Organisational Issues in Health and Social Care Services

Organisational Issues in Health and Social Care Services People do not care about organizational boundaries when seeking support or help and expect services to reflect this. From Our Health, Our Care Our Say (DoH 2006) Introduction Since the introduction of the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act it is no longer an option for human services and public sector organizations to work in isolation. Handy (1997,p.18) has argued against the introduction of market principles into areas that are generally regarded as the responsibility of the state welfare system, because this could harm those who most needed the help. This merging of human services with public sector organisations has meant that an increasing number of human service workers are employed in the private sector. Human Service organisations are comprised of medical staff and others such as administrators, cooks and cleaners employed by the NHS or in private practice, the police and probation services, the prison services, social services, and to a limited extent those working in education. This assignment will look at some of the effects of current policies on the organisational structures of health/social care and partner organisations. There will be an exami nation of issues of power and inequality in organisations and an exploration of the notion of partnership working. The success of such policies will be explored through the experiences of people with mental health problems. Partnership working is most especially relevant to people with mental health problems and the Government has promised greater concentration on this in the White Paper that came out this year, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say.[1] Organisations Social services and Health Care are what as known as human service organisations, that is to say they are there to help people in need.. People working in social services generally do so because they are motivated by a desire to see that people receive the kind of help that they need in times of crisis. Human Services operate in the public and the private sector. Which ever area a person chooses they are more likely to find work in the human services if they have had some prior experience either work placements or some other voluntary role. In social work prior community involvement is seen as an asset. Most social workers work in the public sector. Social Services used to be known as personal social services because social workers are most often concerned with individuals and the care they may need. Social work is both typical, and untypical, of the human services in general, firstly its aim is just that, providing a service that benefits other people, in the second instance social workers are more likely to be involved with people on an individual basis and often for a prolonged period of time. This last is not always the case in other areas of the human services (Postle et al, 2002). A social worker who works in mental health may find themselves attached to a hospital as well as to social services. This means inter-agency working which is becoming more common in the human services especially as the legislative and policy requirements of the1990 Care in the Community Act have increasingly focused on health and social care agencies working collaboratively with service users. This is more common since the Government directive ofJuly of last year.[2] Parliament decides what social work consists of. This is because the Government defines the statutes that outline social workers responsibilities. This includes the people that social workers have a responsibility towards, the manner in which such responsibilities should be undertaken, and the legislative framework that underpins the professional practice of social work (Brayne and Martin, 1995). Social workers have to abide by the code of practice of the General Social Care Council and are bound by the 1970 Social Services Act as it applies to local authorities. Since 1998 social workers are bound by law to respect the inherent rights and dignity of every human person. Social workers also have to be familiar with the 1990 Community Care Act and subsequent legislation. Local Authorities are bound by the Disability Discrimination Act and a social worker working with people with mental health difficulties would also need to know the terms of this Act and the Chronically Sick and Disabl ed Persons Act of 1970. These inform social workers’ decisions. These may involve having to define mental health difficulties and in what ways their needs might best be addressed. This is particularly so for Approved Social Workers. The social worker has a duty to perform an assessment of need for anyone in the local area who is defined as having a disability, including mental health difficulties, whether the or not the person requests a service. Ongoing training and development for professional social workers is a requirement of the job. If you work in disabilities, particularly mental health then some social workers may specialize in mental health and work towards becoming an Approved Social Worker. Social workers operate within a framework that is informed by human rights and social justice and they need to be aware when the code of practice within which they carry out their duties, is contrary to the values underlying this framework. Within social work it is generally accepted that all people are of value and are entitled to be treated justly and humanely. Social workers who deal with users who have mental health problems now have to work closely with the NHS and with Voluntary Organisations such as Mind. Partnership Working The Griffiths Report (1988) which was commissioned by the Government recommended that local authorities should be enablers, who organized and directed community care. Local authorities would no longer be the sole providers of care, but would have their own budgets to purchase care from the private and voluntary sector. This became law under the 1990 Act the terms of which resulted in an increase in the burden of care for the social work profession. The Act emphasized partnership working in all areas and social workers now have to consult with professionals from all walks of life in order to adequately provide for their clients needs. The introduction of new working practices and the necessity for a greater degree of inter-professional working has meant that the autonomy that social workers once enjoyed has been increasingly eroded (Challis, 