Communication and Professional Relationships with Children and Young Adults

Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Introduction This unit provides the knowledge that forms the basis of effective communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults. Learners will find out how to adapt their communication to suit the age or developmental stage of the person they are interacting with. The unit also covers the legislation, policies and procedures concerned with confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information. Learning outcomesAfter completing this unit, learners should: 1 2 3 4 know how to interact with and respond to children and young people know how to interact with and respond to adults know how to communicate with children, young people and adults know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection. This unit has links to the following national occupational standards. STL4 Contribute to pos itive relationships SWiS 2. 2 Explore school values, policies, roles and responsibilities CCLD 201 Contribute to positive relationshipsAdditional guidance for delivery For all sessions, it will be useful if the learners have access to school policy covering confidentiality and the grievance procedure. For session 1, you may like ask learners to research into relationships within the workplace. For session 2, you can facilitate a whole-class discussion in which learners identify someone whom they think is a good role model and give reasons for their choice. For session 3, learners can carry out some research on the Internet about communication and how to deal with conflict.They may find the websites listed helpful for this task. For session 4, you can ask a college employee to come in to discuss with the learners how their personal information is stored within the organisation and how this adheres to current legislation. Further resources Burnham, L. and Baker, B. (2010) Level 2 Cert ificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools Candidate Handbook, Oxford: Heinemann www. talkingpoint. org. uk – Website of the charity Talking Point, which contains a wealth of information on children’s communication. ww. transformingconflict. org – A useful website from the Transforming Conflict organisation, which offers advice and training on how to deal with conflict. Continued overleaf 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools TDA 2. 3 Introduction continued Answers to activitiesA1 Interacting with young people and children to establish relationships Task 1 Words should appear in the following order: 1 4 trust positive 2 5 relationship high expectations 3 6 honest communicate A3 Interactions with adults How to establish professio nal relationships with adults By approaching and responding politely Be committed to cooperative working By considering the views of others Why adult relationships are important as role models for children and young people To demonstrate positive relationships To demonstrate mutual respect To model effective communicationA4 Communication Age range Younger than 2 years 2–3 years 3–4 years 4–8 years 8–16 years Adults How communication differs Vocabulary is limited. Communicating mainly through body language and by reading facial expressions. Starting to copy adults, learning more words and gaining confidence. Starting to string words together and may be using questions. Using language to build relationships. Developing reading and writing skills. Developing discussion and negotiation skills. More confident and using more complex language. Can communicate using complex language.Able to use verbal and non-verbal communication. A5 Adapting communication Task 1 Different ideas – People may interpret things differently and have a different concept of what everyone should be doing Poor communication – Not passing on information and failing to agree as a team can cause problems within school Different personalities – Everyone is different and sometimes, despite the best efforts, certain individuals just cannot get along A6 Legislation Data Protection Act (1998) – Legislation that ensures pupils’ personal information is locked away or password-protected if stored on computers.Confidentiality – Safeguarding all pupil information and ensuring that the people you are sharing information with are authorised to receive it. Disclosing information – When information has to be shared with outside agencies, for example, when neglect or abuse is suspected. A7 Sharing information Words should appear in the following order: 1 5 confidential special 2 6 authorised shared 3 7 personal staff 4 medical 2  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Overview of resources continued Overview of resources: TDA 2. Link to Functional Skills Link to textbook Resources Delivery notes 1 Know how to interact with and respond to children and young people English: Speaking, listening and communication A1 Interacting with children and young people to establish relationships Task 1 of this activity asks learners to discuss how they establish relationships with children and young people in their work setting; they then complete a fill-the-gaps exercise. Task 2 asks learners to answer two questions about disagreements and adapting communication depending on the situation. A2 Own behaviourThis activity requires learners to complete two spider diagrams by giving examples of how their own behaviour can promote interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them. 2 Know how to interact with and respond to adults A3 Interacti ons with adults In this activity, learners are asked to consider how they establish professional relationships with other adults and why these relationships are important as role models for children and young people. They then summarise their thoughts by completing a table, using a list of provided statements. Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults A4 Communication This activity asks learners to consider how different age groups communicate. They are required to complete a table by selecting statements from a provided list. ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information English: Speaking, listening and communication TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. A5Adapting communication Task 1 of this activity requires learners to matc h different communication difficulties with the correct descriptions. In Task 2, learners are asked to consider two scenarios about disagreements and explain how they will deal with them. 4 Know about current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection A6 Legislation This linking lines activity asks learners to match legislation, policies and procedures with the correct descriptions. 1 Continued overleaf Overview of resources continued Resources English: Writing Delivery notesLink to Functional Skills Link to textbook A7 Sharing Information Task 1 of this activity is a fill-the-gaps exercise about the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information. For Task 2, learners discuss in groups the types of situation when confidentiality protocol must be breached; they must then write down two examples of such situations. Electronic resources PowerPoint P1 Maintaining rel ationships The PowerPoint presentation for this unit looks at how to communicate effectively with different age groups and the importance of confidentiality, including data protection.It is best used by looking at the relevant slides in each session of the scheme of work, but can be worked through in its entirety at the end of session 4 for learners to reflect on their learning. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Knowledge check Interactive quiz covering learning from TDA 2. 3 for revision purposes, designed to be completed individually by learners (e. g. via a VLE) or as a group in a group session. Continued overleaf Scheme of work continued Scheme of work: TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Activiti es and resources You may like to begin this session with a discussion about how to interact with children and young people. Then split the group into smaller groups to complete Activity A1. PowerPoint P1 slides 2, 3 and 4 support this session. This can lead to small-group work in which learners discuss, compare and complete Activity A2 on how their own behaviour promotes effective interactions or negatively impacts children and young people. Session numberLearning outcomes/Assessment criteria Functional Skills English: Speaking, listening and communication 1 Learners will know how to interact with and respond to children and young people. They will know how to establish respectful, professional relationships with children and young people and will be able to describe, with examples, how to behave appropriately for a child or young person’s stage of development. Learners will also be able to describe how to deal with disagreements between children and young people and how thei r own behaviour can promote effective interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them. 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3, 1. 4) You may like to have a class discussion about establishing positive relationships with adults and why these are important for children and young people to witness. PowerPoint P1 slides 5 and 6 support this session, as does Activity A3. 2 Learners will know how to interact with and respond to adults. They will be able to describe how to establish respectful, professional relationships with adults and the importance of these relationships as role models for children and young people. (2. 1, 2. ) You may like to begin this session by looking again at PowerPoint P1 slide 2 and instigating a discussion about adapting communication to suit a person’s stage of development. You may then like to follow this with Activity A4. You can consolidate the activity sheet by pairing learners and giving each pair a different age range and then encouraging the m to communicate in a way more suited to that age. For Activity A5, learners can work independently and research or use reflection to complete the tasks. PowerPoint P1 slide 7 supports this activity.See the Further resources section for suggested websites to help learners with their research for this session. ICT, Developing, presenting and communicating information English: Speaking, listening and communication TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. 3 Learners will know how to communicate with children, young people and adults.They will be able to describe how communication with children and young people differs across different age ranges and stages of development, as well as the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with childre n and young people. Learners will be able to identify examples of communication difficulties that may exist and describe how to adapt communication to meet different needs. They will also be able to describe how to deal with disagreements between the practitioner and children and young people, or between the practitioner and other adults. (3. 1, 3. 2, 3. 3, 3. 4, 3. 5) 1 Continued overleafScheme of work continued Session number Activities and resources You may like to begin this session with a discussion or research opportunity looking at the legislation that covers confidentiality and data protection. Activity A6 and PowerPoint P1 slide 8 will support this. For Activity A7, ask the learners to work in small groups to discuss and consider the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults of the limits of confidentiality. If there is an opportunity near the end of the session, go through the whole of PowerPoint P1, giving learners time to consider and answer the reflecti ve questions on the last slide.As a group, or on an individual basis, ask the learners to complete the Interactive Knowledge Check to finish the unit. English: Writing Learning outcomes/Assessment criteria Functional Skills 4 Learners will know about and be able to identify current legislation, policies and procedures for confidentiality and sharing information, including data protection. They will be able to describe the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults about the confidentially of shared information and the limits of this.They will also know the kinds of situations when confidentiality protocols must be breached. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching & Learning in Schools  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. (4. 1, 4. 2, 4. 3) 2 Continued overleaf Unit 2. 3 Communication and professional rela tionships with children, young people and adults AC: 1. 1, 1. 2, 1. 3 FS: English: Speaking, Listening and communication 2. A1: Interacting with children and young people to establish relationships Task 1 In small groups, discuss how you establish respectful and professional relationships with children and young people. Then, fill in the gaps in the following paragraph using the words from the box below. When working with children or young people, it is important to earn their to enable a positive Hold to develop. This can usually be done by and fair at all times. values and attitudes, and ensure that you have ensuring that your behaviour is professional, of the pupils that you support.Adapt the way in which you to suit the age or stage of development that a pupil is currently at. communicate high expectations positive relationship honest trust Task 2 In groups, consider the following questions and write your answers in the spaces below. 