Current operations-based 'customer' issue of a SME in Southern England Essay

Current operations-based 'customer' issue of a SME in Southern England region - Essay Example In the year 2002, the company had launched the brand O2 for the betterment of the business. The organization operates in more than 25 countries employing 264000 employees and serving almost 287 million customers. It helps in developing the client’s business by means of international advertising or telecommunication solutions. Ronan Dunne is the existing CEO of the organization. He has managed all his responsibilities in an efficient manner from his very first day of taking over the responsibilities from the previous CEO. He has succeeded in generating as well as maintaining consistency in earning high revenues. The company offers 2G, 3G and 4G services to the customers all over the country and also, in some parts of Europe. Along with its telecommunication services, the company is also known for providing fixed line services. The organization uses its name in its logo and portrays an image of an oxygen provider to its customers. O2 is also known for its charity purpose and has a tie up with a large number of charity groups. One of the examples is its tie up with Academy Music Group. Their partnership had resulted in the establishment of O2 academy. Current Research Operational Activity Digital communication serves as one of the fundamental parts for almost all the individuals in the world. In the developing as well as developed countries, the communication facility is developing at a fast rate along with the advancement of technology. In the present scenario, the cell phones are almost indispensible for all the individuals involved in mainstream activities. It has become one of the most important reasons for increasing the value of O2 from the global perspective. In 2012, there were approximately 82 million users who had subscribed to various mobile service providers. It has also been seen that the number of internet users have increased rapidly along with increasing mobile phone subscribers. The data traffic almost doubled itself in 2013 as compared to the previous year. In United Kingdom, there are a large number of players operating in this particular segment, O2 being one among them. The international market of the telecommunication services tends to be highly competitive with passage of time. It is mainly because of the rapid technological advancements, thereby resulting in the development of modern channels of communication. Xavier and Ypsilanti (2008) have argued that in this period of varying communication tools, implemented by the consumers as well as the marketers, the consumers reflect various motivational factors behind their purchasing services from a definite mobile service provider. Therefore, the companies operating in this industry are highly engaged in the diversified process of attracting the customers and retaining them by implementation of various effective business strategies. O2 uses the benefits of its global reach for standardizing the business all across the world by improving the cost efficiency and reduc ing the time involvement in launching new products and services for the customers. It has recently collaborated with Vodafone for operating as well as managing one single network grid in United Kingdom, which would be run by two most competing mobile internet networks. The joint collaboration of both the companies would offer indoor 2G and 3G, thereby covering 98 percent of the UK population within 2015 (Vodafone Group, 2013). Service Differentiation The customers as well as the

In Cold Blood Essay Example for Free

In Cold Blood Essay Few authors have the skill to express their view of a setting without straightforwardly telling the audience. In this small passage from In Cold Blood, Truman Capote very eloquently does just that, describing the look and feel of Holcomb, Kansas through words. With Capote’s use of many elements like figurative language, imagery, and detain, he reveals his original but mysterious views on the scenery of Holcomb. All while describing this content town, Capote builds up for a drastic change to end the excerpt. Starting strong from the first line of the excerpt, Capote puts in uninteresting details about Holcomb, and saying that other Kansans call Holcomb â€Å"out there†. This brings attention to how isolated and far away from exciting city life this small town really is. Not only does Capote bring in the details of within the town, he describes the location of Holcomb, to give the readers a larger picture. Capote points out that the town is closed in on all side with fields of wheat, a river, and prairies. The inner town is shown as remote, boring, and with a sense of calmness. Images such as â€Å"unnamed, unshaded, unpaved† and â€Å"peeling sulphur-colored paint† show how Capote views Holcomb. He describes a remote and boring place to be. It is clear that Capote see the town as average and lacking in liveliness and excitement. Alongside the details of the landscape, Capote uses a great deal of imagery to describe the town’s small impurities and quirks, as well as they lifestyle and personalities of the people that live there. Concentrating on much of Holcomb’s looks, he describes â€Å"peeling sulphur-colored paint† and ramshackle mansion†, as well as â€Å"flaking gold on a dirty window†. This strong imagery portrays the town’s deteriorating liveliness. The author then shows the residents of the town with â€Å"The local accent is barbed with a prairie twang† and a â€Å"ranch-hand nasalness†. Capote shows his thoughts of the bland town through visual imagery. Through all Capote’s imagery and description, he portrays his true feelings  of how average and dull the town of Holcomb, Kansas is. However, all this simplicity is just used to strongly contrast the ending paragraph, which ends in a mysterious turnaround of having Holcomb become noticed for a certain significant event.

