Interrelationship Between HRM and an Organisation

Interrelationship Between HRM and an Organisation INTRODUCTION The aim of this assignment is to examine the interrelationship between Human Resource Management (HRM), an organization and its environment. This essay will cover four main topics which will be discussed in detail. First part is The Strategic HRM with reference to Armstrong and Long (1994). Second part is Policies and practices with reference to Devanna, Fombrun Tichy (1984). Third part is challenges in human resource planning and fourth part is stages in planning process. Human resource management is defined as a tactical and coherent approach to the group of an organization’s most cherished assets; the people working at hand who individually and collectively contribute to the accomplishment of its objectives. Boxall et al (2007) illustrates HRM as the management of job and people en route for desired ends. Strategic HRM is an approach that explores how the organization’s goals will be achieved throughout individuals by means of HR strategy and incorporated HR policy and practices. Strategic human resource management â€Å"Strategic HRM addresses broad organisational concerns relating to changes in structure and culture, organizational effectiveness and performance, matching resources to future requirements and the management of change. Overall it will consider any major ‘people’ issues (Armstrong and Long 1994) Pak and save is best known as a supermarket retailer for grocery goods in NZ. It believes that they have a variety of employment policies to make certain that their workforce is as representative of the wider community.(Bized.co 2012) For changes in structure and culture employees usually has several options of employment including part time, flexible contracts for retail employees, job share, enhanced maternity leave/pay, paternity leave, special leave for personal development. (Bized.co(2012).It may be well argued that in many cases the human feature is over and done in relative to how they deal with people, leaving most employees unhappy creating a high staff turnover which harms organisational performance. It is then a great importance that individuals as opposed to just workers want to be managed in a way that dependable with broad organisational requirement such as effectiveness. Mainly organisational efficiency relies on they’re being a fixed ‘fit’ amongst human resource and business strategies. Overall strategies illustrate the general intentions of the association about how individuals must be managed on which potions must be taken to make sure so that as far as possible workers are dedicated, inspired and occupied. All operations regard quality as an important part whereby customers find is easy to judge the operation. As far as customer satisfaction is concerned, the empirical findings demonstrate that most of respondents are satisfied with the overall level of performance of their most preferred supermarket while others are neutral and dissatisfied. Department managers and staff are accountable for the way they communicate and conduct business within the organization. It engages the staff in learning and training techniques to improve their own management skills to meet up the everyday challenges of the working environment. Matching resources to future requirement for Pak and save is by keeping communicating support to employees. The employer develops clear goals, expresses the company’s commitment so that staff can work hard and achieve them, it assigns responsibilities such as training job analysis etc to designated staff members to achieve their set goals, and it ensures that assigned responsibilities are fulfilled. Also it provides appropriate resources for future. Management of change is adapting of knowledge to increase its capabilities. In order to keep Pak and save competitive it has to adopt strategic changes. It enables the organization to widen their services and provides the customers diverse options. It enables the customers to derive information about various products and services. Policies and Practices The formulation of HRM policies and implementation of personnel practices and procedures must be based on fundamental philosophies of controlling behaviour and employee relationships. Often referred to as the original model of strategic HRM the ‘matching model’ developed by Devanna, Fombrun Tichy (1984) shows how HR policies and practices are inextricably linked to the formulation and implementation of strategic corporate or business objectives. This model emphasises the need for ‘tight fit’ between HR and business strategies but also recognises the role of external forces and environmental circumstances in determining just what an organization’s mission and strategies might be. HRM is a top-level activity concerned with setting board directions and strategies. In this model planning is used. There is logical approach to the plan and organization of HR systems based on an employment policy and staffing strategy often underpinned by a philosophy. HR policies and activities are matched to some explicit business strategy. The Michigan model shown recognises the external and internal forces of HRM as a triangle. Management decides the mission and strategy, it designs the organisational structure to meet the strategy and mission, and integrates and organises HRM to fi t in with the structure and to fulfill the mission and strategy. The mission, strategy, organisational structure and human resource management cannot operate in isolation. They also need to respond to the external forces of politics, economics and culture. Once these have been taken into account, managers can commence to plan the human resource system. The Michigan model is based on strategic control, organisational structure and systems putting place for managing people. (Blog spot 2012). It explores the need for human assets to be managed to achieve strategic goals. Motivation and rewards are important but only as a means of achieving the organisational mission and goals. Economic forces that affect Pak and save are income, inflation, recession and interest rate. Political forces are either positively or negatively depending on the existing circumstances in the country. It mostly forms the outside factors which are a fraction of the macro-environment which controls the ability of individuals. Cultural forces are dealing with different ethnic groups of people for example like in Pak and save we deal with all kinds of races like asian, polynesian etc. Mission and strategies is the description of what the organization does. Every staff member’s actions in Pak and save express the mission statement by the behaviour and attitude in action. Organisational structure of any organization will vary upon the size and type of business. In retail store (Pak and Save) creates a variety of divisions for every particular function along with many layers of management. It has employees consisting of a manager, assistant manager and sales associates. An organisation operating ‘hard’ HRM would aim to have a rational fi t among the organisation’s strategy, structure and HRM systems. The management style would see employees as a means of achieving business goals, and employees would be valued only if their worth had a positive effect on business strategy. The hard model of HRM is much closer in its philosophy to free market thinking with the use of hiring, fi ring and cost-cutting to ensure that the human resource is fully utilised. Challenges in human resource planning Human Resource Planning (HRP) could be expressed as a procedure by which the organization ensures the right number of people and right kind of people, at the right place, at the right time doing the right things for which they are recruited and positioned for the accomplishment of goals of the business.