Texas Retirement System (TRS) Essay Example for Free

Texas Retirement System (TRS) Essay You have been recruited to consult for the Texas Retirement System (TRS). TRS is looking at alternative investment opportunities. They see John Bogle’s (founder of Vanguard) mantra of simply investing in index funds as particularly compelling. Yet, Miller’s historical record at Value Trust has been outstanding, and several trustees are in favor of investing with him. Your task to provide a recommendation to the trustees as to whether or not they should invest with Miller and Value Trust. Again, the case questions are here to simply guide your analysis. You are preparing a professional report for the TRS trustees, and it should be structured accordingly. Also, don’t spend a lot of time repeating the facts of the case itself, but certainly use the exhibits to support your assessments. 1. How well has Value Trust performed in recent years? In making that assessment, what benchmark(s) are you using? How do you measure investment performance? What does good performance mean to you? 2. What might explain the fund’s performance? To what extent do you believe an investment strategy, such as Miller’s, explains performance? 3. How easy will it be to sustain Miller’s historical performance record into the future? What factors support your conclusion? 4. Consider the mutual fund industry. What roles do portfolio managers play? What are the differences between fundamental and technical securities analysis? How well do mutual funds generally perform relative to the overall market? 5. What is capital-market efficiency? What are its implications for investment performance in general? What are the implications for fund managers, if the market exhibits characteristics of strong, semi-strong, or weak efficiency? 6. As of 2005, would you recommend investing in Miller’s Value Trust? What beliefs about the equity markets does your answer reflect?

Project management within organisations

Project management within organisations Executive Summary This report is focussing on the critical evaluation of two major aspect of project management process; stakeholder management and risk management. In depth analysis of tools and techniques of both the aspects has been done. Along with power/interest matrix, communication plan for stakeholder management and risk identification, risk analysis, risk mitigation and control and documentation have been illustrated as different steps of risk management, with appropriate frameworks and diagrams. The importance of these aspects has been reflected with the literature support and examples of both successful and unsuccessful case-studies have been used, from both academic source and personal experience. Introduction Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) defines project as A temporary endeavour or undertaken to create a unique product or service, temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and definite end (Project Management Institute, 1996: cited in Project Management Journal, 2003). In the same context other authors point out that projects are non-routine processes and involve the coordination of interrelated activities (Rad, 2003). PMBOK, 1996 defines project management as The application of knowledge skills, tools and techniques to provide activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. Projects are now the most popular way to get things done and projects themselves are now often co-ordinate thorough programmes. Maylor, 2005 states that to have a successful project, manager needs to be good at planning and managing projects with sufficient knowledge and experience, especially in the kind projects and about the tools and techniques to project activities. Project management helps companies in attaining targets based on vision and strategy (Thurston, 2009). There are no magical instructions for a successful project however good project planning during the initial phase, can impinge positively on cost, time and quality areas of any project. This report has been written to critically evaluate the two aspects i.e. Stakeholder management and Risk management as an important aspect of overall project management process, with the support of literature and case-studies are provided as an example. Literature Review Stakeholder management Maylor, 2005 states that stakeholder management is 1 of the s out of 7s framework of project management and management related issues were later promoted by Mckinsey Co., Management consultants. Stakeholder management is one of the major aspect of project management and Freeman (1984) describes the concept of stakeholders as any group or individual who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of a corporations purpose however it has been criticised by Phillips, 2003; Sternberg, 1997; and Mitchell et al., 1997, that if everyone is a stakeholder of everyone else then there is little value-added in the use of the stakeholder concept. The other school of thought identify stakeholders through the potential harms and benefits that they experience or anticipate experiencing as a result of the organizations actions or inactions (Donaldson and Preston, 1995). Figure 1 shows that projects generally have a range of stakeholders with strategic expectations and operational requirements. St akeholders can be either internal or external. Internal stakeholder can be defined as project owners in the sense they have overall managerial responsibility and power usually linked to a financial stake and organisation teams or individuals who have a contractual relationship with the project owner (Chapman, 2008)-ref. needed for example- Top-management, Accountant, other functional managers, project team members whereas external shareholders are who may be positive or negative about a project, who may seek to influence the project through political lobbying, regulation, campaigning or direct action (Ward, 2008)-ref.needed, like clients, competitors, suppliers, consumer. Stakeholders can be internal and external to the project scope or it can be external and internal to the project team, therefore their determination depends on the point of view of the observer. Johnson and Scholes (1999) state that it is not enough simply to identify stakeholders however managers need to assess each stakeholders interest to