The Definition Foster Care Social Work Essay

The Definition Foster Care Social Work Essay New World Enclopedia (2012) defines foster care as full-time substitute care of children outside their own home by people other than their biological or adoptive parents or legal guardians. According to The Adoption Foundation (2012) Foster care means placing a child in the temporary care of a family other than its own as the result of problems or challenges that are taking place within the birth family. Johnson (2004) defines Foster care as a 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the State Agency has placement and care responsibility. To summarise the Foster Care aim is to provide the opportunity to children victims of abuse and/or neglect to live in a substitute family on a temporary basis. The role of the foster parents is to give support to the child and help him to grow physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. 3.2 History of Foster Care The Children Aid Society (2012) stated that placement of children in foster homes is a concept which goes as far back as the Old Testament, which refers to caring for dependent children as a duty under law. Early Christian church records indicate orphaned children lived with widows who were paid by the church. English Poor Laws in the 1500s allowed the placement of poor children into indentured service until they became adults. This practice was imported to the United States and was the beginning of placing children into foster homes. The most significant record of fostering was in 1853, a child was removed from a workhouse in Cheshire and placed in a foster family under the legal care of the local government. At the beginning of the 1900s only orphaned or abandoned children under the age of 11 years were fostered, and they had to have a demanding psychological profile well adjusted, obedient and physically normal. Jeune Guishard-Pine (2007) identified that in 1969 research was carried out on the foster care system and it was found that foster families required training on how to deal with the foster children and make them fill secure in the placement. 3.3 Foster care as a global concept Johnson (2005) emphasised that foster care is most likely the most widely practised form of substitute care for children world-wide, depending on the needs of the child, the culture and the system in place. According to Askeland (2006) there are many different kinds of fostering and definitions of foster care vary internationally. It can be short -term, a matter of days ,or a child whole childhood. A review of foster care in twenty-two countries found considerable diversity in the way of fostering in both defined and practised. Mannheim (2002) stated that kinship foster care, which is the most common form of fostering in African countries, is not called foster care in all countries. In Ireland for example only children placed with no relatives are said to be fostered. According to Colton William (1995) in some countries foster care is only seen as a temporary arrangement. Johnson (2005) stated that the procedures to be registered as foster parents in different countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Uganda and South Africa are similar. In some countries foster care programme is managed either by the government or an agency, and each country has their own basic criteria that should be fulfilled, such as; being physically and mentally fit and healthy, having a room for the child ,having time to spend with the child. According to Blatt (2000), the process to be registered as foster families can take approximately six months or more. Individuals who are willing to become foster families must make their applications to the agency. A home study is conducted by a social worker to assess the capability of the applicants for taking care of a child. The assessment form is then forwarded to a panel who gives the approval. 3.4 Placement in Foster care According to (Blatt 2000; Zuravin Deponfilis 1997), children are removed from their homes to protect them from abuses. These children have suffered physical, sexual abuse, or neglect at home, before they are transferred to a secure milieu. Some children are abandoned by their parents or legal guardians, or have parents or legal guardians who are unable to take care of them because they have financial difficulties, some are alcoholics, others are irresponsible. These children are then placed into foster care until the parents or guardians are capable of taking the parental responsibility. Elisa et al (2010), states that in all foster care cases, the childs biological or adoptive parents, or other legal guardians, momentarily gives up legal custody of the child. The guardian gives up custody, but not necessarily legal guardianship. A child may be placed in foster care with the parents agreement. In a clear case of abuse or neglect, a court can order a child into foster care without the parents or guardians consent. Duncan and Shlonsky (2008) emphasizes that before any placement the foster care family is screened by the Government or agency through a psychologist or social worker that assess the foster care families under certain criteria such as emotional stability, motivation, parental skills and financial capabilities. Elisa et al (2010) states that the government provides foster families with an allocation taking in foster children. The foster parents are required to use the funds to buy the childs food, clothing, school supplies, and other incidentals. Most of the foster parents responsibilities toward the foster child are clearly set in legal documents. According to Blatt (2000), foster placements may last for a single day or several weeks; some continue for years. If the parents give up their rights permanently, or their rights to their child are severed by the court, the foster family may adopt the foster child or the child may be placed for adoption by strangers. 3.3.1 The Aim of Foster Care System According to Hayden (1999), the aim of foster care system is to protect and endorse the security of the child, while providing foster parents and biological parents with the sufficient resources and available services needed to maintain the childs healthy development. Foster care environments are proposed to be places of safety and comfort, and are monitored by several welfare agencies, representatives, and caseworkers. Personal caseworkers assigned to a foster child by the state or county are accountable for supervising the placement of the child into an appropriate foster care system or home. The National Conference of State Legislatures (2006), states that the caseworker also carries out regular visits to the foster care family home to monitor progress. Other agents involved in a childs placement into foster care may include private service providers, welfare agencies, insurance agents, psychologists, and substance abuse counselors. 3.3.2 Types of Foster Care Ambrosino et al (2008), emphasis that parents may voluntarily place children into foster care for various reasons. Such foster placements are monitored until the biological family can provide appropriate care for the child, or the biological parental rights are terminated and the child is adopted. Legal Guardianship, is a third option which can be used in cases where the child cannot be reunited with their biological family and adoption is not a suitable option. The Guardianship option most commonly occurs for older children aged 10years old onwards, who are strongly bonded to their biological parents. Geen (2003) mentions that voluntary foster care can be utilised when the parents are unable or unwilling to care of a child; a child may suffer from behavioural or psychological problems and requires specialized treatment. Involuntary foster care is applied when the child is in danger and should be removed from the family to be put in a secure place. (Blatt 2000; Bath 2010;Moe 2007) mention different types of fostering: (i) Foster family home, relative A licensed or unlicensed home of the childs relatives regarded by the state as a foster care living arrangement for the child. (ii) Foster family home, non-relative A licensed foster family home regarded by the state as a foster care living