(Mullick.H 2013). It is a procedure of deciding what positions the firm will have to fill up, and how to fill up them. (Mullick.H 2013).It also determines HR needs of the organization in the context of its strategic planning. Human resource planning is a continuous process. According to Dale S Beach (2013) â€Å"Human Resource Planning is a procedure of determining and assuring that the business will have an satisfactory quantity of skilled people on hand at the appropriate time, performing jobs which meet up the requirements of the enterprise and which give satisfaction for the people involved†. Some of the challenges of HRP are firstly, Economic and Technological Changes which is shift jobs for developing and to examine industries and telecommunications, pressures of global competition cause firms to adjust by lowering costs and rising production, growth of information technology (Thomson Business Professional Publishing.(2005). Secondly, Workforce Availability and Quality which is insufficient contribution of employees with required skills for â€Å"knowledge jobs†, education of workers in basic skills. Thirdly, Growth in Contingent Workforce which is Increases in short-term employees, independent contractors, leased workers, and temporary staff members caused by necessitate for flexibility in recruitment levels, greater than before trouble in sacking usual workers, reduced legal accountability from contract workers.(Essays.com 2013) Fourthly, demographics and diversity Issues which are more diversity of race, gender, age and ethnicity. Fifth, balancing Work and Family such as dual-career couples, single-parent households, decline in the â€Å" traditional family†, working mothers and family/childcare, single employee â€Å"backlash† against family-oriented programs. Lastly, Organizational Restructuring, Mergers, and Acquisitions which is â€Å"Right-sizing†Ã¢â‚¬â€eliminating of layers of management, closing facilities, integrating with other organizations such as Intended results are flatter organizations, increases in production, quality, service and lower costs, expenses are survivor approach, loss of employee loyalty, and turnover of priceless workers. HR managers must work in the direction of ensuring cultural compatibility in mergers. Stages in Planning Process Human resource planning is a strategy for the acquisition, utilisation, improvement retention of an organization’s human resources.(Scribed Inc 2013).It is the procedure of analyzing and identifying the requirement for and accessibility of human resources so that the business can meet up its objectives. There are six steps in this approach: first is strategic business plans .The organization’s mission and strategies form the foundation for all human resources planning. By analysing the strategies and plans managers gain a clear view of the organizations directions and to be able to find out what type of organizational skills and proficiency are essential to achieve strategic goals and planned targets. Relation to Pak and save supermarket uses strategies to attract attention of consumers and to increase the sales. Different techniques are implemented so that they can achieve the goals and managers are being guided by the store manager on how planning has to be done prio r to the activities. Secondly, human resource requirements the organization must plan how it will organize and manage the work involved. Whether it is necessary to change the structure of the organization and how the workload can be distributed. This stage involves job design, job analysis and person profiles. For example in Pak and savethe store manager instructs the department managers on their duties and the managers assign their department staff member’s duties. On checkout department, my manager instructs on which shifts I should be working and tells in detail on how the job should be done. Thirdly human resource availability – The supply side of the equation requires equally carefully analysis. It involves the assessment of the organisations current human resources stock and the prediction of movement likely to occur in future. For example in Pak and savethe stock is ordered before a day so that shortage doesn’t arise and by having available stock all the time makes customers happy to do shopping rather than discouraged to come in store. For future it shows a positive view for the customers and the job is secured for the staff members. It is the estimation number and value of customers necessary to gather future desires for the business. Fourthly, assessment of human resources needs is comparing human resources needs with existing resources is at the heart of HR successful planning. It covers internal and external sources of supply.Fifthly action planning which involves planning of organizations current human resources and its future needs which are preparations of new organizations charts, job descriptions, and job evaluations, development of remuneration management plans, performance appraisal, career development and counseling activities. Sixthly, implementation and monitoring Implementation and monitoring – The planning effort can be wasted if the resulting plans aren’t carefully implemented and monitored. HR planni ng however is not a static or one time exercise. It is a continuous process which requires constant checking and adjustment as circumstances and needs change, at the quantitative level, supply and demand forecast should be updated from time to time. At the quantitative level there is need of checking required so that the recruitment selection, development and training, retention activities and downsizing plan. Conclusion The aim of this assignment has been to investigate the connection between the function of an organization’s HRM within its wider strategy. This essay argued that the development of strategic HRM in the literature is a clear indication and also provided a literature review of specific areas for developing strategic approach to HRM. Reference Armstrong, M and Long, P (1994) the Reality of Strategic HRM, Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Bized.co(2012). Sinsbury Case Study. Retrieved from http://www.bized.co.uk/compfact/sainsbury/sainsindex.htm?page=15 Blog spot.com (2012). Michigan model. Retrieved from  http://paulooliveiramartins1967.blogspot.com/2012/11/unit-1-michigan-model.html Dale.S.(2013). What is Human Resource. Retrieved from http://www.whatishumanresource.com/human-resource-planning Fombrun, C., Tichy, N., Devanna, M. (Eds.). (1984). Strategic Human Resources Management. New York: John Wiley. Mullick.H(2013).Human Resource Planning. Retrieved from  http://www.slideshare.net/HARENDRA_MULLICK/human-resource-planning-10503057 Rudman, R. (2000).Human resources management in New Zealand.(4th ed.).Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson Education New Zealand Limited Scribd Inc. (2013).Human Resource Planning. Retrieved from  http://www.scribd.com/doc/37546102/Human-Resource-Planning Singh, S (2013). Human Resource (handout). Auckland, New Zealand: Aotearoa Tertiary Institute: Diploma in Business. Thomson Business Professional Publishing.(2005).Nature of human resource management. Retrieved from  http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/virick_m/bus150_slides/Ch1.ppt Retail.com(2013). Organisation. Retrieved from  http://retail.about.com/od/staffingyourstore/a/organization.htm?vm=rvm=r UK Essays.com(2013).The Current and Future Conditions of HRM Management. Retrieved from  http://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/the-current-and-future-conditions-of-hrm-management-essay.php