express its expectations on project decisions and if there is the power to follow it through. Although there are various perspectives of stakeholder theory (e.g., social science stakeholder theory, instrumental stakeholder theory), one common perspective is their perception that they have stake in an entity or task. As a result, they have certain expectations, and consequently, engage in certain types of behaviour, sometimes constructive, explained later in the case study of green-belt project in Genpact and sometimes destructive, explained later in the case-study of new airport terminal at Jersey airport (Bourne Walker, 2006). Because of their perception, stakeholders behave in ways in which they feel, will help them achieve their project objectives, which may be congruent or incongruent with the project managers project mission, vision, and objectives. Frequent conflicts between stakeholders revolve around long term versus short-term objectives, cost efficiency versus jobs, quality versus quantity, and control versus independence (Newcombe, 2003). Therefore, it is incumbent upon the project manager to understand the objectives of each project stakeholder in order to effectively manage his or her needs and desires. According to Jergeas et al. (2000) and Cleland (1986), important key to project success is an efficient management of the relationship between the project and its stakeholders. In order to achieve a successful project outcome, the project manager must be expert at managing the interests of multiple stakeholders throughout the entire project management process (Sutterfield et al, 2006). Jergeas e t al (2000) argued that some stakeholders have power because they control information and resources, while other stakeholders are important because they decide whether the project result is a success or not. Power/interest matrix Firstly, it is important to identify the space between the current and future expectation of the shareholder as well as to study the qualitative relationship they share. Secondly, because of difference goals and interests, stakeholders face difiiculty in reaching to an agreement on deliverables as a result it leads to a conflict between them. Antonioni, 2009 suggests that project manager may tend to avoid or accommodate, instead of engaging in collaborative problem solving to attain winning outcomes. The formation of stakeholders is often triggered off with specific events. Therefore, if faced with different possible future events, it is helpful to speculate on the degree of unity or diversity between the various groups. During strategic analysis, the process of uncovering potential alliances or rifts may be significant when thinking about future strategic choices (Miller Wilson, 1998). Lastly, failure to establish and manage the communication process with stakeholders can lead to a lack of support from stakeholders, disapproval of the deliverables and dissatisfaction working with project manager (Antonioni, 2009) and for this reason communication plan holds importance in project management. Communication Plan Effective communication is very important in any project and every project should include communications management planning. Communication plan is a document which gives guidance to the project team to communicate with the stakeholders, at a right time, and to timely inform them, though it varies according to the needs of the project. Therefore Schwalbe (2006) suggests that Stakeholder communication plan should include Information to be communicated with the format of who will receive the information and who will produce it, Suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information, Frequency of communication, Escalation procedures for resolving issues, Revision procedures for updating the communications management plan. It will help in avoiding wastage of time and money or even from disseminating unnecessary information. Figure 3 is an example of a stakeholder communication analysis: Case-study comparison as successful and unsuccessful: There is an example, Fig. 4, which reveals that how an efficient management can leads to an accomplishment of project-targets. In this project the stakeholders identified as controllers, allocations, treasury department, client and Genpact, wherein the key recognized problems were to reduce the delay in hand-off of un-reconciled items to controllers which are impacting the performance of other related departments, reduced frequency of reconciliation preparation leading to un-processed items, affecting the financials of the company. In lieu to carry on the project, the business goal and challenge has been set-out by keeping in mind the interests and objectives of all stakeholders mentioned above. The improvement actions suggested providing benefit not to one but to all the departments so that the projects outcome could be successful, without having conflicts. Due to effective management of stakeholders vested interests and objectives, the projects outcome was delightful and figure 5 shows customers feedback to the Genpact and to the related stakeholders. On the other hand, the case-study of construction of a new airport terminal building at Jersey Airport illustrates as to what can happen when project managers do not adhere to the fundamental principles of stakeholder management, adapted from article in Financial Times (1996, cited in Maylor, 2005). The main concern is the completion of the project in stipulated time-frame, i.e. in spring to cater to the in-flux of tourist in summer, though the target was achieved however suffered a negative publicity when financial times reminded potential visitors to Jersey that .they can easily go by boat. Customers, external stakeholders, will need to know that their requirements have been considered carefully and sufficient steps have been taken to fulfil them. Complaints by air-traffic controllers (ATC) that they were being dazzled by sunlight reflected on the roof of the new terminal building and CEO replied that at-least this will not happen in winter, another complaint by the ATC, stakeholde r, is that the new building is affecting the accuracy of wind speed indicator and they were advising pilots to use their own judgement regarding the wind-speed and furthermore the new building has obscured the view of parts of the taxiway to the