arrangement. (iii)Group home or Institution A group home is a licensed or approved home providing 24-hour care for children in a small group setting that generally has from 7 to twelve children. An Institution is a facility operated by a public or private agency and providing 24-hour care and/or treatment for children who require separation from their own homes and group living experience. These facilities may include child care institutions, residential treatment facilities, or maternity homes. Associated Problems with Foster Care System According to Mannhein (2002) stated that in the United States, placement success rate was 40% and failure rate was 60%.From previous studies carried out, Children and Family Research Center (2004), Proch Taber (1985), there are many associated problems with the foster care system that leads to the removal of the child from the foster care home such as time of placement in the foster care family, characteristics of home, foster parents characteristics and child characteristics. According to a study carried by Mannhein (2002) in the United States, placement success rate was 40% and failure rate was 60%. Fernadez and Bath (2010) states,that foster children face a number of problems both within and outside the foster care system. Foster children are more exposed to neglect, abuse, family dysfunction, poverty, and severe psychological conditions. The trauma caused to a child when removed from their home is also severe and may cause depression, anger, and confusion. Psychological conditions of abused and neglected children are required to improve when placed in foster care, however the separation from their biological parents cause traumatic effect on the child. 3.3.4 Time of Placement in Foster Care family According to Bremner Wachs ( 2010) many studies which has been carried out show that behaviour of the child is the strongest predictor of placement disruption and is one of the main reasons foster parents request removal the children from Foster Families. Newton et al (2000) confirms that children showing sign of behaviours such as disruptive, aggressive or dangerous behaviour in the foster homes are requested to be removed from Foster Families. Zandberg Van der Meulen,(2002) study show that behaviour becomes a critical issue for foster placements for children over the age of 4 years. Webb et al, (2010) states, that children are more prone to experience insecurity in the foster home during the initial phase of placement and the first six months of a placement are crucial as 70 % of removal of foster children occur within this period. According to Whittaker et al (2010) older children experience more placement instability during the initial phase compared to infants and older girls are at the highest risk of placement disruptions than boys. 3.3.5 Characteristics of the Home Berridge Cleaver, (1987) stated that children have difficulty to adapt in foster home when they are placed with other children who are roughly the same age or if they are placed in foster homes where the foster parents have children of their own. Foster Children placed with other children may feel insecure and start competing for affection and materialistic objects eventually this leads to conflicts in the foster care family. 3.3.6 Foster Parent Characteristics According to Walsh Walsh (1990) to deal with a childs problem behaviour is mostly related to the Foster Parents character and sense of understanding. Doelling and Johnson (1990) states that the other most predictive characteristics of foster parents is their goodness of fit with a child including a match temperaments and having a relationship that is described as close. Butler Charles (1999) also state that a mismatch in temperament between a foster parents who is inflexible and a child with negative mood will eventually lead to disruption. Walsh and Walsh (1990) study also shows that for a placement to be successful the foster parents should be motivated, they should accept the child, they should feel the desire to parent the child and they should be motivated by their own childhood experience. According to Fine (1993), Social Support in foster family is important to prevent placement disruption and foster parents who have good relationship with their family and friends are more likely to be successful. 3.3.7 Child Characteristics According to Children and Family Research (2004), the behaviour of a child is closely linked to placement disruptions. As stated by Lindheim Dozier (2007) foster parents do not understand the behavioural problems of the child and finally they request removal of the child from their custody. The behaviour of the child is a result of the child characteristics i.e the background of the child. Foster children are more exposed to neglect, abuse, family dysfunction, poverty, and severe psychological conditions. The trauma caused to a child when removed from their home is also severe and may cause depression, anger, and confusion. Psychological Trauma in Children Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the mind that occurs as a result of a severely distressing experience. When that trauma leads to disorders , damage possibly will involve physical changes inside the brain and to brain chemistry, which modifies the persons reation to future stress. A traumatic event involves a single experience, or an enduring or recurring event or events, that fully surmount the individuals capacity to deal with or integrate the ideas and emotions involved with that experience. The sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years or even decades, as the person fights back to cope with the abrupt situation. Psychological trauma can lead to serious long-term negative consequences that are often overlooked even by mental health professionals: Trauma can be caused by a wide range of events, but there are a few general aspects .There is, putting the person in a state of tremendous puzzlement and lack of confidence. Psychological trauma may accompany physical trauma or exist seperately of it. The usual causes and dangers of psychological trauma are sexual abuse , domestic violence, being the victim of an alcoholic parent, particularly in childhood. Long-term exposure to situation such; as extreme poverty or milder forms of abuse, such as verbal abuse, can be traumatic. Psychological trauma may happen during a single traumatic event or as a result of repeated (chronic) exposure to overwhelming stress (Terr, 1992). Children exposed to chronic trauma normally have considerably worse effect than those exposed to severe accidental traumas. In addition, the failure of caregivers to satisfactorily protect a child may be experienced as betrayal and further supply to the adversity of the experience and effects of trauma. Acute psychological trauma causes impairment of the neuroendocrine systems in the body. excessive stress triggers the fight or flight survival response, which activate the sympathetic and suppresses the parasympathetic nervous system. Fight or flight responses increase cortisol levels in the central nervous system, which enable the individual to take action to survive (either dissociation, hyperarousal or both), but which at extreme levels can cause alterations in brain development and damage of brain cells. In children, high levels of cort isol can disrupt cell differentiation, cell migration and critical aspects of central nervous system integration and functioning. Trauma affects basic regulatory processes in the brain stem, the limbic brain (emotion, memory, regulation of arousal and affect), the neocortex (perception of self and the world) as well as integrative functioning across various systems in the central nervous system. Traumatic experiences are stored in the childs body/mind, and fear, arousal and dissociation associated with the original trauma may continue after the threat of danger . Development of the capacity to control affect may be destabilized or disrupted by trauma, and children exposed to severe or chronic trauma may demonstrate symptoms of mood swings, impulsivity, emotional irritability, anger and aggression, anxiety, depression and dissociation. Early trauma, mainly trauma at the hands of a caregiver, can distinctly modify a childs perception of