The lamb to the slaughter and The speckled band :: English Literature

Wide Reading: The lamb to the slaughter and The speckled band For me, a good murder mystery needs to contain a mixture of aspects. Like in mid-summer murders and Morse it needs to include the following things, a good setting, there needs to be a good setting so that it sets up the whole of the story, it needs to be somewhere quiet and peaceful. The characters need to be strong characters that all relate to each other, there also needs to be a twist in the characters to add depth an mystery, perhaps the last clue to the murderer. The murderer has to be someone unexpected, someone who perhaps wasn't the strongest character. The victim has to be someone who has mystery but perhaps gave the killer reason to, so you might feel that they deserved it but you might have sympathy for, it also needs to be someone you least expect to be killed, perhaps the stronger character. And the detective has to be someone who everyone can sort of relate to, who has a slight mystery behind him or her so that even when you think you know them there is a skeleton in their closet. The murder weapon has to be something of power and something that represents some element in the play. It also has to be something unexpected like an exotic animal or as in lamb to the slaughter, a leg of lamb! Also the plot has to be thick and unexpected, with plenty of twists and red herrings. It also needs to make the reader feel included in the story so you feel as if you were there. Finally the ending of the story has to be meaningful and it needs to draw a conclusion. The killer has to be found, the reasons to be explained and the murder it self be told and what happened prior to the event. This finishes off what happened and lets us draw our own conclusions, although for a good murder mystery something's need to be left a mystery. I am going to compare the different areas in each story. I shall be comparing the following  · Settings  · Characters The settings for Lamb To The Slaughter and The Speckled Band a very different. The setting for the speckled band is in Victorian England, in the earlier 1900's. it is set in a country town, in a big mansion. A wealthy family lives in it. It is torn apart by deceit, greed and the death of the lady of the household. The back ground to the story goes a little something like this. The lady of the Stoke morans first

stds :: essays research papers

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Essay written by: "pci" STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are diseases that are transmitted through sexual intercourse with another domestic partner. Usually STD’s are transmitted through oral, anal, vaginal, or other sexually active bodily contact. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are 100% avoidable. There are many techniques, but the most effective way is to have sexual intercourse with only one partner in your whole life, making sure that your partner didn’t have sexual involvements with anyone else. Another method is a condom. A condom fits over the male erect penis, to protect both partners of any diseases that may possibly exist. It is also vital to buy the right kind of condom. Some condoms are porous, which means bacteria can travel through the holes as well as sperm. A good condom would be one with a small latex tip to avoid breaking of the condom. Overall, latex condoms are good ways to prevent STD’s and pregnancy, but they do break, so its not 100% guaranteed to prevent pregn ancy or disease. There are many methods out there, but the most effective method is to have sexual intercourse with one partner. Who thought that sex would be easy? It’s not. Nowadays we have tons of diseases, which are fatal. Only some of them are curable, and some can be slowed down. But all of them can be prevented. The most common sexually transmitted diseases are: Chlamidia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes(Simplex II), NGU(Nongonicoccal Urethritis), Vaginitis, Genital Warts, Pubic Lice/Scabies, AIDS, and Hepatitis. Chlamidia is a disease, which is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. If you had this disease, you would experience bleeding between menstrual periods, abdominal pain, and painful urination. There is another term for painful urination. It is called â€Å"urinary tract infection†. This group includes Cystititis or Urethritis caused by Gonorrhea or Chlamidia. Fortunately, this disease can be treated unlike many STDs. Actually treatment of Chlamidia is quite simple. Some antibiotics, doxycycline, tetracycline, or zithromax will cure the problem within a week – a month. If this disease is not handled, urination will be more complicated due to the enlargement of the prostate gland in a male, your reproductive organs will malfunction and get damaged, and this disease can be transmitted to the fetus when a woman is pregnant. Gonorrhea is usually the cause of heart trouble and abdominal problems. It is a treatable disease, which takes some time. Usually daily doses of antibiotics will cure this problem. stds :: essays research papers Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Essay written by: "pci" STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) are diseases that are transmitted through sexual intercourse with another domestic partner. Usually STD’s are transmitted through oral, anal, vaginal, or other sexually active bodily contact. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are 100% avoidable. There are many techniques, but the most effective way is to have sexual intercourse with only one partner in your whole life, making sure that your partner didn’t have sexual involvements with anyone else. Another method is a condom. A condom fits over the male erect penis, to protect both partners of any diseases that may possibly exist. It is also vital to buy the right kind of condom. Some condoms are porous, which means bacteria can travel through the holes as well as sperm. A good condom would be one with a small latex tip to avoid breaking of the condom. Overall, latex condoms are good ways to prevent STD’s and pregnancy, but they do break, so its not 100% guaranteed to prevent pregn ancy or disease. There are many methods out there, but the most effective method is to have sexual intercourse with one partner. Who thought that sex would be easy? It’s not. Nowadays we have tons of diseases, which are fatal. Only some of them are curable, and some can be slowed down. But all of them can be prevented. The most common sexually transmitted diseases are: Chlamidia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes(Simplex II), NGU(Nongonicoccal Urethritis), Vaginitis, Genital Warts, Pubic Lice/Scabies, AIDS, and Hepatitis. Chlamidia is a disease, which is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. If you had this disease, you would experience bleeding between menstrual periods, abdominal pain, and painful urination. There is another term for painful urination. It is called â€Å"urinary tract infection†. This group includes Cystititis or Urethritis caused by Gonorrhea or Chlamidia. Fortunately, this disease can be treated unlike many STDs. Actually treatment of Chlamidia is quite simple. Some antibiotics, doxycycline, tetracycline, or zithromax will cure the problem within a week – a month. If this disease is not handled, urination will be more complicated due to the enlargement of the prostate gland in a male, your reproductive organs will malfunction and get damaged, and this disease can be transmitted to the fetus when a woman is pregnant. Gonorrhea is usually the cause of heart trouble and abdominal problems. It is a treatable disease, which takes some time. Usually daily doses of antibiotics will cure this problem.