1991). Molyneux’s (2001)[3] research into successful inter-professional working established three areas that contributed to the success of such partnerships. Staff needed to be fully committed to what they were doing and personal qualities of adaptability, flexibility and a willingness to share with others were high on the agenda. Regular and positive communication between professionals was seen as endemic to good working relationships and service delivery. This communication was enhanced (in the study) by the instigation of weekly case conferences which allowed professionals to share knowledge and experiences (2001, p.3). Handy (1993) has argued that in order to work successfully together organisations need to find optimal or win/win solutions rather than have their discussions end in wasteful conflict. A major problem with inter-professional working in organisations is that both sides can become defensive of their positions (See Handy, 1993 ch.12). This is particularly the case whe n people are asked to do something that goes against their professional ethics and beliefs (see ch.15). Thus a social worker would not be happy with solutions that did not, in their view, serve to empower clients with mental health difficulties. The inclusion and empowerment of this client group is a central feature of the 2006 White Paper which promises ongoing care not just for those with mental health difficulties but for their carers as well.[4] These arguments are endorsed by Laidler (1991) because in order to be successful across professional boundaries people need to be confident of their own professional role in order to be able to step outside their professional autonomy and work successfully with others. It helps in inter-professional working if all members of the team are particularly focused on the needs of the service user. In this way people reach ‘professional adulthood’. According to Norman (1999) mental health professionals working within teams were reluctant to obey decisions taken by others because it threatened their own professional judgement. It does not help matters when the Government stresses the need for inter-professional working and then sets separate performance targets, rather than integrated group ones. Hudson (2001) maintains that because government has been concerned to prioritise choice and introduce competition in public services this has left professionals with feeling of insecuri ty and a lack of faith in organisational infrastructure. It would be a cruel irony if, having achieved the holy grail of local integrated working, the government, with Sedgefield’s local MP at its head, now puts in place measures that result in its dismantling (Hudson 2005 no page number).[5] At the same time Government expects social care and health professionals to work closely and collaboratively with service users. In social services there is quite an emphais on encouraging the user to participate in decisions regarding their care. In the NHS however, many professionals still work with the idea that the patient does as the professional tells them. This makes it difficult for social workers who are encouraged to lessen the power differential between themselves and service users, this means engaging in anti-oppressive practice e.g. accessible language, and doing what they can to empower individuals. Social Services and Mind Mind is a charity that works for those with mental health problems. The charity points to the fact that the right kind of social care can go a long way to alleviating the stress that mental health difficulties may bring, and which are often ignored. Until recently mental health users received only a small amount of social care and were often referred for medical help alone. However, this course of action neglected the enormous social consequences that mental health difficulties can have and how it affects family units. This is beginning to change and there is an acknowledgment that greater availability of social care would go a long way to alleviating such difficulties. This has been recognised to some extent in the Government paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say. The increasing Government emphasis on partnership working should lead to a greater connection between those who work for social services, the NHS and the charity called Mind. Conclusion This assignment has looked at organisations and the structure underlying social service departments and other human service organisations such as the NHS and the charity called Mind. It has looked at the legislative and policy contexts as they apply to people who need social care and who may also have mental health problems. It has looked at partnership working and how the responsibilities that are incumbent upon social workers are intended to minimalise inequalities and to substantially lessen the power differential between service users and service providers. References Griffiths Report (1988) Community Care; An Agenda for Action, London: HMSO Handy, C 1993 Understanding Organisation London, Random House Handy, C 1997 The Hungry Spirit London, Random House Hudson, B. â€Å"Grounds for Optimism† Community Care December 1st 2005 Kirk, S. 1998 â€Å"Trends in community care and patient participation: Implications for the roles of informal carers and community nurses in the United Kingdom† Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol 28 August 1998 Issue 2 p.370 Laidler, P. 1991 â€Å"Adults and How to become one† Therapy Weekly 17 (35) p.4 Molyneux, J 2001 â€Å"Interprofessional team working: What makes teams work well?† Journal of Inter-professional Care 15 (1) 2001 p.1-7 Norman, I and Peck E. 1999 â€Å"Working together in adult community mental health services†: An inter-professional dialogue† Journal of Mental Health 8 (3) June 1999 pp. 217-230 http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4116486chk=zOTHS/ http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/76/04/04127604.pdf Our Health, Our Care, Our Say 1 [1] http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/76/04/04127604.pdf [2] http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/PressReleases/PressReleasesNotices/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4116486chk=zOTHS/ [3] Molyneux is a social worker who was part of the inter-professional team on which the study was based. [4] http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/76/04/04127604.pdf [5] http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2005/12/01/51988/Grounds+for+optimism+.html?key=BOB+HUDSON accessed 4/4/06