ATCs clearly reflects that How can the mismanagement of the stakeholders interests and objectives can hamper a project. Risk Management- Project risk management, as one of the key disciplines of project management, is defined as the systematic process of identifying, analysing and responding to risk as project-related events, or managerial behaviour, that is not definitely known in advance, but that has potential for adverse consequences on a project objective (Project Management Institute, 2004 cited in Kutsch and Hall, 2009). Ben-David and Raz, 2001 states that regardless of number and definition of stages, project risk management processes have one element in common: an activity that deals with planning actions that will be implemented in order to reduce the exposure to risk. Reiss, 1995 has created an argument by citing examples as a survey of IT management consultancies which showed that only 30% applied any form of risk analysis and yet 90% of projects went over budget and 98% had changed specifications, usually to a lower spec however in December 1992, Computer weekly reveals that as a result of abandoning or r eplacing projects up-to 50 UK companies recently lost as much as $1 billion between them. Risk management includes identification of risks, assessment of risks either qualitatively or quantitatively, choosing an appropriate method for handling it and last but not the least is monitoring and documenting the risks. The requirement of an effective risk management is that a manager needs to be proactive and demonstrates a willingness to develop contingency plans, actively monitor the project and be willing to respond in a quicker manner in an event of risk occurrence. Time and money are essentially required for effective risk management to take place (Kerzner, 2003). Risk Management has 4 stages as Risk Identification Analysis of profitability and consequences Risk mitigation strategies Control and documentation Risk-Identification and techniques- Uncovering weaknesses in methods used in product development through structured approach so that timely mitigation actions are initiated to avoid risk, transfer risk, reduce risk likelihood or reduce risk impact refers by risk management process (Risk Management Standard AS/NZS 4360, 1999). Figure 6 shows the risk management process proposed by the Australian Standard for Risk Management. It is composed of seven iterative sub-processes of establishing the context of risk, identifying risks, analysing risks, evaluating risks, communication and consultation across stakeholders and monitoring and controlling risk events. Study a situation to identify what could go wrong in the product design and development project at any given point of time during the project is risk identification. Identification of risk and potential consequences sources to be done, before they can be acted upon to mitigate (Ahmed at al, 2007). Risk identification helps managers in identifying different types of risk s such as financial, technical, commercial, execution and legal risks and it can be identified with the help of different tools, such as- Checklists- An insignificant method, where crucial points are examined for symptoms of potential risk situation (Ahmed et al, 2007), usually evolve over time through collective experiences and contributions from various functional experts (Ward, 1999) Influence diagrams Before the risk situations eventuate, their effects can be described through visual display (Clemen, 1996). Cause-and-effect diagrams Also known as fish-bone diagram which means the breaking up of the root causes of any problem into detailed sources (Russell and Taylor, 2000). These are easy to use however they do not provide a foundation for further analysis. Failure Mode and Effect analysis (FMEA) and Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP)- In a technical system, FMEA provides a format for determining causes, effects and relationships wherein a scale of 0 to 10 is used to rate the causes (Kumamoto and Henley, 1996). It is calculated by multiplying the severity, occurrence and detection. An extension of FMEA, HAZOP can be applied by considering project parameters such as strategy, budget and schedule to identify risk situations (Ahmed et al, 2007). Fault trees and Event trees- A visual technique used for breaking down failure in the system into source events is performed by fault tree analysis where as graphical representation is of potential consequences arising from a failure where possible consequences are generated and broken down from an initial event (Kumamoto and Henley, 1996). Risk Analysis and techniques- After the identification of risk events, if their further analysis is required then project manager needs to be determined whether the risk event information can be acquired through quantitative or qualitative means. There are two parameters to measure risk- risk probability and risk consequence (Chapman and Ward, 1997). The function of risk analysis is to determine influence of risk factors on the system as a whole. One or more aspects of the project are cumulatively affected by the risk events and if the risk events are bunched together they can be mitigated easily. The bunched risk events can be dealt at the higher level in the long run rather than handling one particular risk event at a time, where the project is likely to be micro-managed. Because the techniques which have been mentioned earlier, applied for project analysis, can also be applied for risk analysis such as- Fault tree analysis, Event tree analysis and Estimation of system reliability and sensitivity analysis and s imulation. Estimation of system reliability It includes the analysis of smooth functioning of a technical system. Hence, cumulative effects on the critical components of the project are determined as the system reliability. Fault tree and Event tree analysis- It analysis the flow of risk from top-level to the low-levels as mentioned earlier. Event tree analysis states The probability of occurrence of a particular outcome is determined as a product of all probabilities of occurrence in the associated branch (Ahmed et al, 2007). Sensitivity analysis and simulation A baseline for the project metrics is generated as a precursor to a what-if analysis and then project conditions are manipulated to determine their effect