Foreign Policy Paxton Hibben and Henry Morgenthau Essay -- American fo

Paxton Hibben Paxton Pattison Hibben, soldier, diplomat, and journalist, born December 5, 1880 grew up to become a prominent voice in shaping American foreign policy in the World War I era. Lending his experiences as a solider, his skills as journalist, and his position as a United States diplomat, he helped bring the voices of foreign powers and peoples to the American people and government. Devoting much of his time and resources to humanitarian aid he helped in the rebuilding of war ravished nations, and the release of Japanese prisoners of war. Going beyond just governmental influence, Hibben worked to change the hearts and minds of the American people toward foreign nations as well. Hibben’s out spoken nature and inability to let an injustice pass silently landed him in trouble numerous times with the government he worked for, making for an eventful life of political and social influence. As a Harvard graduate with a degree in law Hibben decided to pursue the life of a United States diplomat. He was not far along on the path before he received an invitation to join the United States government in service as a diplomat by President Roosevelt himself. Serving the United States Hibben found himself in St. Petersburg Russia where he worked hard to learn the language and witnessed the first hand the effects of war in the Soviet nation. It was here that Hibben gained his first national recognitions in humanitarian work. Through his service in the Russo-Japanese war toward Japanese prisoners of war in Russia, Hibben was awarded the declaration of the Fourth Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the emperor of Japan. Hibben worked providing immediate physically aid, and aiding in their eventual release and return. In hi... ...versity Press, 1906. Passos, John, 1919: Volume Two of the U.S.A. Trilogy. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1946. Patenaude, Bertrand, â€Å"Food as a Weapon.† Stanford University Hoover Digest No. 1, January 30, 2007. http://www.hoover.org/publications/hoover-digest/article/6135 (accessed April 2, 2014). Roosevelt, Franklin, â€Å"Executive Order 9417 Establishing the War Refugee Board.† The American Presidency Project by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley (January 22, 1944). Available at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16540 (accessed April 9, 2014). Stutter, Robert, â€Å"U.S.-Chinese Relations: Perilous Past, Pragmatic Present.† Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, June 6, 2010. 100 Years Federal Reserve System, â€Å"Henry Morgenthau, Jr.† 100 Years Federal Reserve System, http://www.federalreservehistory.org/People/DetailView/247 (accessed April 9, 2014).

I Prefer to Live in Big Cities Than in Small Towns

I Prefer to Live in Big Cities than in Small-towns In English, there is a well-known fairy story about a poor country boy, Dick Whittington, who goes to London because he believes that the streets of that city are â€Å"paved with gold†. The story is a tale of â€Å"from rags to riches†. Dick eventually becomes the Lord Mayor of London. Like the hero of that story, I love to take adventure in the cities. I grew up in a small town and then moved to a big city, so I have experienced the good and bad sides of both. I never thought that I would like living in a big city, but I was wrong.Cities contain a great assortment of people. Whenever I walk around a shopping precinct at midday on a weekend, I am fascinated by all the different types of people hurrying around the shops. Sometimes, I just sit on a public bench and simply watch the variegated streams of shoppers. Today, in the age of globe-trotting transport and communications, city life is more mixed than it has ever be en. Capital cities are not cosmopolitan, and eager to attract foreign trade currency. There is a contemporary English joke which tells that â€Å"you can never find an Englishman in London†.The United States is made up of people of different races, religions, abilities, and interests. However, you seldom find such a variety of people in a smaller town. I think that living in an area where everyone was just like me would quickly become boring. Whether rightly or wrongly, I love the excitement of big cities. Small towns have a slow pace. Large cities mean you have to adapt to a variety of situations, like finding a new route to work or trying a new restaurant. I enjoy that challenge very much. Another pan of the excitement of city living is the variety of cultural activities available.There is a wide assortment of theatre, music and dance performances available in big cities. These things are rare in small ones. Governments and local authorities usually build public amenities i n the big cities. Money is invested in transport, libraries, parks and museums. Often, countries will compete with each other for the best â€Å"show-case† building. Malaysia has built a skyscraper that is taller than is anything in New York. In large countries, region will compete against region: New York against Chicago, Shanghai against Hong Kong and Beijing. All of this is good for the citizen.The magic of the Dick Whittington story is rekindled in me when I enter a library in a magnificent building. If a person is at university studying art or music, a large city usually offers galleries and public performances. Even when I was a teenager, I appreciated the worth of living in a city because two or three times a year there was a rock concert by one of my favorite bands. There is one thing I want to talk is small-towns and big cities both have some problems in terms of transportation. In a small town, you have to own a car to ensure a comfortable living.You can't get aroun d without one because there isn't any kind of public transportation. Big cities generally have heavy traffic and expensive parking, but there you have a choice of taking public transportation. It's not free, but it's often cheaper than driving when you consider gas and time. Especially if you don't have a car, you're better off in the city. And of course, security is a concern, and that's one area where small towns are superior to big cities. Still, I would rather be a bit more cautious and live in a large city than to feel secure but bored.