Against Capital Punishment Essay -- Papers Argumentative Death Penalty

Against Capital Punishment Currently in the United States, the death penalty is ruled constitutional. This is a mistake, and capital punishment should be unconstitutional. The imposition of the death penalty has been challenged under the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution that states, ?Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.? 6 (United States Constitution) Throughout its existence, the death penalty has been racially bias, performed on the innocent, and administered cruel and unusual punishment. Many cases have been brought before the Supreme Court arguing that the death penalty should be considered Cruel and unusual punishment. ?In 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice found the death penalty is most frequently imposed and carried out on the poor, the Negro, and the members of unpopular groups.? 1 (references of www.deathpenalty.org). This finding supported the claim that the death penalty was unusual punishment because it was not administered fairly to everyone. It also one of the major factors that helped to stop in executions and that lasted nearly ten years. On June 3, 1967, the death penalty was put on hiatus while the Supreme Court entertained arguments that attacked the unconstitutionality of the death penalty. The first case to reach the Supreme Court after the unofficial halt of executions was the case of Witherspoon v. Illinois in 1968. In this case the jury handed down a death sentence. The state had purposely excluded all citizens from serving on the jury who had feelings opposing the death penalty. This was not constitutional for the state to do and the Supreme Court agreed sa... ... or verbal formulas that actually will provide consistency, fairness, and reliability in a capital-sentencing scheme. I am not optimistic that such a day will come.? U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman The fact is that there is no perfect method for imposing or carrying out capital punishment. Too many factors such as race and the chance of error or mistakes make the death penalty flawed. It is an extremely cruel and unusual form of punishment and should be ruled unconstitutional. Bibliography: 1) References of www.deathpenalty.org 2) CQ Researcher, Congressional Quarterly Inc., March 10, 1995. Vol. 5, No. 9 3) When The State Kills..., Amnesty International USA, 1989 4) Helen Prejean, C.S.J., Dead Man Walking, pg. 19-20, 216-217 5) Newspaper Article-California Gas Chamber 6) United States Constitution

