In depth alnalysis of El Mariachi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

In depth alnalysis of El Mariachi - Essay Example It is all about a young mariachi (a wandering musician or a singing guitar player) who gets caught in a web of mistaken identity. The plot of mistaken identity has been used in many films, like in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Rodriguez again uses this plot in El Mariachi. El Mariachi arrives in a small dusty town of Mexico to start a new life. His only interest and his dream is his music. But he soon realizes that this is not easy when he gets mistaken for a criminal named Azul, a drug lord who is being chased by a rival named Moco, as both wear black and carry a guitar case. The only difference is that while one carries a guitar in his case the other carries a machine gun. The mistaken identities result in the rivals trying to kill El Mariachi. In the meantime El Mariachi falls in love with Domino. Moco is also in love with this woman. By the time the true identities are known, Moco comes to know that Domino and El Mariachi are in love. In a fit of rage Moco kills D omino and shoots off the hand of the mariachi. After this when Moco laughs in El Mariachis face, El Mariachi kills him. The story is set in a small Mexican town and the director shows how drug dealers can control a small town. The movie has a well-written script. It is full of action, but not very flashy. Hal Hinson (1996) in Washington Post has rightly said, "Rodriguez has boiled the art of filmmaking down to its visceral, kinetic essence. In "El Mariachi" everything is expressed in terms of action, pure and simple." The plot is simple, but universal at the same time. The story may be fictional but the characters and also the atmosphere is typical of Northern Mexico. From the scene of the turtle walking across till the end all the scenes are fascinating and enjoyable. Through a series of fierce gun battles and astonishing car chases, Rodriguez does manage to maintain a fast and furious pace. The bullets fly thick and fast and the action does not let up one

CRIMINAL JUSTICE JURY MOST RELAIBLE FOR DETERMINING GUILT OR Essay

CRIMINAL JUSTICE JURY MOST RELAIBLE FOR DETERMINING GUILT OR INNOCENCE, LEGAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT JURIES DECISIONS, ARE THEIR DECISIONS RELIABLE AND VALID, - Essay Example (King, 1999) This was the only right that was agreed unanimously by the twelve participating states. Accordingly the trial jury acquired veto power over the law and became more powerful than any government official such as Judges. An appeals court in the United States described the power of a jury "unreviewable and irreversible" over that of a trail judge. (Jurors Handbook) The jury system has become one of the most important aspects of criminal procedures in many countries, though the procedures adopted differ from country to country and even within a country as is evident in the United States, nevertheless, the jury is perceived to bring in certain attributes of the communities to bear. In Australia, the jury list is made up of people who had been elected from randomly from the electoral rolls,2 same for the United States, where potential jurors are now randomly selected by a computer using electoral or driver's licenses records. (Doyle, 2004) The duties of a jury are to asses only the facts of a case in reaching a verdict, but there are certain factors that affect the conduct or predisposition of any potential or chosen juror. Juries can be influenced by the Judges, attorneys, defendants, their particular lifestyles and beliefs and many other possible factors. Various studies conducted have shown that jurors could be influenced beyond the scope of evidence by a defendants attributes e.g. race, status or sex. For example, in one of the studies conducted,(Decaire, n.a.) white and black male subjects were exposed to cases with defendants and victims of varied races, it was observed that in cases involving white victims the white subjects (jurors) showed bias, placing higher guilt against black defendants accused of crimes against white people, thus showing that jury recommendations can be influenced by their individual stereotype of crime and the alleged criminal. Judge decisions. Judicial influence over any jury trial is as important as the role the jurors play. Though it is the members of the jury who return the guilty or innocent verdict, the powers of a presiding judge also allows him to prevent the introduction of 'illegal' evidence or argument by counsels in support of both prosecution and defences. Judges do not tell jurors what to deduce from the evidence presented to them, but they have powers to prevent the jurors from hearing any evidence deemed not suitable to achieving a fair trial. For instance, if a jury is presiding over a rape case, the sitting judge might not allow the jury hear evidence of the rape victim's past sexual history. This is to prevent the jurors being influenced by facts outside the present case. Psychological or expert witness. The role of expert-witness in the criminal justice system is a person who has some special training or experience in a criminal behavioural area and can help the judge, lawyers and the juries arrive at the truth in the judicial process. (Yablonsky, 1998) Most of these experts are however paid consultants and present evidence that advance the case of their clients. They are therefore mostly perceived as 'hired guns' and their credibility questioned. Recently in the UK, Professor Sir Roy Meadow's name was struck off the

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis

Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Analysis – A Case Study Abstract- Earned Value management (EVM) is a well-known project management tool that uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to track the current status of the project. It uses information on cost, schedule and work performance to establish the current status of the project. The calculation of earned value is a very effective tool in measuring the progress of contractors in external projects. Computation of earned value can be part of an audit activity, or it can be integrated into the progress monitoring system. The concept of earned value is generally used in the context of fixed price contracts where the objective is to calculate the amount of payment that is due to the contractor. Keywords- Project Performance Evaluation, Earned Value, Cost Control, Forecasting INTRODUCTION Earned value analysis is a project control technique which provides cost and schedule performance measurements of the project. It is a frequently used method of performance measurement for projects. It integrates the project scope baseline and the cost baseline, along with the schedule baseline, to form the performance baseline, which helps the project management team assess and measure project performance and progress. EVM provides project managers and the organization with triggers or early warning signals that allow them to take timely actions in response to indicators of poor performance and enhance the opportunities for project success. Better planning and resource allocation associated with the early periods of a project might be the cause of this reliability. EVM IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS EVM can be used for progress payments to contractors based on the earned value (EV) of contracted or outsourced work. Since such contractual arrangements create legal and financial obligations, it is important to consider the method specified for evaluating progress. These methods and tools for the determination of progress should be carefully considered and negotiated to achieve a fair and equitable environment that encourages successful accomplishment of contracted or outsourced project items. Once a project has advanced to a stage of performance, the consistent and constant flow of information on the true status of the project is essential. EVM is a methodology that associates project scope, schedule, and resource measurements to analyse project performance and progress. The fundamental principle of EVM is that the patterns and trends of performance, when compared against a soundly developed baseline, can be excellent predictors of the future project performance. Feedback is critical to the success of any project. Getting the relevant feedback in time enables project managers to identify problems early and make adjustments that keeps a project on time and on budget. EVM is considered by many to be one of the most effective performance measurement and feedback tools for managing construction projects. In EVM system, the three parameters that influence the project performance control are: Planned Value (PV) Planned value (PV) is the sanctioned budget assigned to a scheduled work. It may also be known as the Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS). This budget is allocated by phases over the life of the project, but at a given moment, planned value outlines the physical work that should have been accomplished. The overall PV is sometimes referred to as the performance measurement baseline (PMB). The total planned value for the project is also known as budget at completion (BAC) [1]. Earned Value (EV) Earned value (EV) is the measure of work performed at a specific point in time, expressed in terms of the authorized budget for that work. The EV being measured needs to be related to the PMB, and it cannot be greater than the authorized PV budget for a component. The EV is often used to calculate the percentage completion of a project. Progress evaluation criteria should be established for each work breakdown structure (WBS) component to measure work in progress. The earned value methodology used to plan the baseline should be used consistently to determine the earned value. Project managers monitor EV, both incrementally to determine current status and cumulatively to determine the long-term performance trends [2], [1]. Actual Cost (AC) Actual cost (AC) is the realized cost incurred for the work performed during a specific time period. It is the total cost incurred in achieving the work that the EV measured. In order for EVM analysis to be reliable, AC must be recorded in the same time period as EV and for the same activity or work breakdown structure component as EV. Fig. 1 shows the actual cost at time now, and indicates that the organization has spent more than it planned to spend in order to achieve the work performed to date. Fig. 1 Earned Value curve for a project over budget and behind schedule LITERATURE REVIEW Previous researches done on the EVM indicate that it is definitely one of the better practice to monitor a project. Therefore in this project we will be considering Earned Value Analysis for research purpose. Pramod M et al. (2014), recognise that the absence of an effective system for monitoring and controlling project cost is the main reason for cost escalation and delays in the project. Their study considers Earned Value analysis and Earned Schedule concept as the two monitoring systems which can be used to monitor a construction project. The study was done on a residential apartment in Bangalore. They concluded their research by saying, Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control when the required information are cost oriented [3]. Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares (2012), did a critical review of the application of EVA for the Amusement Park named Monica Park in Brazil, which was is documented with reports, graphs, analyses and comments. EVA had a relevant role in the integrated management of the project scope, time, progress, cost and risks and the procurement. Because of the implementation of EVA, the project finished on time and on budget. The findings of the case study are analysed and concluded with 10 recommended steps for future implementation of the EVA process [4]. Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja (2014), selected Integrated housing and slum development program (IHSDP) located in Mattampuram, Thrissur, Kerala, for case study. Budgeted cost of work performed was compared against actual cost of work performed and budgeted cost of work scheduled to assess cost and schedule variances, respectively. Based on the collected data, schedule of the project and cost for individual activities had prepared. It gave an idea of cost and time required for individual activities and for the entire construction. S-Curve was drawn showing the relationship between duration and cost of the project. From the calculation of various project performance indicators, they arrived at conclusion that the project has an unfavourable schedule variance of 9.5 which meant the project was behind schedule. A SPI of .62 and a CPI of 0.82 was obtained. EAC of 411.20 lakhs was obtained which is 74.02 lakhs more than the BAC at 337.18 lakhs [5]. EVM PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND FORECASTING PARAMETER Calculating Project Performance EVA analyses project performance by calculating performance variances and performance indices. Common variances include: Schedule Variance (SV):Schedule variance (SV) is the amount by which the project is ahead or behind the planned delivery date, at a given point in time. It is a measure of schedule performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the planned value (PV). The EVM schedule variance is a useful metric which can indicate when a project is falling behind or is ahead of its baseline schedule. The EVM schedule variance will ultimately equal zero when the project is completed because all of the planned values will have been earned. Cost variance (CV):Cost variance (CV) is the amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time. It is a measure of cost performance on a project. It is equal to the earned value (EV) minus the actual cost (AC). The cost variance at the end of the project will be the difference between the budget at completion (BAC) and the actual amount spent. Schedule performance index (SPI):The schedule performance index (SPI) is a measure of schedule efficiency expressed as the ratio of earned value to planned value. SPI indicates the rate at which the project is progressing. It is sometimes used in conjunction with the cost performance index (CPI) to forecast the final project completion estimates. An SPI value less than 1.0 indicates less work was completed than was planned. An SPI greater than 1.0 indicates that more work was completed than was planned. Cost performance index (CPI):The cost performance index (CPI) is a measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources, expressed as a ratio of earned value to actual cost. It is considered the most critical EVM metric and measures the cost efficiency for the work completed. A CPI value of less than 1.0 indicates a cost overrun for work completed and greater than 1.0 indicates a cost underrun of performance to date. Performance Forecasting As the project progresses, forecasts can be developed for cost and schedule performance. Common forecasting data includes: Estimate to Complete (ETC):The estimate to complete (ETC) is the expected cost needed to complete all of the remaining work for a control account, work package, or the project. The most accurate method is to develop a new, detailed, bottom-up estimate based on an analysis of the remaining work. Estimate at Completion (EAC):Estimate at completion (EAC), is the expected total cost of a control account, work package, or the project when the defined scope of work will be completed. The EAC is typically based on the actual cost incurred for work completed (AC), plus an estimate to complete (ETC) for the remaining work. Variance at Completion (VAC):The cost variance at completion (VAC), derived by subtracting the EAC from the BAC, forecasts the amount of budget deficit or surplus at the end of the project. The VAC shows the team whether the project is forecasted to finish under or over budget. This can be expressed as a percentage by dividing VAC by BAC. To complete performance index (TCPI):The TCPI is a comparative measure. It compares work completed to date with budget required to complete the remaining work. The TCPI data can be used as the basis for a discussion which explores whether the performance required is realistically achievable. It is the ratio of remaining work to the remaining budget. TABLE I EVM AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT SITUATIONS Project Management Questions EVM Performance Measures Formula Schedule Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Time-Wise. Are we ahead or behind schedule? Schedule Variance (SV) SV = EV/PV How efficiency are we using time? Schedule Performance Index (SPI) SPI = EV/PV Cost Analysis Forecasting: To know the status of project Cost-Wise. Are we under or over our budget? Cost Variance (CV) CV = EV-AC How efficiently are we using our resources? Cost Performance Index (CPI) CPI = EV/AC How efficiently must we use our remaining resources? To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) TCPI = (BAC – EV)/(BAC – AC ) What is the project likely to cost? Estimate at Completion (EAC) EAC = BAC/CPI Will we be under or over budget? Variance at Completion (VAC) VAC = BAC-EAC What will the remaining work cost? Estimate to Complete (EAC) ETC = (BAC-EV)/CPI CONCLUSIONS The study of various research works and case studies give an idea that Earned Value Analysis is a great monitoring system for project cost control. Therefore, in this paper I will be making an attempt to apply and analyse the use of EVM on a live project based on the findings and guidelines of the references. REFERENCES [1] PMI, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), 4th Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2008. [2] PMI, Practice Standard for Earned Value Management, 2nd Edition, Project Management Institute, USA, 2005. [3] Pramod M, K. Phaniraj and V. Srinivasan, â€Å"Monitoring System for Project Cost Control in Construction Industry†, in International Journal of Engineering Research Technology (IJERT), Vol. 3, Issue 7, pp. 1487-1491, July 2014. [4] Jose Angelo Valle and Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares, â€Å"The Use of Earned Value Analysis (EVA) in the Cost Management of Construction Projects†, International Journal of Engineering and Innovative Technology, pp1-11, Mar 2011. [5] Antony Prasanth M A and K Thirumalai Raja, â€Å"Project Performance Evaluation by Earned Value Method†, International Conference on Engineering Technology and Science, Volume 3, Special Issue 1, Feb. 2014.