on the project metrics. This leads to an understanding of the system response to changing project situations. Simulation is used as an extension to the sensitivity analysis (Berny and Townsend, 1993). In simulation, a system model is constructed to reflect actual processes with project parameters and constraints. Then, the values for the risk parameters and constrains are randomly selected in a predefined range (Ahmed et al, 2007). Its a flexible technique which requires a statistical analysis of a problem. Risk Mitigation When risk events eventuate, the risk mitigation actions are initiated and which can be seen as initiation of contingency plans, this process is known as a reactive approach or a feedback approach however a proactive approach or a feed forward approach is the process when any occurring risk event results in initiation of actions such as insurance. A combination of these two approaches is applied to risk management to avoid risk, reduce the likelihood of risk, reduce the impact of risk, transfer risk, or to retain the risk (Kartam, 2001). A project manager should draw a risk mitigation framework, as shown in figure 7, to establish a risk structure that will facilitate the subsequent functions in the risk management process. Case-study comparison as successful and unsuccessful: A project has been carried out at Genpact to carry out a smooth global disbursement process, which is responsible to make payments through electronic wires, within treasury department wherein few risks have been identified by the project manager. Being a mission critical process, because of involvement of payments with figures in millions, considerable attention is required to the pertaining risks as time limit, cost and error free process. The key areas of focus were the correct amount, to the correct banking details, to the correct payee and at the right time. A framework has been prepared, once the risks have been identified and the cost-benefit analysis has been carried out with the estimation of system reliability. Because RPN(risk priority number) of control checks in the FMEA was the maximum therefore all the control checks were aligned to the validation checks stage, as shown in figure-8, like valid requestor and valid approver as per the Genpact approved list, double check o f bank-details by approver with the details appearing in the database as well as request, booking must be reflecting outstanding against the beneficiaries name in the sub-system and payment platform is checked for duplicate payment. Because the due consideration has been given to the risk-management aspect of project management process as a whole, in particular, the project came out with magnificent results and is one of the best six-sigma projects of Genpact (Genpact-Finance overview, 2008). On the contrary, a product of an IT firm, while in the development phase went through the identification phase and came out with 152 possible risk events. Out of which most of the products features are not in accordance to the customer specifications/likings as a matter of fact that the steps in risk management process, like analysis of probability and consequences, quantitative measures, risk mitigation framework and control and documentation has not been followed. This would have been highly productive if the risk management tools and techniques would have been followed. Unfortunately the team left the hotel after brainstorming over the same without achieving it and 80% of their risk events actually occurred, during the next 2 years. As the team has only identified the risks however has not followed the risk management process as a whole as a result it was so disastrous that it almost finished the company (Maylor, 2005). Conclusion There is no magic wand to achieve success however References Ahmed, A., Kayis, B., and Amornsawadwatana, S., 2007, A review of techniques for risk management in projects: An international Journal, 14(1), pp. 22-36. Ben-David, I., and Raz, T., 2001. An integrated approach for risk response development in project planning: Journal of the Operational Research Society, 52, 14-25. Berny, J., and Townsend, P., R., F., 1993, Macrosimulation of project risks a practical way forward: Risk Management, (11)4, pp. 201-208. Bourne, L., and Walker, D.H.T., 2005. Visualising and mapping stakeholder influence: Management Decision, 43(5), pp. 649-660. Clemen, R., T., 1996, Making Hard Decisions: An Introduction to Decision Analysis, New York, Druxbury Press. Henley, E.J. and Kumamoto, H., 1991, Probabilistic Risk Assessment: Reliability Engineering, Design and Analysis, New York, IEEE Press. Jergeas, G., F., Williamson E., Skulmoski G., J., and Janice T., 2000. Stakeholder Management on Construction Projects: AACE International Transaction, pp. P12.1-P12.6 Karlsen, T., J., 2002. Project Stakeholder Management: Engineering Management Journal, 14(4), pp. 20. Kartam, N., A., and Kartam, S., A., 2001. Risk and its management in the Kuwaiti construction industry contractors perspective: International Journal of Project Management, (19) 6, pp. 325-335. Kerzner, H., 2003, Project management, 8th edition, Canada, John Wiley Sons. Kutsch, E., and Hall, M., 2009.Deliberate ignorance in project risk management: International Journal of project management, 28, pp. 245-255. Maylor, H., 2005, Project Management, 3rd edition, Essex, Pearson education Limited. Newcombe, R., 2003, From client to project stakeholders: a stakeholder mapping approach: Construction Management and Economics, 21(8), pp. 841-848. Olander, S., and Landin, A., 2005, Evaluation of stakeholder influence in the implementation of construction projects: International Journal of Project Management, 23(4), 321-328. Olander, S., 2006. Stakeholder impact analysis in construction project management: Construction Management and Economics, 25, pp. 277-287. Rad, F., P., 2003. The Professional research Journal of the Project Management Institute: Project Management Journal, 34(3), pp. 1-7. Schwalbe, K., 2006, Information Technology Project Management, 4th edition, Massachusetts, Thomson course technology. Thurston, L., 2009. Project management vital in todays business environment: Caribbean Business, 37(17), pp 52-52. Ward, S., C., 1999. Assessing and managing important risks: International Journal of Project Management, 17(6), pp. 331-336.

