian Player defends hunting the rhino. South Africa: Cape Times News. p. 6. Marjorie’s Reference Daniel Martin Varisco (1989). Beyond rhino horn—wildlife conservation for North Yemen. Oryx, 23, pp 215219 Matt’s References Coniff, R. (2011). Defending the Rhino. Smithsonian, 42(7), 64 France-Presse, A. (2011) Rhino Poaching Rampant. Windsor Star News. D6. Shannon’s References Rhino horn use: Fact vs. fiction. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. pbs. org/wnet/nature/episodes/rhinoceros/rhino-horn-use-fact-vs-fiction/1178/ Bryson, D. (2012). Vietnam craves rhino horn; costs more than cocaine. Retrieved from http://news. yahoo. com/vietnam-craves-rhino-horn-costs-more-cocaine-062134928. html.

Enteral Feeding After Gastric Intestinal Resection

Enteral Feeding After Gastric Intestinal Resection Optimum nutrition has always been a major target of post: operative care. Ileus is a common phenomenon after abdominal surgery, therefore early oral feeding is avoided and nasogastric decompression is being used. Conventionally, post abdominal surgery, the passage of flatus, or bowel movement was the clinical evidence of starting an oral diet. The end of post operative ileus based to be taken by the passage of flatus usually occurred within 5 days. The many studies have proved that the routine use of a nasogastric tube after abdominal Surgery and colorectal surgery may not be necessary. studies were undertaken to evaluate /whether different abdominal surgeries could benefit from early feeding. Early feeding improves the outcome of the patients with trauma and Burns although few studies have examined its use after gastro intestinal anastomosis. In case of laparoscopic colectomy patients have been fed routinely on day 2 after operation and that is being safely tolerated by the majority of patients. There are many evidences which indicate that immediate feeding after operation is actually feasible and safe whether post laparoscopic or post laparotomy , including gastro intestinal surgery. It has been proved by many studies that early enteral feeding in surgical patients improves nutrition and immunity and ultimately reducing septic complications and over all morbidity when compared with parenteral nutrition. A study conducted that compared an early regular diet to conventional post operative dietary management to determine G1 complications and mortality after major G1 anastomosis. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and tolerability outcomes of early oral feeding after elective gastro intestinal anastomosis. Patients and Methods Between July 2006 and December 2009, after the study was approved by ethical review committee, patients were offered participation and informed consent taken. Patients with chronic liver disease or those with metastasis and patients with histories of acute obstruction, perforation and intra abdominal infection were excluded. Patients were subject to a thorough history, physical examination and investigations. The patients were then randomized into two groups. Randomization done using sealed envelopes. Group 1 (Early feeding); 30 patients were offered simply a liquid diet within 6 hours of arrival on the ward. If 1 liter was being tolerated they were free for free liquid on the second day and then regular diet on the third day. (Tolerance is being indicated by an absence of vomiting or abdominal distension). Group 2 (Regular feeding) 30 patients were managed conventionally (that is nothing by mouth until the resolution of ileus, then a fluid diet, followed by regular diet. All patients underwent general anesthesia no nasogastric tube was inserted in any patients during surgery in patients in group 1 and a nasogastric tube was inserted in all patients during surgery and continued till the resolution of ileus in group 2. The patients were monitored for vomiting, abdominal distension length of ileus, tolerance of regular diet, length of hospitalization and complications. If there were two episodes of vomiting in the absence of bowel sounds or passage of flatus in the absence of any bowel movement, insertion of nasogastric tube was implemented.Also those who suffered from abdominal distension, emesis and succussion splash of stomach were diagnosed with acute dilatation of stomach, subjected to G I decompression. If there was anastomosis failure, treatment ensued such as antibiotics, nutritional support, ileostomy or colostomy. Patients with normal post operative course were discharged when they could tolerate a regular diet. Demographics were age and sex, medical and surgical histories of the patients and indications for anastomosis were noted. Different patients had different types of anastomosis were randomly allocated to group 1 irrespective of anastomotic type to eliminate bias. Table 1. Indications group 1 group 2 Tuberculous 5 5 Stricture at Ileum Closure of 20 20 Ileostomy Colorectal surgery 5 5 The main outcome was to evaluate post operative complications that included wound infection, leakage of anastomosis, obstruction, mesenteric emboli, upper G1 bleeding, wound dehiscence, prolonged ileus, and mortality. Ileus was defined as hypoactive bowel sounds, abdominal distension and no passage of flatus or bowel movement with or without nausea or vomiting after the first post operative day 3. Statistical analysis of data done by SPSS version 10. For continuous variables, descriptive statistics were calculated and were reported as mean +SD. Categorical variables were described using frequency distribution. The student T-test for paired samples was used to detect difference in the mean of continuous variables and the chi-square test was used in cases with low expected frequencies (a P value