Behavioral scientists Essay

Gang violence is a social phenomenon that has caught the interests of behavioral scientists, psychologists and other related fields. At the forefront is the fact that gangs are social groups that have exclusive rules and strict codes of brotherhood which can actually provide the need for belongingness and affiliation as well as security in the harsh life in the city streets. Surprisingly, gangs have been associated with violence for the longest time, the term gang is already perceived as negative and that at present, gang is synonymous to violence, criminal acts and substance abuse. People join gangs for various reasons but it has been found that adolescents who have been victims of abuse, have dysfunctional family systems, school drop-outs and those in foster care generally join gangs more than the normal teenager. Thus, the final project is geared towards bringing about behavior change for adolescents at risk of joining gangs and or has a tendency for violence. Before drawing up a concrete behavior change program, it is important to examine how this could be brought about by factors like motivation and cultural awareness. Motivating people to change is not an easy feat, generally, if a person is set in his/her ways, then asking them to change something that they do not perceive to be evil or negative is a futile act. Central to the concept of motivation is that the goal offered to the individual must be meaningful to him/her, one that is personally desired and can be owned as a personal decision. This is where choice comes in, when a person is confronted with a choice; his/her reaction to it depends on their circumstances and present state of mind (Iyengar & Lepper, 1999). In this context, choosing to change their behavior should come from their internal desire to change, to become better and to be removed from their present difficulties. For example, if the behavior that is targeted to be modified is expressions of anger, it makes sense to the person to change this if he/she can realize that his/her actions hurt other people and that it also causes people to avoid them and hence lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Gangs are often formed around cultural groups, that is one gang can be comprised of Latinos, others are blacks, and others Asians and or whites. Thus, a program for behavior change should also consider the different cultural underpinnings of the gang and its members, if the gang is made up of black Americans, then asking them to join a program geared towards changing them, might be construed as culturally motivated, they have to be changed because they are blacks. There is much emotionality when it comes to culturally specific gangs and it cannot be denied that emotion may get in the way of participating in a program that is designed to change them (Markus & Kitayama, 1991) Motivation is also said to be affected by culture, one has to be able to correctly identify the cultural background of the gang or the participants of the project so as to provide a more culturally relevant and sensitive program. Lastly, motivation can be defined as extrinsic and intrinsic, it has been generally accepted that intrinsic motivation is more positive, more important and influential than extrinsic motivation thus the behavior change program should appeal to the intrinsic motivation of the participants. Intrinsic motivation is the feelings and behavior that drives the person to act in a certain way or to commit to a behavior change program. Internal means that it is something personal and valued by the person, it can be the desire for self-awareness, confidence and achievement, whereas extrinsic motivations are physical and tangible like prestige, money and awards (Sansone & Harackiewicz, 2000). The behavior change program should be designed to spark the intrinsic motivation of the participants, thus conducting an orientation seminar will introduce the participant to the program and letting them experience how good it is to be able to know who they are, to know that they mattered and someone cared for them would facilitate rapport and trust between the researcher and the participant. If the concepts of choice, culture and motivation will be adequately examined and integrated into the planned program, then surely the project would be a success. References Iyengar, S. & Lepper, M. (1999). Rethinking the role of choice: A cultural perspective on intrinsic motivation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 349-366. Markus, H. & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98, 224-253. Sansone, C. & Harackiewicz, J. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation: The search for optimal motivation and performance. San Diego: Academic Press.

Framework for the Assessment of Children and their Families Essay

The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (which I will refer to as the assessment framework in this assignment) is an ecological framework that includes personal, intra-personal, inter-personal and sociological influences on development. It was developed in response to findings from a programme of research on child protection (Department of Health 1995), and a series of government inspections (Social Services Inspectorate 1997a,b). Social workers often have to balance the needs of children and families with agency requirements, which Davies (1997), points out are often underpinned by a legal mandate therefore accountability is a complex concept in social work. The assessment framework provides a systematic way of gathering, analysing, understanding and recording what is happening to children and young people within their families and the wider context of the community in which they live, (Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment, Home Office, 2000); and the skill in undertaking and recording an assessment according to Coulshed & Orme (1998 p.26) lies in the ability of professionals to collect enough of the right kind of information and this can only be done in the right kind of environment. Cleaver and Walker’s (2003) research study found that the implementation of the assessment framework overall has been successful, it has facilitated joint working  between agencies having a profound influence on policy and practice in children’s services. The Every Child Matters policy initiative was a positive social policy programme in a lot of respects and a catalyst for radical reform however some of the processes and procedures invaded and undermined the rights of the child to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention for Human Rights (ECHR), Hoyle, (2008), which I will discuss further in this assignment. There have been many criticisms of the assessment framework and Helm (2011) mentions that even though the quality of assessments have improved there is persistent difficulty with levels and quality of analysis and a repeated failure amongst professionals to pay sufficient attention to what children and young people may be saying about their own needs and experiences. Parton (2010) highlights that during the period since late 2008 & the tragic death of Baby P, the focus has shifted more centrally to child protection where prior to this period the emphasis was on ‘safeguarding’, and there has been a renewed official priority given to social work to which the developments have been given an added impetus with the election of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition government in May 2010 which generated the Munro review into child protection. I will provide a critical analysis of how relevant legislation and policy impact on assessing the needs of children and their families and I will discuss ways that inadequate assessments can lead to failures. To successfully implement the assessment framework a process has to be followed which requires social workers to be skilful and experienced. I will explore ways in which the assessment framework is a useful tool in contemporary social work practice, identifying the significance of risk and safeguarding with children and young people and how we can learn from past mistakes. In addition I will discuss some of the dilemmas that social workers face with the assessment process