self, trust in others and perception of the world. Children who experience severe early trauma often develop a foreshortened sense of the future. They come to anticipate that life will be dangerous, that they may not survive,and as a result, they give up hope and expectations for themselves that reach into the future (Terr, 1992). Among the most demoralizing effects of early trauma is the disruption of the childs individuation and differentiation of a separate sense of self. Disintegration of the developing self occurs in response to stress that overwhelms the childs limited capacities for self regulation. Survival becomes the focus of the childs interactions and activities and adapting to the demands of their environment takes priority. Traumatized children lose themselves in the course of handling with ongoing threats to their survivalà Ã‚ ¾they cannot afford to trust, relax or fully look at their own feelings, ideas or interests. Characterlogical development is shaped by the childs experiences in early relationships (Johnson, 1987). Young trauma victims often come to believe there is something naturally wrong with them, that they are at fault, unlovable, hateful,helpless and unworthy of protection and love. Such feelings lead to poor selfimage, self abandonment, and self destructiveness. Eventually, these feelings may create a victim state of body mind spirit that leaves the child/adult vulnerable to subsequent trauma and revictimization. Acute trauma in early childhood affects all area of development, including cognitive, social, emotional, physical, psychological and moral development. The pervasive negative effects of early trauma result in significantly higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems among abused children than non-abused children.In addition, children exposed to early trauma due to abuse or neglect lag behind in school readiness and school performance, they have diminished cognitive abilities, and many go on to develop substance abuse problems, health problems and serious mental health disorders. Serious emotional and behavioral difficulties include depression, anxiety, aggression, conduct disorder, sexualized behavior, eating disorders,somatization and substance abuse. Early childhood trauma contributes to negative outcomes in adolescence, including dropping out of school, substance abuse, and early sexual activity, increasing the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancies and premature parenting. Early childhood trauma contributes to adverse adult outcomes as well, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, health (Harris, Putnam Fairbank,2004). Although the effects of child abuse and neglect vs. family environmental and genetic factors have been debated, recent twin studies confirm a significant causal relationship between child abuse and major psychopathology (Kendler, Bulik, Silberg,Hettema, Myers Prescott, 2000). Acute trauma in early childhood seems to set in motion a chain of events , a negative path that places those children who have the highest exposure and a less positive mediating or ameliorating factors at greatest risk of significant debilitating effect on development and increased occurrence of psychopathology (Perry, 1997, 1999, 2001à Ã‚ ¾ Eth Pynoos, 1985à Ã‚ ¾ Pynoos, 1994). The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (1998)carried a study where researchers mailed questionnaires to over 13,000 people who had freshly had medical workups at the Southern California Permanente Groupin San Diego. These patients were asked about their experiences with any of seven categories of childhood trauma: psychological, physical, or sexual abuseà Ã‚ ¾ violence against the motherà Ã‚ ¾ or living with household members who had problems with substance abuse, mental illness, were ever imprisoned or committed suicide. Over 9,000 patients responded. Among those who reported even one such exposure, there were substantial increases in a awful range of disorders, together with substance abuse, depression, suicide, and sexual promiscuity, as well as increased incidences of heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, extreme obesity, skeletal fractures and liver disease. In summary, experience to extreme traumatic stress affects people at many levels of functioning; somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral (e.g., vander Kolk, 1988à Ã‚ ¾ Kroll, Habenicht, McKenzie, 1989à Ã‚ ¾ Cole Putnam, 1992à Ã‚ ¾ Herman,1992b, van der Kolk et al., 1993). Childhood trauma sets the stage for a variety of disorders, such Post traumatic stress disorders,eating disorder,Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder,oppositional defiant disorder,pervasive disorder,attachment disorder.(Herman, Perry, van derKolk, 1989à Ã‚ ¾ Ogata, Silk, Goodrick, Lohr, Westen Hill, 1989 3.4 Disorders with the Foster Child The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study (2012) on foster care children showed that foster care children, were found to have double the incidence of depression, and were found to have a higher rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than combat veterans. In long term the foster care children suffer from psychopathology and cognitive disorders. 3.4.1 Psychopathology Disorders with Child According to Barkley and Mash (1996), child psychopathology is the manifestation of psychological disorders in children and adolescents. Some examples of psychopathology are post traumatic stress, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders. 3.4.1.1 Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Cash (2006) states that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an emotional illness that that is classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops as a result of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe experience. PTSD victims re-experience the traumatic event or events in some way, tend to avoid places, people, or other things that remind them of the event , and are exquisitely sensitive to normal life experiences (hyperarousal). According to Dubber (1999) 60% of children in foster care who were sexually abused had post traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD). 18% of children who were not abused faced PTSD just by witnessing violence at home. The symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder are tabulated below Table 3. 1 Symptoms Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Re-experiencing the Traumatic event Avoidance and Numbing Increased Anxiety and Emotional Arousal Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma Difficulty falling or staying asleep Flashbacks (acting or feeling like the event is happening again) Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma Irritability or outbursts of anger Nightmares (either of the event or of other frightening things) Loss of interest in activities and life in general Difficulty concentrating Feelings of intense distress when reminded of the trauma Feeling detached from others and emotionally numb Hypervigilance (on constant red alert) Intense physical reactions to reminders of the event (e.g. pounding heart, rapid breathing, nausea, muscle tension, sweating Sense of a limited future (you dont expect to live a normal life span, get married, have a career) Feeling jumpy and easily startled Intrusive, upsetting memories of the event Avoiding activities, places, thoughts, or feelings that remind you of the trauma 3.4.1.2 Attention Deficient Hyper Activity Disorder Millichap (2010) , defines attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a psychiatric disorder and it is characterized by either significant difficulties of inattention or hyperactivity and impulsiveness or a combination of the two. ADHD impacts school-aged children and results in restlessness, acting impulsively, and lack of focus which impairs their ability to learn properly. It is the most commonly studied and diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children, affecting about 3 to 5 percent of children globally. Robin (1998) has listed some of the symptoms of Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder are inattention, hyperactivity, disruptive behavior and impulsivity. Academic difficulties are also common