Emily Dickinson :: essays research papers

Emily Dickinson The year 1830 is a crucial date in English history. You see, this is the year that one of the most influential poets in the world was born. Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, an old fashioned Puritan town. Rarely did she go outside to meet strangers or walk in the garden. Emily felt uncomfortable outside of her house and even if she did travel, it wasn't for more than one hour. She was greatly impacted by her father, who was a lawyer, politician, and treasurer of Amherst College. The turning point in Emily's life occurred while she was on a business trip in Washington D.C. with her father. There, Emily met a Presbyterian Minister. Soon enough, she deeply fell in love with this man , whose name was Charlies Wadsworth. Even though the two were acquaintances, Emily felt a bond between herself and the much older and already married minister. However, although Charles was kind to her, he did not return her love. Eight years later, in1862, Charlies left for San Francisco, Calafornia with his family. It was about this time that Emily totally secluded herself from the world and started what would be world famous poems throughout the future . She adopted her ideas on poetry from her personal life, her fondness of nature, death, and her dislike of organized religion. War is occasionally pulled into Emily's poems also. Emily seemed truly concerned over happenings in her personal life. So she mainly focused her writings on the loss of her lover. In "I Never Saw A Moor," she describes things that she had never seen or experienced before but she knows what they are about. Here, Emily is trying to express herself on why she thinks Charles left her. She is desperately searching for answers. Emily attempted to teach others a lesson when she wrote "Tell All The Turth, But Tell It Slant." In this work, she wishes that Charles had given her a reason why he left so abruptly. She is stressing that people should tell all the truth, but lay it down easily so it does not cause strife. "Heart! We Will Forget Him!" Explains her feelings that she still has for Charles. However, she strived to put memories of Charles behind her and to move on in life. Emily hoped to see her lost love in eternity sometime. On the other hand, her love for Charles was not the only thing that she wrote about. "The Spider Holds A Silver Ball" explains why we should admire a spider's web. A spider took an excessive amount of time to build the silver

Rationale Childrens Book Essay

Annie Makes a Mess of her New Red Dress sprouted from a seed of a few ideas about a little girl who receives a new dress and has trouble with it. The purpose of my children’s book is to communicate the different elements of life that small children love or hate such as birthday parties, lollies, balloons, parks and playgrounds. Another purpose is to educate children about overcoming adversity and the fact that it’s never as bad as they think. There are many themes in this book but the main ones are adventure and overcoming adversity. This book is created for children from the age of four to around six. Originally the title was Jess Makes a Mess of her New Red Dress but after researching titles and texts I decided to change my characters name so that it’s not alliterative because as Mem Fox proposed, use names that will reveal something about the character. I chose Annie because to me it cute and resembles virtue in a young girl. The title is varied in colour and at first I was unsure about this but after researching the best sellers of children’s books, I found that many of them used the same technique to emphasise a word or to represent its meaning. In my title the word red is emphasised by being the colour red as opposed to the other words which are black. For Annie, I chose a red coloured dress because it’s noticeable and vibrant to attract the eyes of a young reader. The dress resembles innocence and the love for clothes that the majority of girls will have throughout their lives. When illustrating the book, I decided to create pictures appropriate for the age group, they are basic but colourful. All the illustrations, including the front cover are framed by two bars of white. This is to enclose or border the illustrations to have them as the main focus. The illustration on the front cover flows through to the back as I think this is an attractive feature in a children’s book as discussed in class. On some pages the illustrations have no background again the same technique is used, to have the image as the main focus such as the playground equipment or Annie in the introduction. In most of the images Annie’s dress is unravelling; I depict this through the red thread of cotton behind Annie. Children love this as they can trace their finger around the red line or follow it with their eyes. The psychology of children must also be considered when reading or writing a children’s book.