Cameron International Corp Essay

The three major issues facing Cameron International (CAM) are acquisitions, environmental, and competition risk. Cameron International is primarily involved in the manufacture of petroleum production equipment, compression and power equipment to direct flows of oil and gas wells. Acquisitions The company is formerly known as Cooper Cameron Corporation. The company growth depends on the availability of natural resources. To be able to be competitive in the industry, it needs to analyze the existing processes and identify the best production method for harnessing oil and gas, and adjusting it manufacturing operations towards the identified need. The Company made significant investments in improving its services and products over the years. During 2004 to 2005, the company has acquired Petreco International and Dresser Flow Control Businesses. Also, â€Å"Recently CAM paid approximately $44 million to acquire DES Operations Limited, a Scotland-based supplier of production-enhancement technology, which will enhance the subsea operations within the Drilling and Production Systems segment† (value line). Subsea operations is the new direction to which the company is heading. In fact, the company is currently working on more than 15 major subsea projects using motors and other equipment made by an aerospace-industry contractor (Factiva Wall Street Journal). These projects will require a longer time, a large increase in financial scope, a need in substantial engineering, and it will also involve the application of existing technology to new environments or new technology (CAM 10K 2006 p. 7). Because this new operations are larger and more complex than traditional operations, the Company may not be prepared for meeting the expertise and technical requirements of the projects. Failure to meet client’s expectations does not only lead to loss in revenue, but also to loss of the significant financial investments committed by the company towards this innovation. The company has had both success and failures in this new endeavor. Subsea operations account for eight percent (8%) of the company’s revenue in 2006 (CAM 10K 2006 p. 7). According to Fortune magazine, the company has raised earnings by producing an array of subsea valves, wellheads and blowout protectors which are currently on high demand. The result is expected to make Cameron’s profits to climb thirty-nine percent (39%) this year. On the other hand the company experienced backlogs on the projects, amounting to as much as four hundred eight million dollars ($408 millions). Based on these figures, it is clear that the new operations of the Company can be lucrative and risky. As mentioned above, the new operations involve the following risks: not meeting client’s expectations, incurring delay, loss of revenue, loss of opportunity and loss of capital. Environmental Litigation The Company has a strong policy on environment sustainability and has implemented measures to ensure the quality, safety and reliability of its products. It utilizes an all electric sub-sea production system which is designed to reduce environmental contamination risks. It line of compression products offer greater efficiency and reduced emission levels. (Annual report 2006 p. 9) The company has conducted oil risk spills analysis through the OSRA models originally developed by Smith and company, which has been enhanced over the years and uses realistic data fields of winds and ocean currents in the GOM (OCS Report 2007). However, it may be noted that with Cameron’s policy to pursue an electric sub-sea production system, the risk of oil spills is reduced and the likelihood of it being involved in a major oil spill is reduced. In addition to this, the company has exerted efforts towards managing environmental risks involved in subsea operations by contributing in the development of a shut-off device called Environmental Safe Guard. This device has been proven successful in operation under 2000-m water (Simondin, et. al. 2005). Competition Risk Cameron International has maintained a track of growth in the oil industry, from 1833 up to the present. It currently manufactures 50 different brands of drilling and production systems. Growth can be expected to continue. As pointed out in the Company’s annual report (2006), sales of equipment like compression systems has registered a steady increase with the greatest share of revenues accruing from sales outside the United States. The Company has maintained an excellent revenue growth rate at thirty-nine point sixty-seven percent (39. 67%). It also has a net income growth rate of eighty-one point eighty-eight percent (81. 98%), while maintaining a good debt to equity ratio of forty-three point fifty-two percent (43. 2%). Debt to equity ratio is good compared to the industry average of 63% (Corn 2007). A comparison of the company’s ratios with others in the fields provides a clearer picture of its performance in the industry. The company’s touted revenue growth rate is ranked fifteenth (15th) in the industry and is extremely small compared to the leading company. Its long term growth rate is assessed as twenty-one percent (21%), also fifteenth in the industry. These ratios show us that the company’s performance is not the leading company in its industry but it does perform respectably compared with the other players. In its 10K, the company claims that it has a growing global market (CAM 10K p. 7). Some financial analysts agree with this statement. The CEO of Clear Indexes LLC and Clear Asset Management LLC claims that there is an increasing demand for oil in China and India and the Company is â€Å"ideally placed† in supplying the demand for increased production (Corn). However, because of the ties of Corn’s own company with CAM, this statement should not be taken at its face value. In the 30 April 2007 issue of Fortune, the company is only seventh in the industry with Halliburton ranking first. On a positive note, the company did climb up the Forbes 500 list with a present ranking of five hundred fifty-third (553rd) from last year’s six hundred eighty-fifth (685th). (Fortune 500 annual ranking) Based on the analysis above, the company’s performance is acceptable but not stellar. The changes made by the company towards subsea operations may be the wave of the future, providing not only a significant portion of the company’s revenues but also lowering environmental liability risks that are necessarily included in the company’s operations. The move, however, is not without its disadvantages. Subsea operations requires the commitment of large amounts of capital and expertise, expertise that the company has not fully mastered. The failure of the company in this endeavor will adversely affect the company’s growth for years to come.

Second Grade Math Worksheets

The following 2nd grade math worksheets address the basic concepts taught in the second grade. Concepts addressed include: money, addition, subtractions, word problems, subtraction and telling time. You will need the Adobe reader for the following worksheets. 2nd Grade Word ProblemsAddition - 2 more than.Ten MoreHundreds Chart ActivitiesCounting by 5 WorksheetsAdding DoublesAdding 5 more than.Mixed addition.Mixed addition.Mystery boxes.Number Sentences to 20.Addition: vertically.2 Digit Adding With Regrouping3 Digit Addition - No RegroupingWord Problems.More Word Problems.Basic Subtraction FactsSubtraction Facts with Missing Blanks2 Digit Subtraction - no regroupingBeginning FractionsCounting US coins to 50 centsShow the Money AmountsCounting Canadian coins to 50 centsTelling Time WorksheetsI Have, Who Has Math Game   Second-grade worksheets have been created to emphasize understanding of the concept and should not be used in isolation to teach a concept. Each concept should be taught using math manipulatives and many concrete experiences. For instance, when teaching subtraction, use cereal, coins, jelly beans and provide many experiences with physically moving the objects and printing the number sentence (8 - 3 5). Then move to the worksheets. For word problems, students/learners should have an understanding of the computations required and then exposure to word problems are necessary to ensure they can use the computation in authentic situations.    When beginning fractions, many experiences with pizzas, fraction bars and circles should be used to ensure understanding. Fractions have two components for understanding, parts of a set (eggs, rows in gardens) and parts of the whole (pizza, chocolate bars etc.)   I have, who has, is a fun game to enhance learning.