signs of ADHD. According to Ramsay et al (2008), the symptom categories yield three potential classifications of ADHD-predominantly inattentive type, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type, or combined type if criteria for both subtypes are met. The table below shows the Attention Deficient Hyper Activity Disorder Symptoms Predominantly inattentive Symptoms Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive Symptoms Impulsivity Symptoms Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, Fidget and squirm in their seats Be very impatient Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task Talk nonstop Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time Not seem to listen when spoken to Be constantly in motion Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others Fidget and squirm in their seats Struggle to follow instructions 3.4.1.3 Oppositional defiant disorder Matthys W Lochman J (2010), defines oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as an ongoing pattern of anger guided disobedience, hostilely defiant behavior toward authority figures which goes beyond the bounds of normal childhood behavior. People may appear very stubborn and often angry. Freeman et al (2006), also listed some common features of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as persistent anger, frequent temper tantrums or angry outbursts and well as disregard for authority. Children and adolescents with ODD often purposely annoy others, blame others for their own mistakes, and are easily disturbed. The table below shows the signs and symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Signs and Symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (lasting at least 6 months, during which four or more are present) Symptoms often loses temper often argues with adults often actively defies or refuses to comply with adults requests or rules often deliberately annoys people often blames others for his or her mistakes or misbehavior is often touchy or easily annoyed by others is often angry and resentful is often spiteful or vindictive 3.4.1.4 Pervasive Developmental Disorder Waltz M (2003), defines Pervasive developmental disorders,( PDDP, as a group of conditions that involve delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use imagination. Malmone Quinn (2004) also states that these conditions are usually identified in children around 3 years of age a critical period in a childs development. Although the condition begins far earlier than 3 years of age, parents often do not notice the problem until the child is a toddler who is not walking, talking, or developing as well as other children of the same age and four types of Pervasive Development Disorders have been identified; Autism, Apergers Syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder and Retts syndrome. According to Volkmar (2007), children with autism have problems with social interaction, pretend play, and communication. They also have a limited range of activities and interests. Many (nearly 75%) of children with autism also have some degree of mental retardation. Malonne Quinn (2004), stated that children with Aspergers syndrome have difficulty with social interaction and communication, and have a narrow range of interests. However, children with Aspergers have average or above average intelligence, and develop normally in the areas of language and cognition (the mental processes related to thinking and learning). Volkmar (2007) also stated that children with Aspergers often also have difficulty concentrating and may have poor coordination. Waltz (2003) stated that children with Childhood disintegrative disorder begin their development normally in all areas, physical and mental. At some point, usually between 2 and 10 years of age, a child with this illness loses many of the skills he or she has developed. In addition to the loss of social and language skills, a child with disintegrative disorder may lose control of other functions, including bowel and bladder control. According to Goldstein Reynolds (2011), Children suffering from Retts Syndrome which is a very rare disorder have the symptoms associated with a PDD and also suffer problems with physical development. They generally suffer the loss of many motor or movement skills such as walking and use of their hands and develop poor coordination. This condition has been linked to a defect on the X chromosome, so it almost always affects girls. The table below summarises the General Symptoms in Pervasive Developmental Disorders General Symptoms in Pervasive Developmental Disorders Difficulty with verbal communication, including problems using and understanding language Difficulty with non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions Difficulty with social interaction, including relating to people and to his or her surroundings Unusual ways of playing with toys and other objects Difficulty adjusting to changes in routine or familiar surroundings Repetitive body movements or patterns of behavior, such as hand flapping, spinning, and head banging Changing response to sound; the child may be very sensitive to some noises and seem to not hear others. Temper tantrums Difficulty sleeping Aggressive behaviour Fearfulness or anxiety Eating Disorders Hudson et al (2007) defines eating disorders refer to a group of conditions defined by abnormal eating habits that may involve either insufficient or excessive food intake to the detriment of an individuals physical and mental health. According to Hadfield (2008), obesity in

Difference and Identity Essay example -- Identities Ethnicity Papers

While I am socially defined as "white," "male," "European," and so on, my theses are not formulated to affirm the social position(s) attached to these attributes but, rather, to indicate some of the limitations implicit in the concepts of identity and difference. Interestingly, two hundred years ago, the overcoming of oppression followed the concept of identity, whereas today the concept of difference is central. Why is this change not discussed in the present debates on difference? Preliminary Observations: (1) a) The following ten theses have as their context the present efforts to face racism and sexism, and another forms of repression towards social minorities or groups which have the position of minorities, without being. The right to selfdefence and to fight oppression cannot be denied to any oppressed social subject. However it is valid to make some critical observations on the forms portrayed in the eager pursuit of emancipation. The author, socially defined as "white", "male", "European" and so on, formulates these theses not to affirm the social position that he might perhaps have, due to these attributes, but rather to indicate some limitations that are implied by the use of concepts of identity and difference in the search for emancipation. b) Two hundred years ago, the concept of equality was utilised in the same way, that nowadays, the concept of difference is, that is to say the overcoming of oppression, or the pursuit of emancipation. The interesting thing is, that this change is practically not discussed at all in present debates on difference. What is the reason for this? c) There is a parable that counts of an old society in which it was taken as fact, that the world rests on the backs of four giga... ...ish version of this text is: Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno: Dialectic of enlightenment. Translated by John Cumming. [New ed.]. London : Verso, 1979. (Horkheimer and Adorno refer here to: Sigmund Freud, "Das Unheimliche", in: Sigmund Freud, Gesammelte Werke, Frankfurt am Main, 1968, vol. XII, pages 254 and 259 and others.) (3) Also see on the problem of the identity: Bolà ­var Echeverrà ­a, La identidad evanescente, in: Bolà ­var Echeverrà ­a, Las ilusiones de la modernidad, Mà ©xico, D.F. UNAM / El Equilibrista, 1995, pages 55-74. Echeverria makes in this text, starting off from the theory of Wilhelm von Humboldt, the proposal "to conceive the universality of the human in a concret way", with what it could be rescued, using our concepts, the equality and at the same time the difference ( page 58) ["concebir la universalidad de lo humano de manera concreta"].