Promote person centred values Essay

Person-centred is about providing care and support that is centred or focused on the individual and their needs. We are all individual and just because two people might have the same medical condition, for example, Dementia, it doesn’t mean that they require the same care and support. You will need to develop a clear understanding about the individuals you are working with. This includes their needs, their culture, their means of communication, their likes and dislikes, their family and other professionals’ involvement so you can promote and provide person centred care and support. Individuality: Assumptions should never be made about an individual. They should never have to fit in with you or your employer. Individuals should be allowed and supported to make their own choices. Care and support needs should be tailored to suit each individual. This shows respect by preserving the individual’s dignity and individuality. Their personal beliefs should be respected. Independence: Allow the individuals you support to do things for themselves, however small. Being independent does not necessarily mean being completely alone, but being supported to do things for themselves. Take time to enable the individuals you support to be independent. Independence makes people feel in control of their lives and gives them a sense of self-worth. Privacy: You will need to understand each individual’s need for privacy and support this in the way you work. The availability of private space will be different in residential care home and home care environments. Irrespective of which environment, you should always ask permission before entering an individual’s room. Always knock on their door. Close doors when performing personal hygiene but first check the individual is happy with you doing so. Every individual should have time and spaces to do things in private if they should wish to, for example, meeting friends and family or making phone calls. Partnership: Working in partnership with other professionals, with colleagues, families and carers is an essential part of providing care and support. Person-centred care and  support is about a whole range of people working together to improve the lives of individuals. Partnership is all about the individual you are supporting and all of the partners involved will need good communication, sharing appropriate information, putting the individual’s best interests at the centre of everything that everyone does. Choice: Each individual you are supporting should be allowed and supported to make choices. They should be given thorough information in order to make informed choices themselves. Never take over because you can do things faster or because you think something should be done a particular way. Always involve the individual in decisions about their care and support. Sometimes individuals can be overwhelmed with choice, for example, individuals suffering from Dementia, may respond better if you give them two simple choices but this is much better than giving no choice at all. Must be able to communicate and listen well. Dignity: Dignity is what we feel when we are respected and it is what makes us feel important in society and in our lives. Whether individuals are eating, sleeping, washing, shopping or dying, care and support workers must help them to feel dignified. Be aware of the importance of preserving an individual’s dignity, ask them how they wish to be addressed; try not to rush them and take time to listen; use towels or clothing to cover them up when performing intimate care tasks. It is important not to stereotype or make guesses about individuals and their needs. Respect: Is showing an individual respect, you will support them in what they believe is important, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, belief or sexual orientation. When working with other people or professionals, never ignore the individuals you are supporting. Always include them in the conversation, irrespective of the subject? Rights: Individuals you care for and support should continue to have the same rights as when they were living independently. Each individual you support has the right to say no, the right to have a relationship, the right to have a say about how they are supported. They have a right to choose what they eat and when, how they dress and when. They have the right to choose their friends and what they want to do with their time. You may have to make changes to take an individual’s rights into account. You may have to balance an individual’s  rights against your responsibilities and consider if either they or you are at risk? If you are concerned or unsure, check with your supervisor or manager. Choice and Control – Enabling people to make choices about the way they live and the care they receive. Communication – Speaking to people respectfully and listening to what they have to say; ensuri ng clear dialogue between workers and services. Eating and Nutritional Care – Providing a choice of nutritious, appetising meals, that meet the needs and choices of individuals, and support with eating where needed. Pain Management – Ensuring that people living with pain have the right help and medication to reduce suffering and improve their quality of life. Personal Hygiene – Enabling people to maintain their usual standards of personal hygiene. Practical Assistance – Enabling people to maintain their independence by providing ‘that little bit of help’. Privacy – Respecting people’s personal space, privacy in personal care and confidentiality of personal information. Social Inclusion – Supporting people to keep in contact with family and friends, and to participate in social activities. Working in a person centred way Person-centred approaches are about the individual being the centre of their care and support plan enabling them to have control over their lives. Person-centred approaches are about