1 How do you deal with disagreements between children and young people? Include an example from your work setting when you have had to this (please do not include any names of pupils or the school). 2 How would you have adapted the way that you behaved in the above situation if the child or young person was in reception class or in Year 6?Functional Skills English: Reading – You could use the text book to help you find the information you need to match the expected stage of development to the reason why the child may not have reached it. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 1. 4 2. 3 A2: Own behaviour In small groups, discuss how your own behaviour can promote effective interactions with children and young people or impact negatively upon them.Write your answers on the spider diagrams below. Showing an open, friendly approach How your own behaviour can pr omote interactions Upsetting people with your body language How your own behaviour can impact negatively upon interactions 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 2. 1, 2. 2 2. 3 A3: Interactions with adults Consider how you establish professional relationships with other adults.Think about why these adult relationships are important as role models for children and young people. Complete the table below using the statements in the boxes. How to establish professional relationships with adults How positive relationships with other adults can provide important role models for children and young people Demonstrate positive relationships Demonstrate mutual respect Be committed to cooperative working Consider the views of others Approach and respond politely Model effective communication 1  © The TA College 2010 under licen ce to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 3. 1, 3. 2 2. 3 A4: Communication FS: ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information The way that we communicate will differ depending on the age of the person we are communicating with. Complete the table below, using the statements in the boxes, to show how communication differs across age ranges. Age range Younger than 2 years How communication differs 2–3 years 3–4 years 4–8 years 8–16 years Adults Developing discussion and negotiation skills. More confident and using more complex language. Vocabulary is limited.Communicating mainly through body language and by reading facial expressions. Starting to string words together and may be using questions. Can communicate using complex language. Able to use verbal and nonverbal vommunication. Using language to build relationships. Deve loping reading and writing skills. Starting to copy adults, learning more words and gaining confidence. Functional Skills English: Speaking, listening and communication – You could complete this activity in pairs verbally in the form of an interview. Take it in turns to play the role of the interviewer and then the person being interviewed.This is a good way of developing your speaking, listening and communication skills. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 3. 3, 3. 4, 3. 5 2. 3 A5: Adapting communication FS: English: Speaking, listening and communication Occasionally, communication difficulties can occur. In such situations, it is important to continue to behave in a respectful and professional manner. Draw a line to match each possible communication difficulty to the correct description.Everyone is different and sometimes, despite the best efforts, certain individuals just cannot get along. Not passing on information and failing to agree as a team can cause problems within school. People may interpret things differently and have a different concept of what everyone should be doing. Different ideas Poor communication Different personalities Task 2 Read the following scenarios and record your answers in the spaces below. Scenario A There is a disagreement between one of your colleagues and a pupil and the situation is getting worse. What will you do and how will you adapt the way you communicate with them?Scenario B There is a disagreement between two of your colleagues and the situation is getting worse. What will you do? Functional Skills ICT: Developing, presenting and communicating information – You could complete this table on the computer. Add an extra column on the right with the heading ‘How I would support these transitions’ and write how you would support a child with these transitions. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 4. 2. 3 A6: Legislation It is important to know the legislation, policies and procedures that cover data protection, confidentiality and the sharing of information. Draw a line to match each legislation or school procedure to the correct description. Safeguarding all pupil information and ensuring that the people you are sharing information with are authorised to receive it Data Protection Act (1998) Confidentiality Legislation that ensures pupils’ personal information is locked away or password-protected if stored on computers Disclosing informationWhen information has to be shared with outside agencies, for example, when neglect or abuse is suspected 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopyi ng permitted. TDA 2. 3 Communication and professional relationships with children, young people and adults AC: 4. 2, 4. 3 2. 3 A7: Sharing information Task 1 FS: English: Writing In small groups, discuss the importance of reassuring children, young people and adults that you will keep shared information confidential and the limits of this. Then fill in the gaps in the following paragraph using the words from the box below.As a learning support practitioner, you will come into regular contact with information. You may need to reassure parents and other adults that the information that you are confidential. Pupil records that hold their of birth, home address and to know will be kept information, date details are important for you to have access to in an emergency, but they must remain locked away otherwise. You may need to know other information about the pupil, such as their current assessment level or if they have any This information must remain confidential and can only be betwee n authorised authorised personal members. onfidential medical shared special staff educational needs. Task 2 As a group, consider situations when the rules about confidentiality must be broken. Write two examples of these situations in the spaces below. 1 2 Functional Skills English: Reading – You could develop your reading skills by using your textbook to select the relevant information you need to help you to answer these questions. 1  © The TA College 2010 under licence to Pearson Education Limited. Printing and photocopying permitted. Communication and Professional Relationships with Children and Young Adults Communication and professional relationships with children. Outcome 2: Know how to interact and respond to adults Outcome 3: Know how to communicate with children, young people and adults 2. 12. 23. 23. 33. 4| Whether at work, home, in education or in social environments, respectful relationships with other humans are at the heart of good communications. We all learn from example and experience, so it is extremely important that adults working with young people develop and display respect for each other as well as for the young people in their care.A good baseline for a professional and respectful attitude is to acknowledge and accept that everyone is different. By understanding and valuing these differences, rather than assuming that we all share the same values and opinions, we demonstrate that we are aware of our colleagues as individuals with different personalities, teaching styles, cultural practices, experiences and backgrounds. All adults and learners should be valued for thi s. We should recognise the competence and experience of all people we work with and expect ours to be acknowledged too.If we can offer help to less experienced colleagues or seek help from more experienced or better qualified members of staff, we will be expressing respect for each other. Differences of opinion and working styles are bound to occur but communicating honestly and seeking peer feedback will help minimise misunderstandings and conflict. We should endeavor to support each other to develop a working and learning environment that promotes self-esteem and growth and allows challenges and conflicts to be resolved by negotiation and compromise.Young people will have a number of significant adults in their life – some may impact negatively, some positively, on their ability to communicate effectively with adults in different settings. In an educational establishment therefore, if we display consistent, respectful and professional communications with each other, with th e learners themselves and with parents, carers and members of the public, we are offering them positive role models. We develop our language and communication skills from birth and discover different ways of dealing with others by example and experience.If young people see and hear adults supporting each other, resolving conflict, discussing, laughing, giving opinions, listening and responding in positive ways they can use these interactions to reinforce or challenge their own experiences of the world. For example, simply using good manners and respectful language with each other in front of the young people can offer them a reference for successful interactions in other settings. If a young person’s experience of social skills does not include the tools for resolving conflict by calm, reasonable discussion – we can model it.If they do not have the tools to express their feelings positively – we can model it. By doing so, we establish a safe, nurturing and consi stent environment where positive, respectful interactions are the norm. There are of course, differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people. The main difference is the actual vocabulary used. Children start to develop communication skills from birth going through a developmental cycle of language and communication to equip them with the language and strategies to deal with adult life.However, children will develop at different rates and a 16 year old may not have the language and communication skills expected of a child from the 8 – 12 year group or visa versa, and we should be aware of this when communicating verbally or in written form with our learners. We should use words they are familiar with and understand readily, but also be careful not to talk down and be patronising. More complex vocabulary should not necessarily be avoided however, and can be incorporated with explanation as a learning opportunity.Also we should be a ware of the subject matters that we cover. Material discussed between adults may not appropriate to discuss with some learners due to their developmental age. Discussions around sensitive issues such as gender, culture and relationships will be approached differently with younger people who may not have the language or experience of an adult and we can support them when investigating these subjects with appropriate vocabulary and examples. The majority of young people communicate with peers using phrases and words which are specific to their age and friendship groups.They may also write in text or abbreviated form used to communicate via mobiles and social media. It will seem ‘odd’ or patronising for an adult to use this language with young people but gaining an understanding of meaning and context is useful in avoiding miscommunication. Difficulties in communication may also occur when a person’s body language does not mirror the spoken word. A positive and â₠¬Ëœwarm’ voice may clash with fierce eyes in the classroom. You need to mean what you say! Giving mixed messages with your body language may confuse learners.We need to be aware of the different needs of each student and not assume that all learners have the same level of communication development. Some learners may find it incredibly difficult to communicate with adults. They avoid eye-contact, will rarely participate in class activities or respond to direct questioning. We can help these learners by involving them in small groups, using non-threatening questioning techniques such as mini-whiteboards and quizzes and continually modeling safe communications with other learners.Using age appropriate vocabulary and keeping teacher talk to a minimum with short (no more than three steps), clear and precise instructions can benefit learners with dyslexia and attention problems. We can also adapt our resources and delivery styles to accommodate different needs. Student’s who se first language is not English, may need vocabulary crib sheets and simplified texts, learners with hearing or sight impairments may benefit from being seated in the room.In conclusion, to establish effective communication with young people, we need to be aware of their different developmental stages and their specific individual needs. We need to acknowledge that they may not yet have the skills to allow them to communicate with adults and with each other successfully and that we assist in their development by modeling respectful and professional relationships with our colleagues and with them at all times. |