in relation to the rights of children and families. Legislation and Policy in the Children and Families Assessment Framework The assessment framework was introduced under section (7) of the Local Authority Social Services Act in 2000 and implemented in April 2001. (Millar & Corby, (2006). It followed the introduction of the Children Act (1989) which legitimises actions taken by social workers. The framework builds on the duties of assessment of needs set out in section (17) and schedule (2) para (3) of the Children Act 1998. (Parker & Bradley, p.18), and builds on responsibilities under section (47) of the Children Act which obliges local authorities to consider making inquires if concerns have been expressed about a child’s well-being or possible maltreatment. Assessments under section (47) involve a shared responsibility in consultation with other professionals. Failure to properly implement Section (17) schedule (2) meant that the broader welfare needs of disadvantaged children was overlooked so the DOH had to refocus social work practice so that child protection concerns were included in the assessment framework. Parker (2007) states that the assessment framework is policy driven and highlights the importance of inter-agency sharing of information and cooperation in working together, while emphasising the principles of person-centred, strengths-based practice. It is made up of three domains (triangle) that represent the child’s developmental needs, the parenting capacity to respond to those needs and family and environmental factors with the child’s welfare at the centre (Department of Health, 2000a). According to Parton (2010), there was an important shift under the New Labour government away from services that were framed primarily in terms of ‘the family’ to ones that were explicitly ‘child-centred’. The Every Child Matters (ECM) policy framework a direct response to the Climbie Report was developed within government and championed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in September (2003), and underpins the Children Act (2004). The ECM joined-up services for children and families under one roof; so how can anyone dispute that not every child matters? Well, it only applied in 150 local authority areas in England and was not scheduled for  implementation in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which would lead to the assumption that every child matters in England but not in the United Kingdom. Also under the ECM framework was a considerable financial investment, made in establishing a universal child surveillance database (Contact Point) and countless areas of activity concerning children but were brigaded under the ‘every child matters’ brand. The Integrated Children System which built on the assessment framework according to White et al, (2010) disrupted the professional task, engendering a range of unsafe practices and provoked a gathering storm of user resistance, (p.405). Parton (2011, p.16) notes that the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition government made it clear, after its election victory in May 2010, that it was the reduction in the public finance debt that was its overriding and most urgent political priority and immediately set about reducing public expenditure. The new government established an independent review of child protection, chaired by Eileen Munro within three weeks of coming into office, (Parton, 2010, p.2); and the new government also began to dismantle key elements of the ECM framework (e.g. Contact Point), and almost consigned the enormous ECM website to the archive! ( Butler & Hickman, 2011). Research tells us that when thresholds are likely to be raised if there are limited resources, financial constraints or the pressure of increased workloads, this is a way that organisations can ration responses, by prioritising cases, (Turney et al, 2011), executive summary notes that, where children are neglected or abused evidence in dicates that the help they received from services was inadequate. The Munro review is the latest in a long line of policy initiatives in England set up to address the challenges for the state and wider society to the problem of child abuse. (Parton, 1985:2006). The review argues that a major reason why child protection policy and practice has developed in the way that it has in England arises from negative and critical responses from the media to professionals, in particular social workers, so improving the public image of social work is key to improving child protection. (Parton,  2012, p.158). But the review did not make it clear what it meant by child protection or what it identified as the main aims of the child protection system (p.154) The Assessment Process Assessment can be seen as an on-going, continuous and mutual process in which the service user interacts and participates. Darlymple and Burke (2006) explain that participation defines an activity where people are not just listened to or consulted but are also able to influence and achieve change. It is a process of what has happened and what is happening now. (Butler & Hickman, 2011 p.168), and Smale et al. (1993) highlight the idea of ‘exchange’ in assessment in which a two-way communication takes place, enabling the views of service users and professionals to be accorded equal respect. The assessment framework describes itself as ‘rooted in child development’, (DOH, 2000) therefore it is vital that social workers have a thorough understanding in child development as this is critical for work with children and families. It takes the skill and talent and understanding of a social worker to make sense of the information gathered from different sources and begin the process with the information in front of them. Sometimes the information needs to be collected again and again at the cost of the people using the services, especially if they have already given information to a social worker previously, but the process is an on-going one so in some cases negotiations need to be made with a range of people. Each child’s needs should be assessed individually when referred to services. An initial assessment is completed within 7-10 days. The initial assessment gathers information along the three parameters of assessment framework, which determines what services (if any) are needed. The tight time constraints can at this stage in the assessment framework can influence the initial decisions about where and how to manage referrals. Regan (2001) mentions that the form filling associated with the assessment framework is a time-consuming obstacle to the process of engaging helpfully with people.  (cited in Millar & Corby, 2006, p. 888). The core assessment which is an in-depth process containing numerous questions, is only necessary if it is clear from the initial assessment that a more detailed assessment is required and if there are safeguarding concerns. It uses the full model of the assessment (the child’s needs, the needs within the wider community) and the (capacity of the parents) and should be done within 35 working days. Current statutory guidance on promoting the health and well-being of looked after children (DCSF, 2009) suggests the use of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as an early stage screening tool for this purpose. (cited in Turney et al, 2011). In social work practice, it is important to agree on the assessment plan with the child and it’s family so all parties are aware who is going to be doing ‘what’ and ‘when’, and how the assessment will be used to inform overall judgements about the child’s needs and subsequent planning, (DOH, 2000a). Two studies conducted by Corby et al, (2002a) who sought the views of 34 sets of parents being assessed under the new framework, concluded that almost all parents were satisfied or had positive views about the initial assessments and two-thirds felt in a similar way about core assessments. Focus groups who also took part in the study were also positive about initial assessments and had mixed views about the core assessments. The majority raised issues about time constraints and staff resources. The study doesn’t mention, which local authority area the study took place, the ages of the parents or the ethnic origins