Thermosyphons :: physics

Tasked with the quest to economically and efficiently extend civilization into the Northern regions, the construction industry has been hindered by the presence of perennially frozen ground. The thermosyphon is a device that facilitates the harmonious union of structure and ice. This paper will serve as a tutorial on thermosyphons, and present an exploration into the physical concepts that allow their operation. The physical concepts and phenomenon that enable the operation of thermosyphons can at times be complex-but don’t be scared. This tutorial will start with the most rudimentary explanation of thermosyphons, and proceed from there to deliver more in depth examinations in a step by step process. Let’s get right down to business. The steps in thermosyphon operation are: STEP 1-Heat flows into the thermosyphon, STEP 2-Heat flows through the thermosyphon tube, and STEP 3-Heat is released into the atmosphere. Simply stated, a thermosyphon is a device which moves heat from one place to another. There are different types of thermosyphons which are used for different applications, but for the purposes of this primer we will concentrate on thermosyphons used by the construction industry to stabilize frozen ground. For example, consider a road built over permafrost.. In this situation it is desirable to keep the ground from thawing, otherwise the road embankment will be destroyed. A thermosyphon â€Å"collects heat† from the frozen ground. This collected heat is brought to the top of the thermosyphon and the cooling fins, where it is released into the atmosphere. In this way, the ground remains frozen. Now, the thought of frozen soil warming the atmosphere may be hard to grasp. This brings us to an important point about the thermosyphon- they only work when the ambient air temperature is below the temperature of the soil (less than 31 degrees Farenheight). With this in mind, we can consider thermosyphons from a different perspective; a thermosyphon increases the exposure of sub-surface soil to freezing temperatures. Another thought, although not totally correct from a physical standpoint, is that the thermosyphon brings cold into the soil. Let’s examine the thermodynamic process by which a thermosyphon operates. This process is outlined below in a step by step chronology. Step 1-There is an accumulation of the working fluid in the bottom of the thermosyphon. The most important factor that governs the choice of a working fluid is that it must have an extremely low boiling point. Permafrost soil is typically at a temperature of 31F and consequently the fluid boiling point should be less than 31F.

whats in a name Essay -- essays research papers

My last name is everything to me. It sets me apart from most people in the world, and shows that I am part of a strong family. Also, my last name illustrates facts about my ancestors, where my family originated, and even what they have accomplished. If I proposed to the perfect girl and she said â€Å"yes,† but only if she could keep her last name; we would have to have a long chat about this decision.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I feel very strongly about the idea that my wife should have my last name, but I understand why some women prefer to keep their maiden names. First, some women choose to keep their last name because of their profession. These occupations can include politicians, writers, lawyers, doctors, etc. Women in any of these lines of work want to have the last name they star...