How to Solve a Crime? Essay

One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all Brass had on him. He laid a credit card on the bar counter and wished it luck. It only had to bear the price of a couple of rounds, but his salary and his expenses were not on speaking terms lately. It was Christmas in Las Vegas. Every year, it set him back until April. Which was tax time. Which set him back until Christmas. There was a comforting rhythm to it. ‘They have some good single malts,’ Catherine said, and ordered a beer. That was one of the things Brass liked about her. She had class, but didn’t make a man pay for it. Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Las Vegas Crime Scene Investigation senior supervisor. Catherine is the glamorous commander of a crack team of forensic criminologists It was 4:30am on Christmas Eve, meaning it was Christmas morning to anybody who had got some sleep in the interim, and crime scene investigators Catherine Willows and Nick Stokes had just finished dropping off bodies and registering the evidence they’d gathered at a messy murder scene. The fatal string of Christmas lights was wound around the female victim’s neck so many times the coroner was going to have to cut it from the corpse. The second victim was her husband; they assumed he was the one that did the strangling. With the steak knife in his neck, he’d only had just enough blood in him to finish the job. ‘The weird part,’ Nick remarked, leaning on the bar with his heavy forearms, ‘is the lights around her neck were still on when we got there.’ ‘It lent a certain festive air to the scene,’ Brass replied. Brass’s understudy for the evening, a young detective by the name of Ottman, known as ‘The Otter’ among the wittier senior staff, sat uncomfortably between Catherine and Brass. He looked ill. He hadn’t worked many murder scenes before, and this one wasn’t just bloody, it was ironic. Irony always made things worse. The knife was part of a gift set intended for the dead man. It had his monogram burned into the handle. For the veteran CSI team, it was just another couple of dead people, another raft of evidence and paperwork. Ottman cleared his throat before he spoke, a habit that irritated Brass. ‘There’s nothing festive about people killing each other on Christmas Eve,’ he objected. ‘He doesn’t mean it,’ Catherine said. ‘It’s awful. Every murder is awful. But if we mourn the dead every time we find them . . . ‘ ‘Some do,’ Brass interrupted. ‘They don’t last in the job.’ He fixed his melancholy eyes on Ottman and waited for the message to sink in. Before he could be sure it had, the drinks arrived. Beer all round except Ottman, who opted for one of those Tiger Woods non-alcoholic things that used to be an Arnold Palmer. The kid didn’t even know how to drink. Catherine decanted her beer into a glass. Nick picked at the label on his. George Eads as Nick Stokes. Formerly Catherine’s deputy, he has just been promoted to be her co-supervisor. Occasionally over-emotional. ‘Lot of murders this time of year,’ Nick said, in much the way he might observe it was a chilly night. Ottman cleared his throat. ‘People always get crazy around the holidays?’ he asked nobody in particular. ‘If you’re going to kill somebody, the season of joy is a popular time. Statistically speaking,’ Catherine replied. She checked her watch. Coming to the bar had been her idea: it was too late to go home and get in bed. She’d wake her daughter Lindsay up, and now that she was 18, Lindsay didn’t like early rising at Christmas. So Catherine was pretending it was the previous night, rather than the following morning. Nick had proposed they get coffee and breakfast, but he lived alone and his family was in Texas. He could lounge around all day. Catherine had a full schedule of family events, and breakfast at home was one of them. Brass glanced over at Ottman. The guy wasn’t cut out for this work. He was a fairly good detective. Book smart, but not great at murders. He would be best at property crime, hustles, something like that. Brass’s first reaction to any weak-hearted cop was always to push his buttons, expose the soft parts and toughen them up – that, or drive him out of the department before he made a costly mistake. Still, it was Christmas Eve or morning, according to your tastes, and the poor guy was clearly having a hard time. ‘Sometimes, even with murder, there’s Christmas spirit,’ Brass said. ‘The steak knives were good quality,’ Nick agreed. Catherine shook her head. ‘Go easy,’ she said, observing Ottman’s discomfort. ‘No, seriously,’ Brass continued. ‘Remember that time, it must have been seven, eight years ago, the one with the 60-G watch?’ Nick raised his bottle to his mouth, trying to recall, then snapped his fingers and set the bottle back down. ‘The big guy and the little guy.’ ‘And the dancer,’ Catherine added. She never forgot the dancers. Ottman had his hands folded in his lap, his drink untouched in front of him. He clearly didn’t want to ask. But the others were looking expectantly at him, so he asked anyway, rather than let the silence get too long. ‘So how was there murder and Christmas spirit?’ Brass took a pull of his beer, dabbed at his lips with his handkerchief, and twisted around so he could face Ottman. ‘I’ll tell you,’ he said. It was a warm Christmas night back in the high times when people went to Las Vegas just to get rid of their excess cash – by the truckload. There was still plenty of crime, but it was a different kind of crime, the kind that comes from an opportunityrich environment. These days, it’s the kind of crime that comes from a lack of opportunity. The difference is academic to most victims. Gil Grissom was supervisor back then. There had been various robberies, a couple of fatal accidents and a gang fight that night; nothing serious. Then the call came in, around 9pm on Christmas Eve. ‘The call came in from the Mediterranean Hotel on the Strip. Maid finds a corpse in one of the VIP suites. He’s lying on the floor in his boxer shorts,’ Brass said. ‘Ambulance shows up, medics think it could be foul play, they call us. I was first on the scene, me and a couple of patrolmen. ‘Hell of a suite he had, about the size of Yankee Stadium. Looked like the Pope decorated it. As crime scenes go, not too shabby – especially compared to Latrine Alley, where at that moment most of the graveyard shift was on its hands and knees, looking for shell casings with a flashlight.’ Brass took a swig from his beer. Ottman cleared his throat, but Brass got there first: ‘So we take a right at the grand piano and there’s the victim, in the split-level living room.’ ‘Dead,’ Nick added, in case Ottman was as slow as he thought he was. Paul Guilfoyle as Captain James Brass, a Las Vegas Police Department homicide detective who does things by the book ‘Fatally so,’ Brass resumed. ‘Frank â€Å"Bozo† Bozigian, heir to the automotive floor mat fortune. Big guy. Always rents this same suite, every weekend. He was lying face down on the carpet with his head busted open against this gold-plated coffee table the size of my house. ‘The table was interesting. There were five lines of coke laid out on it, and a stack of $20 bills that would keep a stripper in business for five years. And most importantly, a chunk of meat with hair in it – from where this individual’s head came in contact with the corner.’ ‘An accident,’ Ottman interjected. ‘Yeah, except for one thing: Bozigian’s knuckles are all busted up. There’s blood under his fingernails. Maybe it’s relevant, maybe it’s not, but this guy was in a fight some time around when he died.’ ‘Sounds circumstantial,’ Ottman said. Brass ignored him and carried on, determined to get to the exciting part: ‘So I look around while I’m waiting for these two CSIs to show up, and I can’t figure it out. Looks like Bozigian just fell down and busted his head, right? Death by misadventure. Except he’s only got his drawers on. And when I look around, all I find is a fully packed suitcase in the bedroom. Where’s the clothes he walked in with? Where’s his shoes? ‘Only thing the victim has on is gold chains and a wristwatch, which is one of these Swiss automatics that sets you back 60 grand. Basically, I’m stumped.’ ‘Which doesn’t happen that much,’ Catherine said, and raised her glass to Brass. ‘Here’s to Christmas,’ Brass said, and they all drank. ‘Took us a while to get there,’ Nick said. ‘The other major scene, the gang fight, was a mess. Gil Grissom and the rest of us were working it for hours. When we finally got out of there, me and Catherine showed up at the Mediterranean looking like trash pickers.’ He laughed at the memory. Catherine smiled. It hadn’t been funny at the time. Nick went on: ‘There wasn’t any camera surveillance on that floor, but we got hotel security to secure video from all the elevators. Then we went into the suite. The deceased was a huge guy, twice my size, steroid muscle all over him. Shaved head, tattoo of a pole dancer on his back.’ ‘The tattoo probably scared the maid more than the blood,’ Catherine added. ‘No question about the head injury,’ Nick said. ‘He got it from the table. Scalp is split open with a furrow gouged out of the skin, and on the iron corner of the table there’s a corresponding scrap of tissue with identical hair on it. You could see at a glance this guy hit that table hard enough to kill him. But w e never guess at anything if we can prove it instead. So we take a set of one-to-one pictures of the whole scene. Then we collect the tissue, the hair, the money, the cocaine. Then it’s time to move the body.’ ‘Corpses are always heavy, but this guy weighed a ton,’ Catherine observed. Brass clapped Ottman on the shoulder. ‘It took all three of us to roll him over,’ he said. ‘If you’d been there, Ottman, it would have been easy.’ Nick stepped in to continue the story. ‘The front of him was more interesting, from a forensic perspective. He’d been bleeding, and it had pooled under him and glued him to the carpet, which is one reason he was so hard to move. His hands were clenched into fists. We found some blonde hair caught under a chain on his wrist. Several skin tags. They got pulled out hard.’ ‘He wasn’t blonde, needless to say,’ Catherine added. ‘So we bagged it. There was blood, maybe even tissue, under his fingernails, so we went to bag his hands, too, and that’s when we start realising the watch is a factor after all. I remember the make. It was a gold Vacherin Constantin automatic, and like Brass says, it was worth five figures. ‘But it didn’t fit his wrist. Had a dive-style bracelet on it – you fit those exactly to size on a watch like that, by adding or subtracting links with tiny screws. It was way too tight. So we opened the clasp and found blood on the underside of the bracelet. No lividity where it squeezed the skin, so as far as we can tell, the watch was put on after death. And get this – a patent fingerprint on the crystal. I mean you could see it in ordinary light, it was that clear, and printed in blood.’ Ottman cleared his throat, and Brass suddenly understood why they called him ‘The Otter’. When he swallowed, he looked like an otter eating clams. I t was perfect. William Petersen as Dr Gilbert ‘Gil’ Grissom, Catherine’s predecessor as CSI senior supervisor ‘If there was blood on the watch, did it correspond with the corpse?’ asked Ottman. ‘Did his hand fall under his head, or maybe his knuckles bled on it?’ ‘No,’ Catherine said. ‘But good question. His hands were down at his sides, palms downward, and the blood was all up under his head. His knuckles had stopped bleeding some time before death.’ ‘So the blood either came from the earlier fight, or it came from somebody else putting the watch on him after the guy was dead.’ Ottman nodded as he figured it out. Brass added: ‘That’s not all, though. It was on his right wrist, which makes sense if he’s a southpaw, but it wasn’t a left-handed watch.’ ‘So we looked around,’ Nick said, ‘collected whatever we could, and then I accompanied the body to the morgue. Bra ss and Catherine went to LVPD to file the preliminary report.’ ‘That was it until we had some more information,’ Brass said. ‘So back at Crime Central, I did a little research. Bozigian wasn’t unknown to the authorities.’ Brass paused. ‘Bozigian was from Glendale, California, but spent most of his time in Vegas, always at the best hotels. Looking at his rap sheet, he was one of these playboy types with a fat trust fund that didn’t go as far as he wanted it, so he was always looking for more money. But he was too lazy to actually earn it, so he went for the quick scores: private bookmaking, junk real estate, money laundering through clubs. Most of all, gambling. ‘He loved the cards, so even if he made any money, he lost it just as fast. Got into some wild bets. People got hurt. But he never did a day’s time.’ Nick counted off a few details on his fingers: ‘The assistant coroner determined Bozigian’s time of death to be an estimate of one to three hours prior to the maid finding his body. So I checked out the hotel’s elevator security footage, looking for any visitors to that floor during this time frame. ‘Sure enough, a guy gets in the elevator alone. He’s suspicious because he’s got a towel to his face. Can’t get a good look at him. He rode up from the parking garage, exits Bozigian’s floor. Five minutes later, he gets in the same elevator car and rides back down.’ ‘By now,’ Catherine interjected, ‘Grissom is working another scene, which is a jewellery-store robbery. Apparently this guy drove his monkey-brown Toyota truck straight through the front window of a store on the Strip, jumped out, grabbed what he could, and drove off. Not a real criminal mastermind. They have his plates and everything. Name is Henry Carson. There’s an APB out on the truck.’ Catherine said: ‘Brass and I have ten minutes free, so we decide to go crazy and get a cup of coffee at the place next door. Halfway across the police department parking lot, we see the truck. Same plates, same colour, the front all smashed in. ‘Out gets this little tiny man, smaller than me. And it looked like somebody ran him over with a train. Face pummelled. Blood all over his shirt. He sees Brass, walks up to him, and says, â€Å"I’m turning myself in. I killed a man named Frank Bozigian.† ‘ But how could one of these little people murder a 300lb man mountain with just their bare hands?

