Ways Children Looked After By Local Authority Social Work Essay

Ways Children Looked After By Local Authority Social Work Essay In the context of Shona and her family, this assignment will firstly review the powers and orders necessary to bring the children to be looked after by the local authority along with the governing principles. It will then discuss relevant areas for review and the required order to ensure good care for the children, including how and when these should be reviewed. Finally, looking at the significance to the case study of s17 of Children Act, 1989 along with considering the different services presented to each sibling whilst in care. Police Powers Shonas case is discovered by police officers under-taking ordinary duties when social services departments and the courts are closed (Masson, 2001). CA, 1989 s46(1) gives the police power, without going to court, to remove or detain children for 72 hours if they have reasonable cause to believe that the children are likely to suffer significant harm (Brammer, 2010; Powell, 2001). Social Service Managers recognise the value of s46 as an emergency intervention but have criticised its excessive use as a result of police anxiety (Masson, 2001). The principle is that courts should make a decision to remove children wherever possible; therefore, s46 is to be used in exceptional circumstances. The local authority should have in place with the Clerks to the Justices an out of hours Emergency Protection Order (EPO) application process (HO Circular, 2008). Emergency Protection Order EPO is a short-term emergency measure, lasting up to 8 days with a possible extension of a further 7 days, whilst the local authority under CA, 1989 s47 investigates the childrens welfare. S44(1) of the act outlines the grounds for applications for an EPO of which there are two forms (any person and likely to suffer significant harm). The local authoritys application for Shona and her siblings is on the grounds that they are likely to suffer significant harm due to domestic violence. Although the court may agree that there are grounds for an EPO, it still needs to apply the principles contained in Part 1 of the act. Principles governing the decision-making Welfare Principle CA, 1989 s1 states that, the childs welfare shall be the courts paramount consideration. The meaning of s1 has been closely examined and criticised due to its wide range of interpretations (Brammer, 2010; Brayne and Carr, 2010). Decisions based on the welfare of the child are ultimately value judgements (Ryan, 1998: 8) Therefore, a checklist was added to maintain consistency and provide clear understanding (Ryan, 1998 and Brammer, 2010). For an EPO the court must consider the welfare principle but it does not have to consider the checklist (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Non-Delay Principle CA, 1989 s1(2), supported by European Court of Human Rights article 6(1), emphasises that any delay in court proceedings is potentially harmful to the welfare of the child (Brayne and Carr, 2010), therefore, the court needs to have regard to the non-delay principle. The Public Law Outline (PLO), 2008 attempted to address case management and avoid delays in court proceedings by setting a timetable. Masson argues that Legislating against delay did not change working practices; adult parties continue to create advantageous delay (2010; 55). No-order Principle CA, 1989 s1(5) directs courts to make no order, even if the harm threshold condition is satisfied, unless it considers that making an order would be better for the child than making no order at all (known as the no-order principle). The principle recognises the need for proportionality with three foundational aims: 1) discourage unnecessary court orders, 2) to ensure that the order is granted only where it is likely positively to improve the childs welfare and 3) discourage the making of unnecessary applications (DCSF, 2008: 7). If government guidance discourages unnecessary applications, this may account for research findings showing a general misunderstanding of this principle amongst local authorities who interpret it to mean that cases should not be taken to court unless it is totally necessary. The recent increase in court applications may demonstrate that the principle is not preventing Social Workers from carrying out their duties (DCSF, 2008; Brayne and Carr, 2010). The majority of court proceedings have resulted in orders being granted, therefore Mason argues, Neither the public nor the courts themselves have accepted the no order principle (2010, 57). Areas Needing to be looked at: Threshold Question As Shona has been in care for approximately three years, the local authority would have applied for a court order. This cannot be obtained without meeting the threshold criteria of CA, 1989 s31: identifying significant harm, cause for the harm and no order principle (Ryan, 1998; DOH, 1999). Significant harm has to be found to exist before the court will intervene in family life, however, as the term is not defined it causes considerable problems of interpretation. The Adoption and Children Act, 2002 s120 broadened harm to include witnessing or hearing it, which would be relevant in the case of Shona (Brammer, 2010). Assessment The children would be assessed under the child protection structure due to the physical abuse Liam endured and his sisters witnessed. This structure has evolved through a series of reports and government circulars. In 2008, the Children Act Guidance Volume One was revised and issued under s7 of the Local Authority Social Service Act, 