enabling individuals to live their own lives and not just providing a service. It is about focusing on the individual person’s needs and not the tasks that need completing. Person-centred planning is a way for individuals to plan for what they want now and in the future, together with the people in their lives who they like and trust. It is based on the following values: Everyone has a right to plan their own lives and be at the centre of any planning that is done for them. Be part of their community, live their lives as they want, and if they need support to do this for this support to be provided in a way in which they want it. The person is at the centre. Family members and friends are partners. Reflects what is important to the person and their capacities. Specifies the support the person needs to make a valued contribution to their community. Builds a shared commitment. Leads to continual listening and learning about what the person wants to get from their life. You should always reflect on and celebrate the diversity of the  people you are supporting. There are many reasons why individuals think and act the way they do and only by building up comprehensive knowledge about these important things can you help them to fulfil their wishes and needs. You can find out about an individual’s history, preferences, wishes and needs by looking at their Individual Needs Assessment. This will look at a variety of different things depending on the individual being assessed, for example, physical, emotional, social, spiritual, communication, support or care needs. The individual will need to be able to trust the person conducting the Individual Needs. Assessment and encouraged to use their strengths to feel confident that the process will lead to positive outcomes for them. Establish Consent when providing care or support A care or support plan sets out what care or support an individual needs. The Individual Needs Assessment will enable the required care and support to be determined. The care plan will contain lots of information, for example, medical history, family contacts, risk assessments. It is usually written by someone who has specifically been trained to do this. Your role is to make sure you read and work to the requirements of the care or support plan, to record any changes and to report significant changes. You will need to understand the boundaries of your responsibilities regarding the individuals you support. Just like your needs and desires change, so will those of the individuals you support. Changes could be from a whole range of aspects of the individual’s life. It is important to recognise that as needs change, how support is provided will also need to be reviewed regularly to see if any changes or adjustments are required. You have a responsibility to listen to individuals, to hear what they are saying, to write down any information about change in the care or support plan and contact your supervisor or manager if this is likely to have an impact on the level or type of care and support that is provided. Supporting an individual to plan for their future well-being may include the following, their: Sense of hope , Confidence , Self- esteem , Ability to communicate their needs , Ability to make contact with other people , Ability to show warmth and affection , Experience and showing of pleasure and enjoyment. Fulfilment is about  feeling satisfied, pleased, content, a sense of achievement and success. Supporting active participation Providing individuals with empowerment is important. Empowerment is about enabling the individuals you support to contribute and have an influence over the issues which affect the way they live. When individuals make choices, they have more control and feel valued. Providing individuals with empowerment to make informed choices enables individuals to maintain their rights of choice, equality and opportunity. Active Participation is a way of working that recognises an individual’s right to participate in the activities and relationships of everyday life as independently as possible; the individual is regarded as an active partner in their own care or support, rather than just a recipient. Being part of a community is particularly important to individuals who live on their own and do not work. It means they have relationships and make friendships with other people giving them a more fulfilling life. It doesn’t matter what kind of contribution they make or the type of activities they are involved in, just being part of something will give them a sense of belonging, a feeling of self-worth and independence. Your role as a care or support worker is to help individuals to make informed choices about things that happen every day and also in planning for the longer term. Each time you work with an individual you should be able to give them choices. Individuals’ choices will be different depending on the types of tasks you are doing together and their abilities. Good communication is essential so that you can give choices and individuals can make them. It doesn’t matter what environment you support an individual in, there should always be plenty of opportunity to provide choices. Here are some examples: When would they like to get up? What would they like to wear? What would they like to eat and drink? What brands would they like to use, for example, shampoo, toothpaste, moisturiser? What activities would they like to take part in? You can support individuals to make choices by giving them encouragement and giving praise when they have made a choice. This will give them the confidence to continue to make choices about other aspects of their lives. If an individual identifies a particular hobby or activity they wish to participate in, it might be worth checking if there are local groups or  facilities that would be prepared to support the individual to participate.   