Animal Farm by George Orwell

George Orwell is a great writer; he created books with many different qualities. Animal farms are fable, fable and satire. He made characters in the novel related to real people and historical events. Like communism, animalism is compared with Dolgotsky, compared with Joseph Stalin, Napoleon is such a fable. Animalism symbolizes communism in many ways. Animals' animal rhythms are not perfect land, wealth, poor people, everyone is equal. They all have the same number of farms. Can George Orwell's Animal Farm George Orwell's Animal Farm be just a political debate or a story by the reader? In this personal study I write an article about George Orwell's animal farm. The novel is entertaining my political debate in this process. The opening chapter introduces the revolutionary theme that dominates the entire novel, and it also introduces livestock. In the first chapter, Old Major is the central figure, letting all other animals go to the barn at night and telling the revolution, by thinki ng of happiness it becomes a pig of wise animals. George Orwell's Animal Farm Animal Farm is a small interpretation of the Russian Revolution of George Orwell, representing the Russian state using British farms. At the beginning of the book, animals are discussing their frustration with Mr. Jones of the current farmer. Mr. Jones is the owner of a manor farm, a farm where all animals live, and is representative of Russian emperor regime. The animals started talking about how to beat Mr. Jones. The views expressed by their arguments are similar to the views of organizations and people who tried to overthrow the Russian tourism government before the Russian revolution. At the George Orwell novel Animal Farm, these animals took over the farm and developed their own independent society. As it happened during the Russian Revolution in 1917. A repressive and exploitative tension between classes between George Orwell's despicable ideals and the harsh reality of socialism. In the literary wo rks of George Orwell, they accepted this treatment, so it clearly shows how these animals were Mr. Jones.

Application Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Application - Essay Example My interests lie in the field psychology and I feel that the college’s program will not only provide me a solid foundation but also provide me with the practical application of valuable skills and knowledge that will be important when I graduate and begin my professional career. Upon graduation, I intend to continue with my education and pursue a master’s degree and then eventually a Ph.D. Specifically, I want to attend SUNY Empire State College because of its fine reputation as a top-rated college within the SUNY system and within New York. It has a strong reputation for having high academic standards and its programs and degree programs are accredited. I am very impressed by the flexible class formats and I am attracted to the interactive instructors and professors. The student to professor ratio is another reason why I feel that this university is a good fit for me. In addition, I find the availability of resources for academic assistance unmatched in comparison with other universities and colleges. SUNY Empire State College cannot only benefit me, but I can bring a lot to the university as well. Because I grew up in a difficult background, I can relate to the people I wish to help in my professional career. Through sharing my personal experiences, it will provide insight, inspiration and learning experiences to my peers and colleagues. As a single mother, it has led me to be extremely organized and detail oriented. Having these qualities has set me up for success as a college student and a professional. Throughout my high school career, I had several leadership roles that have made me ready for the next level of education and professional development. I was involved in several leadership positions, one being the secretary of the student body. During this experience, the cabinet of our student body was invited to attend a leadership conference in Washington D.C., where we

Poem To Elsie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Poem To Elsie - Essay Example The diction is often general and seemingly flaccid; "devil-may-care men who have taken / to railroading / out of sheer lust of adventure," or "young slatterns, bathed / in filth." Its major focus is the speaker himself, who sums up in swift, passionate, and broken utterance the human condition in which he participates. (Axelrod, Roman, Travisano, 86-87) Along the texture of the development of the poem the gradual ascendancy evokes enlightened pastures when it says "some doctor's family, some Elsie/voluptuous water/expressing with broken/brain the truth about us/her great ungainly hips and flipping breasts/addressed to cheap /jewelry/and rich young men with fine eyes/ as if the earth under our feet/were/an excrement of some sky", the poem describes Elsie's body and alert us that the female body linked to the hierarchies of the country, the class and the gender in the culture. (Axelrod, Roman, Travisano, 86-87) Like most of William Carlos Williams's poems 'To Elsie' is revealed in a formation of translucent transparency which in retrospect is represented in the most punctual truthfulness to the point of honesty. In this context it should be remembered that the Williams poems are uniquely honest towards itself and they reveal everything that is possibly expressible though words. This honesty in words is deeply felt when Williams narrates in the last lines of the poem almost in a circumstantial detached mood. "It is only in isolate flecks that / something / is given off / No one / to witness / and adjust, no one to drive the car. (Axelrod, Roman, Travisano, 87) It is so evident in these lines that the poet is viewing the whole scenario as a circumspect manner with a mood of watching the whole expressions as a passive watcher. Going through the lines of the poem 'To Elisie' I was able to feel the pain of the poet is transmitted into the readers' mind through a contour of expressions expressed not only in an honest but in an extremely informative manner. This is because the poet is willing to take himself away from the present scenario as if as a mode of protest against the then present situation which was far from his socialist sense of utopia. (Matterson, 29) This formation of the poem and the way it builds up from a rather unemotional scenario into words describing the common plight as Americans, at least the America of his time reflects the psyche of the poet time and again throughout the poem with such line that says "as if the earth under our feet/were/an excrement of some sky". It could be found that these are the things which destroy the American dream of the poet's time. Until he can force his imagination to take account of and establish his contact with his own, local, instead of letting himself strain after the other where of "deer / going by fields of goldenrod," until such a time, the American is doomed to go crazy. (Axelrod, Roman, Travisano, 86-87) Structurally speaking, I felt the form is directly derived from the optimistic philosophy of the life itself thereby placing the entire poem in a simplistic format that blends flawlessly with the apparent simplicity of the poem. To me, theoretically, Williams's poems are placed in the other side of the coin that is used by the poets like T.S.