1970 which provided clarity for what should be completed before making an order application (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2010 provides interagency guidance on assessment and investigation. The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families, 2000 provided, under one structured system, a holistic assessment and planning tool for all children in need (Thomas, 2005: 83). Using the framework, the local authority, through the core assessment process, will need to consider both the childrens and parents needs along with those in the wider family and community, to reach a decision that an order is necessary to safeguard their welfare. The local authority would also need to seek legal advice and communicate to the parents their concerns (DCSF, 2008). Care Plan ACA, 2002 amended s31 of the CA, 1989 so that an order cannot be made until the court has considered a care plan (Brammer, 2010). A separate plan would be required for Shona, Liam and Siobhan so the court can consider their individual needs. The plans should be based on findings from the initial and core assessments with the structure, as guided by Local Authority Circular 99(29), 1999, being: 1) overall aim, 2) childs needs, 3) views of others, 4) detail on placement and 5) local authority management. The courts decision on the no-order principle will take into account the care plan for verification as to how the order would be applied (DOH, 2000). What Orders May Have Been Necessary Care Order In having met the threshold criteria, completed assessment and care plan the local authority under s31 would apply for a care order for the children. A care order, rather than a supervision order, involves the children being removed from their home and provides the local authority with shared parental responsibility for the children alongside the parents (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Reviews by Local Authority Upon granting an order, the court has no influence in the plan being carried out (Brammer, 2010). ACA, 2002 amended s25(a) CA, 1989 by requiring an Independent Review Officer (IRO) to be appointed to chair all review meetings of looked after children, ensure the child is involved in the review and will challenge poor practice, and any drift in implementing the Care Plan (HMG, 2003: 45). If the plan is not implemented the IRO can pass the case to CAFCASS who can now return it to court (Brammer, 2010). CA, 1989 s26 makes it a legal requirement for local authorities to regularly review the childrens care plans. Reviews ensure that it [plan] is being effectively implemented and to make any changes that have become necessary (Thomas, 2005: 76). All involved in the care of the children, including the child, should be involved in the review. The minimum requirements which reflect the no-delay principle, are set out in the Review of Childrens Cases Regulations 1991, amended in 2004. The first review should be held within four weeks of the children becoming looked after, followed by a further review at three months later and then six monthly (Brammer, 2010; Ryan, 1998). Relevance of s17 to case study Views of Parents Under s17 of CA, 1989, the local authority has a general duty to promote the upbringing of children in need by their families and with article 8 of the Human Rights Act, 1989; they would need to justify any interference in family life. Working Together, 2010 re-emphasized the commitment of partnership with parents in making plans for the welfare and protection of their children. There are a number of ways the local authority can work in partnership with Shonas parents; through consultation, taking into consideration their views, attendance at case conferences and being notified of any public proceedings (Brayne and Carr, 2010). CA 1989, s17 also makes clear that the first priority is to promote and safeguard the childrens welfare and then try to keep them within their family (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Provided that the welfare and safety of the children is paramount then potentially there should be no conflict between the principles of family support and child protection (Parton, 1997). However, research has shown that full partnership is difficult to reach when risks are high and families disagree with the perceived risks (Bell, 1999). The recent case of Baby Peter has highlighted the importance of Shonas Social Worker having the skill to recognize when partnership with the parents is failing to protect them (Brayne and Carr, 2010). The fathers violence towards the children could be a reason to exclude him from any conferences but his wishes can be obtained by other means (DCSF, 2010). It is also important to recognise that the childrens views and wishes may be different to their parents. Childs wishes The Children Act, 2004 s53 amended s17 of CA, 1989 making it a requirement that before deciding what services should be provided the childrens wishes should be obtained and given consideration (DCSF, 2010). CA, 1989 s22 by mentioning the child before the parents suggests that the childs wishes are to be the first consideration (Brayne and Carr, 2010). The law has also been criticised for assuming that it is possible to know objectively what is in a childs best interest but instead should give the children themselves a role in determining what happens (Thomas, 2005). However, the emphasis of listening to the childs wishes has recently been criticised as it undermines the courts authority to make a best interest decision (Times, 2010). Laws, policies and procedures continue to reflect he tension