Supporting an individual’s rights to make choices In order to enable an individual to make an informed choice, both you and the individual first need to think about what all of the available options are. You then need to look at what are good and bad about each option. Health and safety are important factors and must be put first for you, the individual and anyone else involved. The Mental Capacity Act provides the legal framework for capacity and decision making about health and social care and financial decisions. It applies to everyone aged over 16. You will need to consider whether the person you are supporting has capacity to make informed decisions or whether you need a formal mental capacity review. It is important to note that a person is assumed to have capacity unless it is proved otherwise. There is a four-step way to test for capacity: A person must be able to: 1. Understand the information relevant to a decision 2. Retain the information 3. Use the information as part of the decision making process 4. Communicate their decision In supporting a person to make a decision, you have a duty to assist the person in all four of these steps. For example, using appropriate communication methods to help the person to understand and communicate. Capacity is assessed specific to each decision and each occasion. For example, a person may have capacity to make a decision in the morning about what to wear, but not later that day in deciding if they want to move home. If someone is assessed as lacking capacity, any decision taken on their behalf must be in their best interests and you must consider if there are less restrictive options. For example, if a decision can be delayed until a person is less distressed, this is the best course of action. However, if a person does have capacity this over-rides what you may consider as an unwise decision. Each individual should have a formal risk assessment as part of their care and support plan. The risk assessment should contain information about the individual and the type of care and support they need. It will  provide the most appropriate options for keeping the individual and anyone else involved as safe as possible. It will also tell you how to do some tasks where these tasks have been risk assessed and the best option has been established. For example: A particular way of moving and handling is recommended for Mr X because he has health issues that mean he or she can only be moved in a particular way. Mr X doesn’t like being moved this way and asks to be moved another way. You should always follow the risk assessment. You should report Mr X’s request to your supervisor / manager. You should always record any changes in Mr X’s wishes and in the way you perform tasks. Every effort should be made to support Mr X to be moved in the way he wants to be moved. He has the right to make this choice but an appropriately trained person will need to review the risk assessment first and work out if it is safe for all involved for Mr X to be moved in the way he wishes. You might not approve of or like the choice he has made. You might need more moving and handling training, perhaps for a specialist piece of equipment. However, the choice is not yours and you are not allowed to influence Mr X. In supporting Mr X to make his decision, you need to listen to him and put his wishes and best interests first. He is the customer and you are providing a service. This means the service must be provided in the way Mr X would like, as long as it is safe and approved through care and support plans and risk assessments. This is because the choices belong to Mr X, not to you. He needs to make his own decisions in order to feel he is in control of what happens to him. This leads to positive feelings around dignity, pride and satisfaction. When an individual has made a decision which you feel is risky, you need to make the individual aware of any consequences involved in the decision; however you should not try to influence the individual with your views and opinions. It is the individual’s freedom of choice to make decisions about their own future and support. Providing they have the right information (including the advantages and disadvantages) to make an informed choice and have the capacity to understand their choice; it is part of your duty of care to enable them to do so. If a relative or friend has made a decision about an  individual’s care, support or life that the individual is not happy or comfortable with, you may need to support the individual to question or challenge the decision. It is important that you obtain and understand the facts and reasons surrounding the decision so you can make sure the individual has a clear understanding. If the individual remains sure that he / she is not happy with the decision, once he / she has this information, you can work with the individual to support them to challenge the decision. Any changes that are made as a result of this challenge must be safe for you, the individual and anyone else involved. You should never make changes unless you are trained to do so or your supervisor or manager confirms you can make the change. You should always record any changes in individual’s wishes and in the way you perform tasks. Promoting spiritual and emotional well-being Spiritual well-being is an integral part of mental, emotional and physical health. It can be associated with a specific religion but does not have to be. It is about an individual’s own journey to discover things of importance in their lives and enabling them to find purpose and meaning in life. The effects and impact of spiritual well-being is determined by each individual and can make a huge impact in their lives. Through spiritual well-being, individuals can become empowered and realize that even though they have issues, stressors, and challenges, they are not defined by their circumstances. A few of the numerous benefits of spiritual well-being include: †¢Feeling content with your life’s situation †¢Making time to spend alone and find inner peace †¢Taking time to reflect and resolve life’s issues †¢Finding satisfaction in a job well done †¢Taking part in an active lifestyle rather than merely standing by and watching life as it passes †¢Maintaining balance and control of life †¢Building relationships †¢Feeling purpose and meaning in life †¢Accepting and growing from the challenges of life Emotional well-being is based on how individuals feel about themselves. Someone who is emotionally healthy: †¢Understands and adapts to change †¢Copes with stress †¢Has a positive outlook on life and themselves †¢Has the ability to love and care for others †¢Can act independently to meet his or her own needs Everyone, including people who are emotionally healthy, have problems. If something or someone threatens our happiness or wellbeing, we would feel uncomfortable emotions such as anger, sadness or fear. When we experience something that enhances our situation, we feel emotions such as joy, satisfaction or a sense of achievement. The way we’re brought up and our culture have a great influence on how we feel. They help us to form ideas and decide what we care about. Everyone deals with situations in life differently. Sometimes an individual’s self-esteem can become so low that everything seems a lot harder to cope with compared with when they are feeling confident. Being emotionally healthy doesn’t mean that you feel happy all the time. That is impossible. Good emotional health is about having lots of different emotions, and being able to accept them and talk about them. Signs that individuals are not coping well emotionally might include having a lack of self-confidence, having trouble with relationships or feeling unhappy a lot of the time. Because we are all so different and diverse, we have different and diverse views about every subject. You may not approve of or agree with the views of the individuals you support but your role is about working with them in ways that support their views. The best way to find out about an individual is to ask questions that are not threatening but show you have a genuine interest in the individual. By encouraging them to talk about themselves and listening to their views, you will learn a great deal about the individuals you work with. Through this learning, you will be able to meet their needs in ways that are sensitive and supportive of their views making individuals feel valu ed. †¢Appreciated, cared about and loved †¢Safe and secure †¢Extra supported when they feel sad, depressed or lonely †¢That they are not a burden but an important priority †¢Listened to and respected †¢Satisfied with relationships †¢Independent and in control of their lives †¢That they have a purpose and meaning to their lives You will need good communication skills and be able to listen but also to encourage individuals and show understanding and support for what is important to them in life. Each individual’s spirituality is greatly impacted by the community they are a part of and the relationships they take part in. Individuals may be able to find spiritual well-being programs in their local area. By promoting an individual’s spiritual and emotional wellbeing, you can help improve their self -esteem and make them feel valued and remain their own person. Focussing on what they can do rather than on what they can’t do, will encourage their independence and feeling of self -worth. It is also important to help individuals to deal with stress. Changes in situations and in their ability to do things can cause stress. However, by providing encouragement and positive support you can improve their inner self and quality of life.

Excessive Use of Common Printer Essays

Excessive Use of Common Printer Essays Excessive Use of Common Printer Essay Excessive Use of Common Printer Essay Last week, the Supply Manager reported a sudden increase in the utilization of office paper and ink of the common printer. However, based on the central data, work loads have not increased so surprisingly the upsurge in the use of the common printer is not work-related. Many non-work-related printed documents were recovered from the printer area. More so, there were a lot of papers wasted and scattered all over the mentioned area. In addition, the frequency of refilling the ink cartridge have also doubled. These are the main concerns that are needed to be addressed to conserve and maximize office supplies.Causes of Excessive Use of Common PrinterBased on the investigation conducted, the following were deemed the causes of excessive use of common printer:l   Most of the employees have used the printer to print personal files.l   Many of the file printed have large dark fonts and colored graphics.l   Since printing is a free service, many employees take advantage of this feature by printing in bulk to save money on their part.Effects of Excessive Use of Common PrinterBecause of the misuse of the common printer, the following are the consequences:l   Wastage of office paper.l   Rapid decrease of ink levels of printer cartridges.l   Frequent occurrence of paper jam and printer jam due to the bulk of printer jobs that can interfere in the work flow in the workplace.l   Additional cost for the budget of supplies.l   Cluttered printer area that negatively affects the ergonomics of the workplace.Recommendations to Stop the Excessive Use of Common PrinterThe following are suggested to lessen and even eliminate the excessive use of common printer:l   Print only materials needed for work.l   Printing of personal files should be banned.l   When printing, make sure that the a paper should be maximized. The length, font size and quality of printing should always be taken in consideration when printing to prevent the excessive use of paper.l   Scrap pa pers should be recycled.l   There should be a central monitoring station that will regulate the printing in the whole office to prevent abuse.