Medicine During the Elizabethan Era Essay -- Alchemy History Historica

Medicine During the Elizabethan Era The medicinal practices and problems of the Elizabethan Era were very important to the people, although they are very different from those of today. There were many different beliefs and diseases, like the Plague. Medicine was not an exact science and was related to Alchemy (Chemistry). Here, some of the many practices and beliefs of the Elizabethan Era will be discussed. One of the most widely known and important of the beliefs was the humours. It was believed that every living creature was composed of four elements, the humours. They were blood, phlegm, choler (or yellow bile), and melancholy (or black bile). It was believed that the overall total combination of these four elements determined the person’s characteristics. For example, a person with more blood than other humours was hot and wet in their nature, a person with more phlegm was cold and wet, a person with more choler was hot and dry, and a person with melancholy being the dominant humour was cold and dry. It was also believed that too much of a certain humour caused disease. That meant the removing or avoiding the dominant humour could cure any disease. Removal could be done by eating corresponding foods. For example, if a person was phlegmatic in nature, that meant that he was cold and wet, he could be cured if he ate hot and dry foods. Medicines like pepper, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, watercress, and mustard would be useful to such a person. A fever, which was believed to have been caused by excess blood, could have been cured in two ways. One way was to eat cold and dry food, and the other was to have excess blood sucked out by leeches. Another of the many popular beliefs was that every living thing put on Earth by god was for human use. He gave humans control over his creatures. All of them had certain roles, as food, medicine, etc. For example, cows were put on Earth to supply people with meat and milk, and wheat was there to supply bread. Everything on Earth was useful to humans. Medicine in the Elizabethan Era was associated with many sciences. One of these includes Astrology. It was believed that all living creatures were associated with the stars. It was possible to read a persons past, present and future by the positions of the stars and planets. Therefore, if you were to go to a physician, one of the first things he would ask you wa... ...help. They could go to any of those and get help and people used all of these choices, but the amount of money they could spend limited their choices, as some practitioners charged for their help. But if a person didn’t have a lot of money, he still had many choices available. Almost every community had at least one of each type of practitioner. Medicine was very important to Elizabethan England and was used widely. It played a major part in the life expectancy of people and was widely studied. It was one of the most important sciences of that era and still is today. Bibliography Ramsey, Lia. â€Å"Medical Beliefs and Practices.† Elizabethan England. Springfield Public School District. . McLean, Adam. â€Å"Articles.† The Alchemy Website. 1995. . Chamberlin, E.R. Everyday Life in Renaissance Times. London: B.T. Batsford LTD, 1967. Andrews, John F. William Shakespeare: His World, His Work, His Influence. Canada: Collier MacMillian, 1985. â€Å"Alchemy.† The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001–04. . Trimble, Russell, "Alchemy," in The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal edited by Gordon Stein (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1996), pp. 1-8.

Influence of Media on Society

Name: ____________________________________________ Adjectives An adjective is a word that describes a noun. example: The tall man went into the restaurant. The word tall is an adjective. It describes the noun, man. Directions: In each sentence, circle the adjective that describes the underlined noun. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Leroy and Jenna walked up to an old castle. Maddie put the golden key in the lock. Today is the fifth day of January. The baby birds flew from the nest. Joe's truck has a flat tire. Circle the adjective in each sentence. Underline the noun that it describes. Directions: . 7. 8. 9. 10. I am holding a marker in my left hand. Patricia played beautiful music on her guitar. Has anyone read Caitlyn's latest story? The sly fox outsmarted the chicken. Miguel ordered a large Coke. Super Teacher Worksheets http://www. superteacherworksheets. com Name: ____________________________________________ Adjectives – ANSWER KEY An adjective is a word that describes a noun. example: Th e tall man went into the restaurant. The word tall is an adjective. It describes the noun, man. Directions: In each sentence, circle the adjective that describes the underlined noun. . 2. 3. 4. 5. Leroy and Jenna walked up to an old castle. Maddie put the golden key in the lock. Today is the fifth day of January. The baby birds flew from the nest. Joe's truck has a flat tire. Circle the adjective in each sentence. Underline the noun that it describes. Directions: 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. I am holding a marker in my left Patricia played beautiful hand. music on her guitar. latest story? Has anyone read Caitlyn's The sly fox outsmarted the chicken. large Coke. http://www. superteacherworksheets. com Miguel ordered a Super Teacher Worksheets

Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care Essay