Building a greener future

In December 2006, the Department for Communities issued a audience paper titled Constructing a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development. It included proposals to fasten Part L of the current Building Regulations so that from 2016 new places would breathe zero C, with the ambitious proposal that all new non-dwelling edifices will breathe zero C by 2019. This was chiefly introduced in order to make the Governments marks to cut down emanations as a consequence from human actions. These marks have to be reached by 2050 as these marks are lawfully adhering under the Climate Change Act. â€Å" The UK ‘s 21 million homes are responsible for 27 % of CO2 emanations, consume half of H2O supplies and bring forth 8 % of waste † ( Communities and Local Government, 2008 ) With more than 200,000 houses planned to be built every twelvemonth to house a turning population, ‘sustainable places ‘ seem to be the lone reply. The complex energy salvaging engineering employed in such houses frequently claim to be able to execute against the Government ‘s marks, nevertheless sometimes they are unable to execute due to their complexness, invariably altering markets and compatibility with other engineerings. Established in 1975, the Stewart Milne Group is one of the UK ‘s largest independent home-builders which is renowned for its invention of lumber system engineerings. In response to the Government ‘s aspirations, the Stewart Milne Group designed the Sigma Home. It has been constructed as a three floor townhouse, arranged over four floors to understate the edifices footmark whilst still maximizing populating adjustment. It has an unfastened program layout which makes effectual usage of natural visible radiation and besides allows for the edifice to be flexible in offering assorted layouts from household place, house portion or even office infinite. The Sigma Home took merely 8 hebdomads ( compared to the normal 24 hebdomads ) to construct due to the usage of offsite engineerings including the closed lumber frame walls and the pre-fabricated bathroom cods. In order to keep the conformity for Level 5, the Sigma Home offers ternary glassy Windowss, low energy contraptions and micro renewable engineering. Water salvaging devices have been used throughout to accomplish the 80 liters of H2O use per individual per twenty-four hours required for Code 5. Fabric insularity at 0.15w/m2k provided by the wall, floor and roof elements with high public presentation lumber Windowss and an air tightness scope of 1-3m3/m2/h agencies that the building is â€Å" 10 times better than current Building Regulations demands † ( Stewart Milne Group, n.d. ) A solar chimney on the roof positioned above the stairway optimises the inactive airing by utilizing the stack consequence in the step instance enabling air to be drawn throughout the place for chilling. Lighting, hot H2O and infinite warming are provided by solar thermal, photovoltaic roof panels and roof mounted air current turbines. In December 2007, the Stewart Milne Group commissioned the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development and Architecture ( OISDA ) to measure and supervise the Sigma Home whilst it was occupied by a household of four. They occupied the house for four two hebdomad periods, one in each season of the twelvemonth. The place was lived in every bit normal as possible with the household partaking in typical day-to-day activities. The residents experiences were recorded utilizing several research methods including ; pictures, interviews, log sheets and thermic comfort studies. OISDA monitored the temperature, humidness, indoor air quality, energy, gas and H2O ingestion and window/door gaps. This meant that a better apprehension of how residents respond to moo energy contraptions and complex energy salvaging engineering could be ascertained and used for future research and design. The energy public presentation of the Sigma Home is an betterment upon conventional houses, but failed to accomplish the predicted energy public presentation set out in the design phases of the undertaking. It was suggested that betterments need to be made in the air stringency and the cloth of the building through heat keeping in order to better on the energy public presentation. Thermal images were produced during the trial on the belongings whilst the household were populating at that place. These revealed that the â€Å" heat loss parametric quantity was approx 40 % worse than the predicted design phase appraisal † ( Stewart Milne Group, 2009. ) As the edifice is unfastened program it is hard to lock air into peculiar suites and with warm air lifting, heat would necessarily be lost through window and door adjustments and the roof. One solution would be to better the air tight seals around window and door adjustments every bit good as put ining an air membrane in the roof t o cut down heat loss. However, the belongings does maximize the usage of solar addition by using big countries of glazing, in peculiar on the land floor at the forepart of the edifice. But, by holding so much glass in the edifice struggles with involvements of privateness as one of the life countries is at the forepart of the belongings. The glass is ternary glazed ; it is improbable that solar addition would act upon the temperature within the edifice. This engineering means that unreal lighting is improbable to be used during daylight hours, nevertheless would merely be truly effectual if the belongings was south facing. The Sigma Home is east facing so would non have the maximal sum of daylight all twenty-four hours. When unreal lighting is required in the edifice, low energy visible radiation bulbs are used throughout. However, in some countries of the belongings these bulbs are non appropriate. They are by and large slow to react and in suites where there is small solar addition such as the bathroom, by the clip the bulbs have responded and are able to breathe sufficient visible radiation, the user has most likely turned the light off. Quite a high proportion of the electricity used in the Sigma Home is generated by micro renewable engineering. Wind turbines are located on the roof of the edifice and generates â€Å" small effectual electricity † ( Stewart Milne, 2009. ) This engineering is non suited to the low rise urban location of the Sigma Home where the edifice is shielded from the air current by environing edifices, therefore merely able to bring forth really small electricity. There used to be three wind turbines on the roof, but ironically strong air currents brought down one of the turbines and