Discharge plan and Legislation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Discharge plan and Legislation - Essay Example A typical scenario involves the screening of hospital records for Mr. Sharma within 24 hours of admission to identify if he is a high risk patient who requires discharge planning. A typical high risk criteria might include factors like being age 65 and older and living alone with no immediate social supports. Prior to being admitted to the hospital Mr. Sharma had a care giver who visited morning and evening. This is expected to continue after discharge. However, there are additional complications that will require the need for additional assistance. Mr. Sharma is now recovering from a stroke and is undergoing therapy to help in the process. Additionally, Mr. Sharma has a wound which he acquired on getting the stroke. This wound is slow to heal. Further, Mr. Sharma has mild osteo-arthritis which appears stable but may later cause pains and therefore curtain his movements significantly. This discharge plan relates to 87 year old Mr. Sharma who has a history of minor strokes, Type 2 dia betes which is diet controlled; and a past history of hypertension which has been well controlled with the use of the medication, bendrofluumethiazide. Mr. Sharma also has mild osteo-arthritis which appears stable. In his recent bout of stroke Mr. Sharma stumbled and fell resulting in a wound to his leg. The wound became infected and has been slow to heal. Additionally, on his admission to hospital Mr. Sharma’s blood sugar level was raised to 10mmol g per litre. Mr Sharma has been in hospital for the past ten days and based on the results of tests has made a good recovery. He is very keen on going back home and so it is important that a proper discharge plan be done. This plan should include health care officials at the hospital, social services, his caregiver, Mr. Sharma and his family. During discharge from hospital the Caregiver for Mr. Sharma should be consulted. The caregiver’s comments should be taken into consideration and both Mr. Sharma and his caregiver shoul d receive a copy of the discharge plan for Mr. Sharma detailing the care that is required. According to the British Geriatrics Society (2006), older people who have been discharged from hospital and are living in a community have higher levels of dependency as well as more complex health and social care needs than other patient groups. Mr Sharma is 87 and falls in this group. He has complex problems which include hypertension, Type 2 diabetes and a wound to his leg which he obtained when he stumbled after suffering a recent stroke. This infection has been slow to heal. There is no present sign of infection but it will require special care on discharge. There are a number of problems that 87 year old Mr. Sharma is likely to face on discharge, some of which should be dealt with before discharge. They include management of diet, exercise, wound care to prevent re-infection, and proper use of medication. It has been suggested that Mr. Sharma starts to attend a local Expert Patient Progr amme in his community which will be organised by the community matron. This will have an impact on planning. Discharge arrangements are dependent on social services, health authorities, NHS trusts and primary care groups/trusts BGS (2006). Mr. Sharma should be involved early in the assessment process and care plans should offer them real choice. Carers are also entitled by law to receive if they require an

Evidence-based Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evidence-based Policing - Essay Example 3)The advantages are apparent given the ability when implementing this approach to fix approaches that are non-functional while still ensuring the largest amount of individual freedom in situations that may require law enforcement intervention. Evidenced-based policing The disadvantages of this approach can be seen in the single approach that is statistically the best for the general community. While this allows for the best overall response from a cohesive unit it may not allow for individual communities to pursue different approaches that may in fact be better for that individual community. In one study in Britain â€Å"However, households in projects that had received public education and households that received the follow-up visits were both more likely to report new violence to the police than households that did not receive the treatments.† (Davis, Taylor, 1997 pg. 307-333) This shows that in individual situations the use of the community specific evidence-based policin g was ineffective in actually reducing the crimes approached using the model that was seen as most likely to succeed. Using a general approach is beneficial in some areas however, as can be seen is not beneficial in all areas of enforcement.

Case 10.1. Electrolux company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case 10.1. Electrolux company - Essay Example What the company did to make this tremendous turn-around is instead of letting each of the departments, like marketing and design, work independently from one another on the same project, they came together and worked as a team. This allowed for stronger visions for a product and newer insight on what different demographics would be looking for in a product. Essentially, the company had stereotyped a person, like â€Å"Catherin,† and became that person to get a feel for what they would want out of a product. Then long and behold, you have the Breeze. This concept proved to be successful for the company. They have other competitors out there that are striving to make the best appliances, and these are companies that have been around a lot longer, like Whirlpool, yet they still have an appeal that the consumers are drawn too. What allowed them to have this advantage is that they pulled the design people to help make the product look appealing in with the engineers of the product who are producing a product that is easy to use yet very effective and different from what is already available, and they had the marketing team there who could help find the best way to get the product sold.

Comparing Architectural Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Comparing Architectural Styles - Essay Example Frank Gehry and Le Corbusier have been the most distinct styles of architecture. Both the styles have major contributions in creations of some of the most well known buildings in this world. But the two styles have been quite distinct. Frank Gehry involves construction adding a playful as well as whimsical touch while Le Corbusier is a much more simplified one (Comparing Architectural Styles). The essay intends to present a detailed comparison of the two architectural styles thereby giving a vivid description of both the styles. Architecture can be regarded as the greatest skill or art that human beings have developed. He has made the effective use of the art to create spaces and utilize the total space for his own usage (Jones 1). The development of architectural skills originated from the Renaissance period. Buildings were inspired by religious beliefs as well as mythologies. From 1980s onwards changes began to take place in the area of modern architecture. There emerged the era of postmodernism. Development of a proper theory helped in changing attitudes towards design and innovative ideas. Modern architecture was chiefly concerned with improvisation of prevailing human conditions. For this purpose it led to assimilation of nature and technology. Overall all this evolvement has helped people in developing new skills (Heyer, 84). In recent times the most well known international styles of architecture has been Le Corbusier and Frank Gehry. Villa Savoy in France is inspired by Le Corbusier architectural st yle while Guggenheim Museum in Spain has been designed according to Frank Gehry style of architecture. Both of the styles have been influenced by cultural orientation (Comparing Architectural Styles).   Le Corbusier style of Architecture This style of architecture was born under the father of architectural style Le Corbusier. He first gave houses and other constructions a new modern look and containing plenty of open space. He also created furnishings for his buildings. He invented the purist design. He has major contributions for improvisation of constructions of houses in metropolitan cities. His lesson of five points in architecture has helped many modern day architects in enhancing their architectural skills. He wanted modern look in cities with lots of open spaces. He used to believe that â€Å"a house is a machine for living in†. He began his career by designing a number of villas. His goal was to establish his own signature style of architecture to fill the vacuum cr eated by the World War I. His focus was on houses made for single families and gave many unique ideas. He made houses with three floors with kitchen, bedroom and living room in different floors. One important feature of his designs was that terraces were built on the roof (Analysis of Le Corbusier’s Architectural Style). Le Corbusier style has emphasized on the relationship between human and nature. Gardens and other such open spaces are always occupied with dwelling places under this style. Tall buildings are found with roof gardens. The principal style places a construction in the middle of landscape. This style surely causes a harmonization between landscape and architecture. Here the building along with the landscape together constitutes the desirable space (Heyer, 86). The specialty of Le Corbusier’s style of architecture has been free flowing geometry with outcomes obtained in free forms. The architects and also developers have gone through Le Corbusier’s theories to understand the style of designing a free flowing apartment amidst a landscape (Heyer, 6). Construction now required heavy usage of steel and concrete with a tint of industrial glazing. New architectural sty