1.1 Define the following types of abuse: †¢Physical abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm. †¢Sexual abuse is the forcing of undesired sexual behaviour by one person upon another. †¢Emotional/psychological abuse may involve threats or actions to cause mental or physical harm; humiliation; isolation. †¢Financial abuse is the illegal or unauthorised use of a person’s property, money, pension book or other valuables. †¢Institutional abuse involves failure of an organisation to provide appropriate and professional individual services to vulnerable people. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour that amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness, stereotyping and rigid systems. †¢Self-neglect is a behavioural condition in which an individual neglects to attend to their basic needs, such as personal hygiene, appropriate clothing, feeding, or tending appropriately to any medical conditions they have. †¢Neglect is a passive form of abuse in which the perpetrator is responsible to provide care, for someone, who is unable to care for oneself, but fails to provide adequate care to meet their needs. Neglect may include failing to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, medical care or other needs. 1.2Identify the signs and/or symptoms associated with each type of abuse: †¢Physical abuse when you have Bruises, pressure marks, broken bones, abrasions, and burns may indicate physical abuse or neglect. †¢Sexual abuse can be bruises around the breasts or genital area, as well as unexplained bleeding around the genital area, pregnancy, STI’s may be signs of sexual abuse. †¢Emotional/psychological abuse can be unexplained withdrawal from normal activities, changes in behaviour and unusual depression may be indicators of emotional abuse. †¢Financial abuse can be no money, food, clothes. Large withdrawals of money from the bank account, sudden changes in a will, and the sudden disappearance of valuable items may be indications of financial exploitation. †¢Institutional abuse can include poor care standards; lack of positive responses to complex needs; rigid routines; inadequate staffing and an insufficient knowledge base within the service; lack of choice, individuality. †¢Self neglect can be bedsores, poor hygiene, unsanitary living conditions, and unattended medical needs may be signs of neglect. †¢Neglect by others can be failure to take necessary medicines, leaving a burning stove unattended, poor hygiene, confusion, unexplained weight loss, and dehydration may all be signs of self-neglect. 1.3 Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse: If an individual is not mobile, is confused, has dementia, or is aggressive or challenging then this can increase the risk of abuse as the carer might not know how to deal with this, get frustrated and might take it personally and abuse the individual. 2.1 Explain the actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused: If I suspected any kind of abuse I will record the facts on appropriate paperwork and let my manager know. 2.2 Explain the actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused: If an individual alleges that they are being abused, I will record the detail of all allegations that the individual tells me using the individual’s own words, I will not ask any questions or make any judgements about what I have been told. I will take the allegations seriously and reassure the individual that they are right to tell me as their safety is the most important. I will make sure that I record the date and time when the abuse was report it to the manager. 2.3 Identify ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved: †¢Record the facts immediately †¢Report immediately †¢Do not tamper with evidence 3.1 Identify national policies and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse: †¢National policies – Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the Vetting and Barring Scheme run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Criminal Records Bureau, Human Rights Act 1998. †¢Local Systems – Safeguarding Adults Boards, Safeguarding policies and procedures for vulnerable adults.’ 3.2 Explain the roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse: Safeguarding Adults Boards Role: The overall objective of the board is to enhance the quality of life of the vulnerable adults who are at risk of abuse and to progressively improve the services of those in need of protection The Police Role: Serving the community, respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons. CRC Role: We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find, including performance ratings to help people choose care. 3.3 Identify reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse: †¢October 2013: Police have arrested 7 care workers from the Veilstone Care Home in Bideford in Devon over alleged abuse of people with learning disabilities. †¢February 2011: Julie Hayden was designated safeguarding champion for the London Borough of Hounslow’s older people’s team at the time the thefts were reported, but failed to follow correct safeguarding procedures in either case. †¢August 2012: The serious case review into events at Winterbourne View, near Bristol, comes after 11 ex-staff members admitted offences against patients 3.4 Identify sources of information and advice about own role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse: You can obtain information from Care Quality Commission, Local authority Adult Services Department like Social Services and Independent Safeguarding Authority. Can get advice on own role from my manager, care workers and my company’s policies and procedures on safeguarding from the office. 4.1 Explain how the likelihood of abuse may be reduced by: Working with person centred values: Person-centred values include the individuality of the person, the rights of the individual, the individual’s choice, the individual’s privacy, the individual’s independence, the individual’s dignity and the individual being respected. Encouraging active participation: 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 a passive recipient. Promoting choice and rights: Individuals are supported to make their choices in anything they want like in choosing food or drink, in what to wear, whether to use hot or cold water to bathe. No individual will choose what will hurt him or her therefore abuse is reduced to the minimum. Individuals’ rights are promoted throughout the service. My service user has the right to do anything that they wish to do and if it is what they want as long as it is not dangerous; a risk assessment is then done to stop any abuse happening. 