Employer Obligations Under The Equality Act 2010

Employer Obligations Under The Equality Act 2010 Gavin Moore PO4 Question 1 The employer’s main obligations under the Employment Equality Act are to: Provide a safe, healthy work environment with the required facilities. When hiring employees they must abide by the nine grounds and must not discriminate based on: Race The employer cannot say no to hiring someone based on the fact they are Chinese, Indian, African or even white. Gender An employer cannot base his decision on whether the candidate is a man or a woman when recruiting as this can be sexist and discrimination. Marital status Just because the person looking for work is married or not the employer can’t say no based on this status. Family status The employer can’t look at whether the person is a family man with a wife and kids or if he has no wife and kids and lives alone when hiring. Sexual orientation If the candidate is gay, bisexual or even a lesbian the employer can’t base his decision on this. Disability If a person has a disability they should not feel that they will not get the job because of this unless it involves something which requires skill that they don’t have, otherwise, the employer must treat them equal. Religion The employees should not be treated differently based on their religious beliefs. Age The position should be available for anyone who is between the age of 18 to 65 as long as they are well able to complete the tasks which have to be done. Member of the travelling community. If a member of the travelling community is looking for work and is fully qualified he should not be discriminated against just because of his background. The two main legal acts which underpin it are: The Employment Equality Act 1998 (amended 2004) This covers advertising, equal pay, access to employment, promotion or demotion and dismissal and other issues. This also promotes equality, prohibits discrimination and sexual harassment or harassment, and gives access to people with disabilities participation and training. The Act gives protection to employees in the public and private sector. The Equal Status Act 2000 (as amended by the equality act 2004) The Equal Status Act promotes equality, prohibits certain kinds of discrimination (with some exceptions), prohibits sexual harassment and harassment (on the discriminatory grounds). This covers people who buy goods, use services and facilities and attend educational establishments. The Act also prohibits victimisation and provides that clubs which discriminate may lose their licence to sell alcohol. (www.asti.ie) PO4 Question 2 The employee’s main obligations under the employment equality act are to: Be available for work and provide a good service. you must be willing to do the work given to you at any time and you must do it to the best of your ability. Obey orders from employers Whatever tasks your employer gives to you must be completed and you must do what they tell you to do without any negativity Maintain confidentiality regarding company information Any information given to you about clients or the business must not be shared outside the workplace as it is company policy that everything remains private. Be willing to compensate the employer for any damage caused or wrongful act committed. If you manage to break something or do something wrong you must confront the manager as soon as possible because if you don’t tell the manager you will come across as being unreliable and not honest which can give you a bad reputation within the workplace. The two main legal acts which underpin this is: The Employment Equality Act 1998 (amended 2004) This covers advertising, equal pay, access to employment, promotion or demotion and dismissal and other issues. This also promotes equality, prohibits discrimination and sexual harassment or harassment, and gives access to people with disabilities participation and training. The Act gives protection to employees in the public and private sector. The Equal Status Act 2000 (as amended by the equality act 2004). The Equal Status Act promotes equality, prohibits certain kinds of discrimination (with some exceptions), prohibits sexual harassment and harassment (on the discriminatory grounds). This covers people who buy goods, use services and facilities and attend educational establishments. The Act also prohibits victimisation and provides that clubs which discriminate may lose their licence to sell alcohol. (www.asti.ie) PO4 Question 3 An example of workplace discrimination would be racial discrimination. This can take place when an employee of a certain race is paid less than the other employees or if they receive unfavourable treatment within the workplace. The problem can be noticed through unfair policies and dismissal without a certain reason. The employer can take positive action by coming to the person who is being discriminated against and find the people responsible for this and fire them immediately. These acts should be discussed with candidates before hiring them and let them know that their company will not tolerate any discrimination of any kind. Another example would be if a woman was being harassed by the men within the workplace to a serious extent. The manager would be in the hot seat if he didn’t get to the bottom of it. He would have to arrange a meeting with the woman in being harassed and find out who is behind it and fire them immediately. This would be one of the major problems that t he employer would face within the workplace and if not dealt with immediately could result in them losing their job. PO4 Question 4 Five pieces of current legislation relating to employment to cover the following issues are: Health, safety and welfare at work (Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005) This Act clarifies and enhances the responsibilities of employer‘s, the self-employed, employees and various other parties in relation to safety and health at work. The Act also details the role and functions of the Health and Safety Authority, provides for a range of enforcement measures that may be applied and specifies penalties that may be applied for breach of occupational safety and health (www.hsa.ie) Equality (Equality Act 2004 and Employment Equality Act 1998) Their main aim is to promote equality by forbidding discrimination within employment. (www.ahead.ie) Union Representation (Industrial Relations Act 1990) The definition of trade dispute no longer includes worker v. worker disputes, disputes about an individuals employment must first go through statutory or collectively agreed resolution procedures, private residences can no longer be picketed, secondary action is restricted, and trade unions must have rules providing for secret ballots before industrial action is taken. On the other hand, the ability of employers to get labour injunctions is restricted where there has been a secret ballot and strike notice has been given. (www.eurofound.europa.eu) Regulations Relating to Pay: National Minimum Wage Act 2000 The National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 provides that the minimum wage rate for an experienced adult employee from 1 May, 2005 is 7.65 euro per hour. Before then, the minimum wage rate was 7 euro per hour. The national minimum wage is reviewed at regular intervals (www.disability.ie) And the Payment Of Wage Act 1991 The employer is obliged to provide a written statement of wages and deductions at the time of payment. It is worth noting that in the case of schools in Ireland for the purposes of the Payment of Wages act, 1991 the Department of Education and Skills is deemed to the employer. (www.employmentrightsinireland.com) References Online at http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Managing_Health_and_Safety/Safety,_Health_and_Welfare_at_Work_Act_2005/ (accessed 12/02/14) Online at  http://www.disability.ie/disability-ie-information-portal/site-sections/rights-legislation/183-legislation-bills-and-act-s-from-ireland-and-uk/534-national-minimum-wage-act (accessed 12/02/14) Online at  http://www.asti.ie/?id=281 (accessed 12/02/14) Online at  http://employmentrightsireland.com/payment-of-wages-act-1991-payment-of-wages-in-irish-employment-law/ (accessed 12/02/14) Online at  http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emire/IRELAND/INDUSTRIALRELATIONSACT1990-IR.htm (accessed 13/02/14) Online at  http://www.ahead.ie/inclusiveeducation_legislation_19982004acts (accessed 13/02/14)