have damaged another. This raises a Health and Safety issue with this engineering particularly if this paradigm is to be rolled out on a larger undertaking. The tallness of the belongings besides suggests that the occupier of the belongings would be unable to keep and mend this engineering which would necessitate the expertness of specializer contractors. Photovoltaic panels have been installed on the roof and the south facing gable wall and norm at bring forthing 27kWh/m2/year over the twelvemonth. The photovoltaic ‘s are good in the manner that they generate a high per centum ( about 50 % ) of the electricity used within the edifice. However, the cost of put ining photovoltaic engineering and keeping it can frequently outweigh any benefit. Besides the panels public presentation are frequently dependent on the sum of sunshine they have entree to. Since installing of the panels on the south facing wall, the Barrett Green House has been built next to the Sigma Home. This severely reduces the sum of sunshine able to be absorbed by the photovoltaic ‘s and besides reduces the handiness to the panels for care excessively. Solar thermal panels are besides located on the roof. The energy from the panels preheats the H2O for warming and domestic usage. The solar thermic engineering is equal for its intent and is regarded as one of the most successful and cost effectual sustainable engineerings. However, the peculiar merchandise nowadays at the Sigma Home has been discontinued from the market which raises issues associated with future care and replacing. It seems that merchandises on the sustainable engineerings market are systematically altering and are likely to go out-of-date rapidly and newer and more efficient engineerings are adopted for other undertakings, go forthing earlier merchandises excess. Solar thermic engineering does hold its restrictions though. Often sufficient heat storage is non installed significance it is hard to synchronize the end product with the resident ‘s demands, which may include heating the edifice in summer to utilize the energy from the panels. Underfloor heating engineering has been adopted throughout the belongings. The heat is supplied from a low NOx gas boiler that is capable of providing up to 14kW, nevertheless the mean demand would merely be about 4kW. Underfloor heating tends to hold a clip slowdown in reacting to the resident ‘s coveted temperature and residents may invariably set the thermoregulator because of this and utilize more energy that is required. By utilizing this engineering excessively besides means that care and replacing would be debatable by holding to raise the flooring. Low H2O content radiators may hold been more preferred to heat the edifice alternatively of underfloor warming. Low H2O radiators require really small energy to heat the little sums of H2O within the radiator ; nevertheless, this would intend that lasting fitted radiators would cut down the flexibleness of the edifice. Rooms by and large retain their heat due to the cloth and stuffs of the edifice. By utilizing heavy panels and tiles on blockwork would retain heat which is a positive in some facets, nevertheless this temperature may non be comfy in sleeping rooms. Louvered and meshed airing panels in Windowss are frequently adopted to better the airing of the belongings twenty-four hours or dark whilst keeping security. These engineerings are non adopted in the Sigma Home, nevertheless the interior decorators have envisaged airing by building a balcony for the maestro sleeping room on the 3rd floor which would supply some shading. By opening the balcony doors in the maestro sleeping room, internal heat additions. The placement of the doors is effectual in the maestro sleeping room as it means warm lifting air from the edifice can go forth via the balcony doors. The life room on the first floor has been designed to overhang the living/ dining country on the land floor which would supply shadowing on cheery yearss. Throughout the belongings there are LED room temperature panels which tell the occupier the room temperature and the demand ( if any ) to supply airing or warming. The lone hazard of overheating in the edifice aside from solar additions is from internal heat additions such as heat generated from family contraptions. The Sigma Home purposes at understating internal heat additions by utilizing low energy electrical goods and low energy lighting. By utilizing low energy contraptions and lighting, it lowers the demand to command overheating and to guarantee that the residents do non necessitate extra air conditioning which would utilize more energy. The Stewart Milne Group did experiment with the usage of stage alteration stuffs in the Sigma Home. Energain ( manufactured from Dupont ) uses wax that thaws at about 26 & A ; deg ; degree Celsiuss and Acts of the Apostless as a signifier of latent heat storage that absorbs heat from the edifice as it starts to overheat. As the temperature so lowers, Energain changes its belongings from a liquid to a solid once more and releases the stored heat back into the room. Unfortunately the wax is flammable so the merchandise needs to be protected by gypsum board which raises inquiries of its effectivity and its ability to be used in sustainable places if the Sigma Home is a paradigm to be rolled out on larger undertakings. If the edifice does overheat, a solar stack has been installed at the top of the edifice and its chief map is to let warm air to air out out. The stack sits above the stairwell and takes in warm air as it rises. A heat detector clears and closes a blowhole at the top of the stack to pull off the optimal temperature in the edifice. However, the stack can move as a funnel which channels external noise to air out down in the belongings. As the M25 and M1 are all close the noise can be rather annoying. The many Windowss located within the belongings besides reduces the hazard of overheating. It was established though, that merely 4 out of the 25 Windowss were used systematically whilst the edifice was being tested. This could so cut down the sum of Windowss required within the belongings which would be addressed in the design phases of farther physiques. A mechanical airing with heat recovery system has been installed in the Sigma Home which is required for Code 5 and 6 houses. Extractor s for the mechanical airing systems have been fitted in wet countries such as the bathroom. They extract warm, damp air to the heat recovery unit where the heat is transferred to warm the fresh entrance air, which is so supplied at low force per unit area to habitable suites through