as this may have made a difference to the outcome. Anti-oppressive and Anti-discriminatory practice when conducting assessments should take into account people’s differences, for example religion, colour or race. If assessments are done correctly it will be person-centred and will include diverse factors such as the gender, sexuality or age of a person, cited in Turney et al, (2011). They also note criticisms of the child development model and that it doesn’t take into account the child’s disability and suggest that the assessment should include tailoring of templates to reflect their strengths, abilities and needs through their chosen method of communication. Coulshed and Orme (1983) discuss drawbacks to the assessment process in that they could be used to control not just access to services but also disadvantaged sections of the community for example dossiers kept on so-called ‘problem families’ or those who have assertively sought assistance, and Ahmad (1990) mentions the adjective ‘aggressive’ which is applied to black clients who assert their needs for equitable services and that white assessments fail to take into account black realities and environments. Preston-Shoot, (2003) adds that studies have shown that social workers have a lack of referencing to research and theory in their assessment reports. The components of the assessment framework requires more than just vision. It requires social workers to observe behaviours as well as gather information which can be non-verbal, for example observing facial expressions, looking at attachments with family members, observing body language etc. The message in social worker practice is clear, that when working with children and their families it is vital to have a non-judgemental manner, not to make assumptions when carrying out assessments and intervening with individuals and to keep an open mind. In addition social workers should, maintain adequate and accurate note keeping records and should ensure accountability when working in collaboration with other organisations. Risk and Safeguarding The discussion of risk and safeguarding and allocation of resources is a reminder of the power that social workers hold. The assessment framework (Department of Health et al., 2000), attempted to move the focus from the assessment of risk of child abuse and ‘significant harm’ (Department of Health, 2001) to one that was concerned with the idea of risk of impairment to a child’s overall development in the context of their family and community environment. (cited in Parton, 2010 p.7). Parton, (2010) discusses that by the early 1990s the child protection and child welfare systems could be characterised in terms of the need to  identify ‘high risk’ cases so that these could be differentiated from the rest. According to Dale et al., 1986; Parton and Parton, 1989, ‘High-risk’ was conceptualised in terms of ‘dangerousness’, for it occurred in the small minority of ‘dangerous families’, and such families were subject to extreme family dysfunctions and violent personalities and were seen as the primary cause of child abuse and needed to be identified so children could be protected. Government guidelines that specifically focused on ‘the protection of children from abuse’ was reinforced further in the only official guide on the purpose and content of professional assessments from the Department of Health, (1998) guide, Protecting Children: A Guide for Social Workers Undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment. The guide was specifically designed for social workers in cases where abuse was either substantiated or highly suspected and was concerned with assessments for ‘long-term planning in child protection’ cases. (Parton, 2010, p.6) So how can risk be identified? According to the (2003) Green Paper the risk characteristics of experiencing negative outcomes is concentrated in children with certain characteristics, and the more risk factors a child had, the more likely it was that they would experience negative outcomes for example ‘poor parenting’, ‘crime’ and ‘anti-social & deviant behaviour’ are seen to playing key roles and it is stated that identifying factors and intervening early provided a major strategy for overcoming the social exclusion of children and avoiding problems later in life. (cited in Parton, 2010, p.10) The Department of Health (Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2005), following the introduction of the Children Act (1989) commissioned a series of research studies which reported an over-emphasis on issues of abuse and neglect at the expense of assessing and supporting families. The (SCIE) drafted the report ‘Managing risk and minimising mistakes in services to children and families’ in 2005. The report based on a pilot study of organisational approaches to risk management and includes opportunities for learning from safeguarding incidents. The teams involved in the study were practitioners and service users recruited from England and Wales and fieldwork was conducted in July/August 2004 from both teams. Regarding the  needs assessment, the report mentions that assessing and safeguarding children from significant harm is complex, which means that near misses involves cases where potential significant harm to children was overlooked. During the referral and assessment stage the near misses arise due to the prioritisation of cases  professional not having an accurate or full picture of what is happening decisions made by other teams or agencies The report concludes that in relation to assessing the needs of children in particular the need to safeguard them from significant harm practitioners commentaries showed that near misses were a regular occurrence and were part and parcel of the job. The report also suggested that latent failures are embedded in the system which include a lack of sufficient resources to meet the needs of children and families. (SCIE, 2005, p.35) The role of social work practice in children’s services in England has in relation to child protection seen a dramatic change. Since late 2008, Parton (2010) mentions that following the Baby P’s tragic death, policy and practice have moved in new directions and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS, 2009) reported that there were nearly 50 per cent more care applications to court in the second half of 2008-09 compared with the first half of that year. High-profile and very public criticisms of social workers and other health and welfare professionals in cases of child abuse put increasing pressure on child welfare services in the UK. (Parton, 1985; Butler and Drakeford, (2005). More recently the sentencing of 9 Asian men in the ‘Rochdale Grooming’ case in which critics have highlighted further ‘protection’ issues amongst professionals. So with clear messages from research, what is the best way for professionals to address issues of risk to children? The report focused primarily on active failures and it states that good practice is to learn from past mistakes and a key means for learning is to harness the knowledge and expertise from service users and to improve assessment systems promoting the welfare of children and families. (SCIE, 2005). Social workers also need to  know why they are seeking a particular piece of information and how to process it questioning all the information from sources, being intuitive and thinking analytically and critically. Professional issues in relation to rights of children and families and the assessment process. Jones (2001) mentions that social work assessment frameworks in general largely ignore the value of listening and forming supportive relationships, diminishing the power of service users to express their concerns effectively, and adds that social workers often have to balance the needs and rights of the child with those of the parents. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) sets out the independent rights of the children, but it also states that the ‘best interests of the child’ are usually served by supporting the child’s family, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, (2005). The (JRF), 2005 study examined the tensions inherent in child and family policy, it’s implications of human rights legislation for policy development and the extent to which government has managed these responsibilities through the development of appropriate policies and structures for service delivery. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), sets out the parents and children entitlements, including the right for respect for family life enshrined in Article (8). The (2005) study encourages a debate about managing the tensions between policies in support of children and those directed at parents and the family and concludes that contradictions and conflicts in policy in children’s welfare eclipses parents’ rights, and there is no consistent overview of how interests of family members are managed across the generations. It also states that at local level, Children’s Trusts might be strengthened by changing their name to Children and Family Trusts encouraging holistic thinking and making their remit explicit. ‘Although the ECHR has been integrated into domestic law through the Human Rights Act, it’s entitlements are not promoted in social policy and despite signing up to the CRC the government has not incorporated its articles into UK legislation’. (JRF, 2005) It is important as part of the assessment process and for a good assessment to keep the focus of the child at the centre of the assessment process. Although this may be a problem with teenagers who are already going through changes and many of whom have estranged relationships with their parents and families. Studies note that there is sometimes an unwillingness of some social workers to intervene with teenagers and evidence from Serious Case Reviews indicate that suicide was a common cause of death with teenagers aged between the ages of 16 to 17 years of age. Social workers need to be aware of the dangers and of the impact of non-engagement with teenagers, and agencies need to have appropriate strategies and resources in place to address their needs (Brandon et al., 2008 and 2009; Hicks and Stein, 2010; Stein, 2007) (cited in Turney et al , (2011). The Turney et al, (2011) research article indicates that there are difficulties for many social workers in making and sustaining relationships with children and with representing the child’s voice in assessments and evidence shows that on occasions practice has fallen short of the standard required. Helm (2011) writes that children and young people have clearly identified that professionals fail to really listen, not because of a lack of time, but because they focus on adults views and protect themselves from the difficult nature of what they are being told. (p.908) Ferguson, (2001) mentions the difficulties that social workers and other professionals face in such cases of assessing the needs of children while at the same time trying to engage a mother and father who don’t always want the intervention, and research shows that there is considerable evidence that the nature of parental relationships with professionals affect decisions arising from assessments. Turney et al, (2011). Assessments of disabled children raises a number of complexities and challenges; for example the child developmental model underpinning the assessment framework can be seen by some social workers as not appropriate for disabled children (Cleaver et al.,2004; Mitchell and Sloper, 2008). Children need support at various stages of the assessment process so as to be  able to exercise their own rights. (Butler & Williamson 1994, Darlymple & Hough 1995). The child’s views whether expressed verbally or non-verbally and those of relevant people in the child’s life to the assessment is usually sought to get ideas about the best way of helping the child. (Coulshed and Orme, p.26). The assessments of parents relies on verbal communication, but if the parent has learning disabilities or there are language barriers communication could be misinterpreted. A qualitative study carried out by Walker (1999 a,b) in which 15 children aged between 12 and 15 were interviewed for the purpose of viewing children’s experiences of review meetings. Many of the children viewed assessment as formal and bureaucratic, which they said took place on the adults’ terms, and many wanted to get away from the meetings as soon as possible. One child described feeling as an outsider, when adults opened their diaries and planned the next meeting without consultation with the child. Some children felt the language used was difficult, and the aim of meetings was to talk about them and not with them. Conclusion The Assessment Framework is underpinned by child development and an ecological framework developed in response to findings from a programme of research on child protection. It provides a systematic way for social workers to gather and analyse information and recordings of what is happening to children and young people within their families and the wider community in which they live. Legislation and policy legitimises what actions social workers can take when undertaking assessments. There was an important shift under the New Labour Government in assessment with the ‘Every Child Matters’ policy framework which was a direct response to the Climbie Report & the death of Victoria Climbie. The ECM framework joined-up children’s services under one roof, but it was only implemented in England, it was a considerable financial investment and established a child surveillance database and countless areas of activity were brigaded under the ‘every child matters’ brand. Within 3 weeks of coming into office in May 2010, the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition government’s most urgent political priority was reducing the public finance debt. The government established an independent review of child protection chaired by Eileen Munro, which is the latest in a long line of policy initiatives in England. The new government dismantled the key elements of the ECM framework almost consigning the enormous ECM website to the archives. The Assessment Framework as a process appears to have been welcomed by professionals and service users, but there have been criticisms. Messages from research tell us that the issues raised from professionals regarding the assessment process were the time constraints and staff resources and usually when there are limited resources, thresholds are likely to be raised and organisations tend to ration responses to their services by prioritising cases, and Turney et al (2011) note that in cases where children are neglected or abused evidence shows that the help they received from services was inadequate. Discussing Risk and Safeguarding according to Parton (2010) ‘high risk’ in the early 1990’s was conceptualised in terms of ‘dangerousness’ and occurred in a small minority of dangerous families. But the 2003 Green Paper looks at certain characteristics associated with risk such as ‘poor parenting’ or ‘anti-social behaviour’ (deviance) as playing a key role in negative outcomes associated to ‘risk’. The Social Care Institute for Excellence 2005 study found that during the referral and assessment stages near misses occurred due to prioritisation over cases and professionals not having an accurate or full picture of what is happening in a child’s life and that near misses were part and parcel of the job. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child notes ‘the best interests of the child’ are usually served by supporting the child and their family and although the European Convention on Human Rights sets out the parents and children entitlements in Article 8, according to a study conducted by the (2005) Joseph Rowntree Foundation study the entitlements  are not promoted to social policy and despite signing up to the CRC the government has not incorporated its articles into UK legislation. For good assessments it is important that social workers keep the focus on the children and young people and use intuitive skills even though there are difficulties in social work practice in making and sustaining relationships. References Ahmad, A. (1990) Practice with Care, London, Race Equality Unit/National Institute for Social Work. Bartlett, H. (1970) The Common Base of Social Work Practice. New York: National Association of Social Workers. 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