4.2 Explain the importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse: †¢The complaints procedure gives the complainant the right to be heard and supported to make their views known. An accessible complaints procedure is understandable and easy to use. It sets out clearly how to make a complaint, the steps that will be taken when the complaint is looked into. It also provides flexibility in relation to target response times. †¢An accessible complaints procedure resolves complaints more quickly as the complainant feels that they are being listened to and their complaint taken seriously. This sets up an open culture of making sure that abuse will not be tolerated in any form and encourages the complainant to not accept this. 5.1 Describe unsafe practices that may affect the wellbeing of individuals: †¢Unsanitary conditions can spread infection as cross-contamination can occur and can affect the well-being of the individual and others. †¢Dirty kitchen surfaces and equipment can spread infections. †¢Improper hand washing can also pose a risk. †¢Staff not recording in care plans about a service user’s wellbeing and health and not monitoring them. †¢Staff not checking when a service user is ill or unsteady on their feet. †¢In terms of health and safety not having risk assessments in place when a service user hurts themselves. †¢leaving a service user on the toilet too long, ignoring or not listening to them. 5.2 Explain the actions to take if unsafe practices have been identified: If I identify unsafe practices, I must follow the whistle-blowing procedure and immediately report to my manager or if it involves my manager then to another appropriate person. 5.3 Describe the action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response: †¢If suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response or if it has to do with my manager then I will report to the next level or manager. †¢If it has to do with my manager then I will report to management,  then to the social worker and safeguarding team and to the care quality commission and even to the police depending on the response I get. Principles of communication in adult social care settings. 1.1 Identify different reasons why people communicate? †¢expressing and sharing ideas, feelings, needs, wishes and preferences †¢obtaining and receiving information †¢getting to know each other 1.2 Explain how effective communication effects all aspects of working in adult social care settings? †¢service provision †¢teamwork †¢participation, support and trust †¢empathy and shared understanding †¢recording and reporting 1.3 Explain why it is important to observe an individual’s reactions when communicating with them †¢to understand what an individual is trying to express †¢to meet the individual’s needs †¢to identify any changes in an individual’s needs †¢to enable effective communication 2.1 Explain why it is important to find out an individual’s communication and language needs, wishes and preferences An individual is someone requiring care or support Preferences may be based on: †¢beliefs †¢values †¢culture Importance of finding out an individual’s needs, wishes and preferences may include: to enable effective communication †¢to understand what an individual is trying to express †¢to understand an individuals’ needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢to avoid the individual feeling excluded †¢to avoid the individual becoming distressed, frustrated or frightened †¢to support the individual to be fully involved in their daily life 2.2 Describe a range of communication methods Communication methods include: Non-verbal communication: †¢written words †¢facial expressions †¢eye contact †¢touch †¢physical gestures †¢body language †¢behaviour †¢gestures †¢visual aids e.g. flash cards, pictures, symbols Verbal communication: †¢vocabulary †¢linguistic tone †¢pitch 3.1 Identify barriers to communication Barriers may include: †¢not understanding or being aware of an individual’s needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢not making communication aids available or checking they are working †¢a noisy environment †¢an uncomfortable environment e.g. lighting, temperature †¢a lack of privacy †¢different language, use of jargon 3.2 Describe ways to reduce barriers to communication Ways to reduce barriers may include: †¢understanding and being aware of an individual’s needs, wishes, beliefs, values and culture †¢supporting individuals to communicate their needs †¢avoiding using jargon in written documents and when speaking †¢speaking slowly and clearly †¢ensuring communication aids are available and working properly †¢showing you are listening and interested †¢providing a quiet and private environment †¢making sure the environment is comfortable 3.3 Describe ways to check that communication has been understood Ways to check may include: †¢observing the person you are communicating with †¢Ã¢â‚¬Ëœreading’ facial expressions and body language †¢checking with the individual that they have understood †¢asking questions, re-phrasing †¢consulting others 3.4 Identify sources of information and support or services to enable more effective communication Sources of information and support may include: †¢individual’s care plan †¢individual’s communication profile †¢individual’s communication passport †¢individual themselves †¢colleagues †¢key worker †¢translator †¢interpreter †¢speech and language therapist †¢advocate †¢family or carers Services may include: †¢translation services †¢interpreting services †¢speech and language services †¢advocacy services 4.1 Define the term â€Å"confidentiality† Meaning of confidentiality may include: †¢keeping information private and safe †¢passing on private information with the individual’s permission †¢only passing on information to others who have a right to it and need to know it 4.2 Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication Ways of maintaining confidentiality may include: †¢keeping written records safe †¢not leaving written records in places where others might see †¢ensuring confidential information is passed on only to others who have a right to it and who need to know it †¢password protecting electronic files †¢checking the identity of the person before passing on information †¢not discussing personal information about individuals outside of work †¢providing a private environment 4.3 Describe situations where information normally considered to be confidential might need to be shared with agreed others Situations may include: †¢when working with others †¢when a criminal act has taken place †¢when an individual or another person is at risk of danger, harm or abuse †¢when an individual or another person is being placed in danger, harmed or abused Agreed others may include: †¢colleagues †¢social worker †¢occupational therapist †¢GP †¢speech and language therapist †¢physiotherapist †¢pharmacist †¢nurse †¢specialist nurse †¢psychologist †¢psychiatrist †¢advocate †¢dementia care advisor †¢family or carers 4.4 Explain how and when to seek advice about confidentiality How to seek advice may include : †¢the organisation’s confidentiality policy †¢speaking with the manager When to seek advice may include when: †¢confidential information needs to be shared with agreed others †¢clarification is needed