blowholes. The H2O use is good within the Code for Sustainable Homes bounds for Code 5 of 80 liters per individual per twenty-four hours. The edifice operates a gray H2O recycling unit which takes waste H2O from lights-outs and the showers and cleans and filters it for re-use in blushing the lavatory. The Ecoplay system is self monitoring and shops the Grey H2O for a upper limit of 24 hours before being removed from the system to guarantee hygiene criterions are maintained in the belongings. Some of the electrical contraptions have H2O use clippers on them, to guarantee the H2O use for Code 5 is besides maintained. The dish washer uses 10 liters of H2O per rhythm, the lavation machine uses 40 liters. One negative of utilizing H2O usage decrease engineering is that frequently occupants necessitate to utilize more H2O to carry through activities within the place such as blushing the lavatory. Depending on the burden of rinsing, more H2O may be required excessively. However, if the residents excee d utilizing 80 liters of H2O per individual per twenty-four hours, the Sigma Home would lose its Code 5 position. It is clear that belongingss such as the Sigma Home have a repute of utilizing complex and specialist engineering. Such engineerings should be explained to the residents before the handover to guarantee that the residents are cognizant of what the edifices engineering is capable of and how to understate energy usage. Simple but elaborate accounts and diagrams should be available in the edifice with an aftercare hotline, to guarantee residents are capable of utilizing the engineering. After having feedback from the probe, Stewart Milne ( 2009 ) have now developed the KISS attack â€Å" Keep It Simple Stupid † and besides believe that place care understandings could be compulsory in the hereafter, which would enable residents to go familiar with the engineering. Using the Sigma Home research undertaking to inform the following phase of research and development, Stewart Milne Group has now embarked on making the Sigma II Build System. This is designed to larn from the yesteryear of the Sigma Home and to foster the demand for low energy places, low C places whilst supplying a solution that is easy to construct, maintain and usage by residents. BRE ( 2009 ) believes that â€Å" accomplishing a low energy usage society will depend on consumers themselves altering the manner they use their places to do a positive impact on cut downing their energy ingestion. † Code for sustainable placesDecisionMentionsCommunities and Local GovernmentStewart Milne Group ( n.d ) Advancing Tomorrows HomeStewart Milne 2009 the hereafter of low energy, C impersonal places.BREThe experimental household commented that there was a deficiency of drying installations within the belongings which would so increase energy use by utilizing a tumble drier. Their recommendations were to optimize the infinite at the top of the belongings. As the belongings is four floor high and heat rises, this would be suited, nevertheless transporting wet rinsing from the kitchen on the land floor to a room on the 4th floor is non practical. It would besides be reasonable to hold designed the sleeping rooms so that they would hold been on the land and first floors. This would intend that the sleeping rooms would be kept at a comfy temperature. This would intend the heat would lift to the upper floors and the contact with the land would besides better its imperturbability. However, this agreement of suites is non conventional as this would intend sleeping rooms would be following to the kitchen and as the belongings is tall it would be unacceptable for the kitchen to be farther up in the belongings.

What is the “Prove It” Test

What is the â€Å"Prove It† Test You’ve been invited to take a Kenexa â€Å"Prove It† Test, which means it’s time to put your money where your mouth is in terms of your Microsoft Office skills. This test will help you demonstrate your abilities with programs like Word and Excel, as well as identifying any particular strengths or weaknesses. What’s on ItThe aim of this test is to â€Å"prove† that you have the skills and ability to use Microsoft Office at your new job without too much guidance or prep. Potential employers want to get a sense of what you know and whether or not you’ll be able to hit the ground running with administrative skills as soon as you start.For example, in the past, the Excel exam has tested the following skills:Opening a workbookInserting/deleting columns and rowsChanging font styles/sizesFormatting cells as currency/decimalsUsing the sum/average functionsAligning textSaving/printingAligning textCreating bordersRenaming a WorksheetChanging column widt hInserting a chart or worksheetWrapping textMerging cellsSorting by different valuesAdding headers/footersAs you can see, this is a basic overview of all the things you can do within the program. Make sure you have a good sense of all these basics, and more. The aim is not to be tentative about anything when you go in on test day- you want to be able to complete every request without much pause or confusion.How to PrepareIt can increase your confidence and help you practice. Even if you’re sure you know how to use Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, you need to make sure you don’t panic and forget everything under the pressure of an official test of your skills.Use a site like JobTestPrep to prepare with free sample questions and tips for test-taking. Or opt for a Kenexa PrepPack in which you can take a variety of tests and assessments online- with timed tests and score reports and everything. The detailed answer explanations are particularly useful for cementing concepts tha t you might not yet quite fully understand.Finally, check out this collection of YouTube Microsoft tutorials for all areas of Office. Whatever you need, that page has you covered.The ExamOnce you get to the actual exam, know that you’ll have 14 days to take your assessments. The length of each varies- from 15-30 minutes for non-technical assessments, to 45-60 minutes for more technical ones. The assessments are not timed, but this is the average amount of time needed to take them.You can’t skip any questions or return to previous screens to change your answers. But you can take the assessment again- as many times as you wish. Employers will not have access to your results, though a staffing agency might ask you to take one of these tests to determine what you’re best at- which skills on your resume are provable, and where you might match best.Good luck on your test! May you get the job you seek and prove you have what it takes.