Research Literature Review Breast Cancer in USA Essay Example for Free

Research Literature Review Breast Cancer in USA Essay Introduction Breast cancer continues to be an important focus of attention for medical professionals, policy-makers and general public in the US. The high incidence of the disease and its devastating, in many cases, fatal, outcomes rivet the attention of the professional public. Studies identified for this literature review are for the most part practically oriented, in the sense that they deal with topics that are of primary importance in detecting, treating, and preventing breast cancer. Thus, two sources deal with the programs aimed at women education in the US concerning breast cancer, and two others cover the research into environmental causes of breast cancer. The problem of treatment options for breast cancer is also considered. Education Programs In the US where the population is extremely diverse, creation of special education programs targeting various population groups in accordance with their status is of special importance. Armando Valdez, Kakoli Banerjee, Lynn Ackerson, and Maria Fernandez in their article â€Å"Multimedia breast cancer education intervention for low-income Latinas† outline a special program aimed at the segment of women including Latino women. The problem with detection and early treatment of cancer among Latino women is connected to the fact that Latina women’s screening rate is considerably lower the required government standards and the rate for other ethnic groups. The researchers arrive at the conclusion that, given the availability of subsidized mammograms for poor Latina women, the main deterrent for improvement in the screening rate is lack of knowledge about cancer risks and treatment options. Complicated level of education materials prepared for the target group by the American Cancer Society was identified as an important factor blocking the access of Latina women to adequate information as materials presented often required a superior level of reading skills and the materials were not prepared in Spanish. The paper reports â€Å"the results of a multimedia breast cancer education intervention, tailored to the needs of low-education, low-income Latinas, and attempt to document specific changes in womens knowledge, attitudes and intentions toward mammography screening† (Valdez et al., 2002). Using the Breast Cancer Multimedia Kiosk including instructional videos exposing the target group to the dangers of breast cancer, the authors were able to conclude that interactive multimedia technologies are an effective tool in raising awareness of cancer risks among low-income women. Although the women had some prior knowledge of cancer (â€Å"the majority of baseline study participants (over 80%) knew age and family history as risk factors†), the post-exposure assessment revealed a significant increase in knowledge after the program. Krystal Ngoc-Thy Luong and Jenny K. Yi in â€Å"Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women† evaluate a similar program targeting a different ethnic group. As in the case with Latina women, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in this subgroup. Although Asian/Pacific Islander American, or APIA, women have a lower incidence rate of breast cancer (102.0 per 100,000 versus 140.8 per 100,000 for White American women), exposure to Western lifestyle tends to push these rates up. In addition, APIA women tend to be younger when diagnosed with breast cancer than other categories. The study aimed â€Å"to develop, implement, and evaluate the effect of an apartment-based breast cancer educational program for the hard to reach low income Vietnamese women† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The program was designed to be based on apartment visits as it provided a convenient way to reach women, covering neighbourhoods with high concentration of Vietnamese families in Houston. The intervention was carried out by two educators who delivered 20 educational sessions over the period of 3 months that provided the Vietnamese women with information concerning screening, recommendations and referrals to screening. Women were supplied with promotional materials including printed educational information and videos. Measurement of the knowledge levels through telephone surveys concerning breast cancer issues demonstrated that they were â€Å"significantly higher in the intervention group after receiving education about breast cancer when compared to women in the control group† (Luong, Yi, 2005). The researchers drew the conclusion that an apartment-based program has many advantages as compared to other ones because it addresses women in comfortable home settings, giving them a chance to relax and open up more to the conversation with the educator. Environmental Hazards and Breast Cancer Another important direction of research concerns the impact of pollutants and other environmental factors on incidence of breast cancer in women. Thus, Peggy Reynolds, Susan E. Hurley, Robert B. Gunier, Sauda Yerabati, Thu Quach, and Andrew Hertz in â€Å"Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997† evaluate the connection between the facts that California is the most important agricultural state and also demonstrates the highest breast cancer rates in the US. The purpose of the study was formulated as desire to find out â€Å"whether California breast cancer rates were elevated in areas with recent high agricultural pesticide use† (Reynolds et al., 2005). The research was based on the assessment of 176,302 invasive breast cancer cases including â€Å"70,968,598 person-years of observation† (Reynolds et al., 2005). Using Poisson regression analyses, the authors were not able to find a consistent link between living close to the areas of pesticide distribution and having breast cancer. The upshot of the study was that breast cancer was hardly driven by pesticide use, but was more closely related to various social factors such as socioeconomic status. Julia Green Brody and Ruthann A. Rudel in â€Å"Environmental pollutants and breast cancer† address a wider ranger of substances that can lead to breast tumors. The proliferation of breast cancer in North America has caused the need to look for more sources of this disease, examining a wider range of factors. The study covers â€Å"chemicals that may be breast carcinogens, promote growth of breast cells and hormonally sensitive tumors, or affect mammary gland development and susceptibility† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). The researchers identify already known breast cancer risk factors including reproductive factors, exposure to pharmaceutical hormones, diet, ionizing radiation, socioeconomic status and posited the need to identify more factors. Thus, the scholars point to the need to further investigate the risk associated with occupational hazards including exposure â€Å"to the mammary carcinogens benzene, PAHs, and certain organic solvents† (Brody, Rudel, 2003). For instance, speaking of organic solvents, one study identified a connection between breast cancer rates in Danish women and their exposure to these substances in the workplace. The research, after examining 7,802 women with cancer diagnosis, registered a 20-66% rise in breast cancer risk for women who have been employed in occupations that envisaged active exposure to organic solvents. Other studies demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer development for women employed in the chemical industry, textile manufacturing, or nuclear power plants. The authors conclude by saying that more research is needed in the area, but the literature available so far clearly indicates that the link exists between cancer rates and environmental factors. Treatment Options Finally, another issue which has been identified to inspire researchers is the availability of treatment options for cancer and choice between various alternatives. Kathleen B. Donaghy in â€Å"Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer† explores this problem. Invoking the decision-making theory, the author evaluates the potential for adequate decision-making in patients struck with this shocking diagnosis. Donaghy (2003) believes that hasty decisions concerning treatment options made on insufficient information are often regretted by the patient later on. As common deterrents that prevent responsible decision-making she identifies five key points: 1.) cognitive overload 2.) failure to fully comprehend treatment options 3.) inability or refusal to process information in the presence of a denial defense 4.) hurried presentation of information by the physician 5.) self-imposed time constraints to get decisions made. (Donaghy, 2003) The article identifies the key strategies that can be employed by the physician to help the patient in the choice, such as providing maximal possible information to guide the patient’s decisions, improving communication, framing information in an appropriate format, obtaining informed consent etc. Using the decision theory to define decision-making as a choice between status quo and other alternatives shed light on patient values that can be involved in decisions regarding breast surgery. Conclusion The pervasiveness of breast cancer in the US makes research related to the issue highly topical. Examination of causes including environmental factors can help craft governmental policies that will prevent the spread of the deadly disease. On the other hand, developing policies aimed at early detection and effective treatment can be instrumental in curbing the death rate from breast cancer. In this light, creation of programs specifically tailored to the needs of individual groups can be an effective solution. Finally, research oriented toward helping the patient make the best decision concerning treatment options will be an important prerequisite of effective treatment programs. References Ackerson, L., Banerjee, K., Fernandez, M., Valdez, A. (2002). A Multimedia Breast Cancer Education Intervention for Low-Income Latinas. Journal of Community Health 27(1), 33+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000714747 Brody, J.G., Rudel, R.A. (2003). Environmental Pollutants and Breast Cancer. Environmental Health Perspectives 111(8), 1007+. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5002005585 Donaghy, K.B. (2003). Fostering Sound Medical Treatment Decision Making: A Focusing on Treatment Choices for Breast Cancer. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association 6(4), 6+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5002578878 Gunier, G.M., Hertz, A., Hurley, S.E., Quach, T., Reynolds, P., et al. (2005). Residential Proximity to Agricultural Pesticide Use and Incidence of Breast Cancer in California, 1988-1997. Environmental Health Perspectives 113(8), 993+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5010885312 Ngoc-Thy Luong, K., Yi, J.K. (2005). Apartment-Based Breast Cancer Education Program for Low Income Vietnamese American Women. Journal of Community Health 30(5), 2005, 345+. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5011756419

Explain the factors to consider when planning a safe, but challenging environment for children.

Explain the factors to consider when planning a safe, but challenging environment for children. Explain the factors to consider when planning a safe, but challenging environment for children. The environment plays a major part in children’s safety, learning and development. Not only the material objects within an environment, but the emotional and social environment accounts also. â€Å"The health and safety of the environment is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of the children and in creating an enabling environment. In an enabling environment, babies and children will feel emotionally safe and secure, and will develop and learn most effectively.† Health and safety is one of the most important factors to consider when a practitioner provides an appropriate environment for learning and development. All staffs should have a responsibility for ensuring health and safety in their environment at all time. All staffs should meet minimum requirements for space within the room environments and staffs ratios. â€Å"These requirements will initially be calculated by ofsted when the setting is first registered, and they will provide a maximum number of children allowed in setting at any one time. This will also be broken down into how many children can be present in any one room at one time, depending on the age of the children.† â€Å"Children learn and develop well in enabling environment, in which their experiences respond to their individual needs and there is a strong partnership between practitioners and parents and carers† (EY – Development Matters Document) Meeting staff ratios is important because this ensuring the safety of the children by making sure children can be safety supervised whilst in their environment. â€Å"Failure to meet these ratios could cause accidents or injuries, as staff members would find it difficult to care for and surprise a larger number of children. â€Å" â€Å"Children from birth to two years require 3.5m ² space per child, at least half of the remaining staff members must be qualified to at least a recognised level two child care qualification. Child aged two to three years old require 2.5m ² space per child, at least one practitioner must be qualified to level three. Children aged three and above require 2.3m ² space per child, at least on practitioner must hold a level three qualification.† There are major pieces of health and safety legislations that play a role on the provision of an environment and must be followed by all employers. Explain the practitioners’ role within the wider, multi –agency environment. The role of the practitioner within a wider, multi-agency environment is to value and recognise the importance of this wider network for children. â€Å"Valuing this wider network demonstrates respect for the individual needs and characteristics of the child and family and enables all members of the community to work together.† Wider community plays role in children’s development and learning. â€Å"When a child has been identified as having additional needs, other professionals are a vital part of their care learning and development and will work in partnership with practitioners within the setting.† â€Å"The role of the practitioner has been identified as important in the provision of an enabling environment for children, with the practitioner holding an important role in the wider, multi-agency environment.† Describe the regulatory requirements that must be followed when organising an environment for children in the early years. The regulatory requirements that must be followed when organising an environment for children in the early years is the process of identifying any additional needs a child may have early in order to organise the best possible care and intervention for the children. â€Å"Practitioner has concerns around any area of a child’s development†. â€Å"The employer has overall responsibility for ensuring that health and safety is implemented†. All staff is responsible for ensuring health and safety at workplace is observed. â€Å"The building must be appropriately maintained and be suitable for purpose†. The environment should be clean, safe and appropriate for everyone in the setting. All equipments must be used safely. Accidents must be recorded and reported. The act also provides protection for employees is personal protection for employees is personal protective equipment must be provided free of charge and employees should be given instruction on its use, a safe working environment must be provided, first aid facilities must be provided. â€Å"COSHH is the law that all employers must follow in regards to harmful substances. All workplaces use harmful substances and the COSHH regulations are in place to ensure the safe use and storage of these materials†. All staff must carry out a COSHH risk assessment this because to identifying the potential risk of explosive to any harmful substance. All staff must ensure safety for the children by ensuring high levels of security across their premises, doors at the setting should be locked at all times. â€Å"Practitioners also need to make sure that the toys and resources they provide to the children are appropriate for their age and stage of development†. Evaluate the effectiveness of the environment in meeting children’s individual needs. Every setting should work closely with parents and multi-agencies. All setting should be aware of the support and services that other agencies provide, practitioners will support parents/carers to access these services. As a practitioner I should know that whenever I prepare environment for children or young people, I must know it’s important to consider their age and stage of development. I also need to ensure that the experiences and play opportunities offered carer the areas of development outlined in the EYFS. I also need to consider whether the environment meets the needs of the individual children. I should know children develop at different rates. As a practitioner I should know that some children will need more challenging activities while others may need a different type of activity or different resources. I should observe individual children to see how they engage with the environment will help me to plan appropriately. The most important activities during the day, such as playing, eating, sleeping, washing hands and going to the bathroom. â€Å"Children need to explore equipment and learn basic knowledge through direct experience†. Children with disabilities should be given the opportunity to take risks in their own play. As for with other children this will enable them to develop their self-esteem and confidence. â€Å"It is often difficult for parents to allow children with physical disabilities or medical conditions, such as epilepsy, to engage in physical play or ‘rough and tumble’ activities for fear of injury or seizure. They may therefore need reassurance to allow their children to participate.† â€Å"The emotional environment extends further than the furniture and resources contained within a space, and looks at feelings and emotions of the children within the learning environment†. The indoor environment have an immediate effect for children, this is when they will spend a large amount of their time. â€Å"The indoor environment should support the many different types of play that will support children’s learning and development†. â€Å"The EY values children’s independence and encourages child-initiated play and active learning. This needs to be reflected in the environment by organising toys and resources at child height to encourage children to access resources they wish to explore†. â€Å"The outdoor environment holds equal value to the indoor environment and provides many opportunities for learning and development. The outdoor environment provides a new context for learning to take place within and provides new opportunities†.