between these twin goals of safeguarding children and advocating their rights (Adams, 2009; 304). To ensure that the childs interests, wishes and rights are upheld in court, CA, 1989 s41(1) contains the duty, if required, for a Childrens Guardian to be appointed from CAFCASS (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Placement Details The local authority whilst taking into consideration the views of the children and parents, will have regards for s17 when considering placements for the children. The CA, 1989 s44(a) was amended by the Family Law Act, 1996 giving power to include exclusion requirement in emergency protection order. This could have been an option looked at in the case of Shona with the father being excluded from the family home (Brayne and Carr, 2010). Consideration of family members and friends as potential carers for Shona and her siblings should be explored and clearly demonstrated in their care plans before making a court order application (DCSF, 2008). S23(7) CA, 1989 promotes contact between parents and children with local authority, as is reasonably practicable, providing accommodation near to the family home and keeping siblings together. Under schedule 2 of CA, 1989 there are powers given to the local authority to assist in maintaining links between children and their family (Brayne and Carr , 2010). Options Available to each child Family Group Conference There are several methods for compiling the childrens care plans, with one such option being Family Group Conference (FGC) (Thomas, 2005). FGC has been described as a, realistic methods for merging the needs and interests of children and families and the protection concerns of public child welfare agencies, the courts, and the community (Chandler and Giovannucci, 2004: 217). Although there is no factual data, reviews of FGCs have implied that it is not a suitable option for domestic violence cases due to the welfare of the child. However, in the case of Shona, FGC may have been a viable option when initially becoming children cared for to help explore the welfare concerns, deciding what services are necessary and to take into consideration the children and parents views when considering permanency so to prevent the children becoming entrenched in the care system (Chandler and Giovannucci, 2004). Accommodation The local authority has a power under s20 CA, 1989 to provide accommodation to the three children (Ryan, 1998). From initially coming into care (the sisters going to foster care and Liam to residential care) up until their current situation (Shona and Siobhan different wishes to return home) decisions on the provision of accommodation have been paramount with the options to be explored being: kinship, foster care, residential, reunification, adoption and independence. ACA, 2002 provides guidance on the timescales for decisions about adoption with permanence, including adoption, needing to be considered at the second care plan review (Brayne and Carr, 2010: 378). Education / Crime Due to the highly publicised statistics of children in cares educational underachievement, crime rates and employability, the recent government has made a number of changes to legislation. Under s20 of the Children and Young Persons Act, 2008 all three children will have (had) a designated member of staff at their school responsibility for promoting the educational achievement. The local authority under s22 should provide for under 25 year olds assistance to pursue education or training which is relevant to Liam and Shonas current situation (Brammer, 2010: 356). Although the agenda for change is not without criticism, Its policy recommendations are framed within a social investment approach which values education as the route out of exclusion and into employability (Williams, 2004; 423). Schedule 2(7) of CA, 1989 puts an onus on the local authority to take reasonable steps designed to reduce the need to bring criminal proceedings against such children (Brammer, 2010: 369). Therefore the Youth Offending Team (YOT) could be a service considered for Liam. Adams argues that the number of detained children is high in the UK with, policy and practice regarding children and young people who have committed offences remain stubbornly resistant to welfare principles (2009; 318). Legal Requirements In 2003 the government published Every Child Matters (ECM) which introduced five outcomes for service providers to make arrangements to improve the well being of children: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and economic wellbeing (2003:6-7). CA, 2004 was passed to provide a statutory framework for applying ECM with the five outcomes included in s10(2) of the act (Brayne and Carr, 2010). The act also introduced the requirement for working together of statutory departments and other relevant bodies for achieving the five outcomes (Brammer, 2010). In theory this provides Shona, Liam and Siobham with greater opportunity for services from public, private and voluntary sectors, however, this legislative change did not come with an increase in budget (Williams, 2004). The responsibility of the local authority to provide services to the children is outlined in schedule 2 of CA, 1989. The wording is moderated for example reasonable steps or con sider appropriate, therefore the local authority can prioritise services based on what is available rather than having to meet every need (Brammer, 2010). When more than one agency is involved in the childrens care a lead professional will be appointed to be responsible for ensuring a coherent package of services to meet the individual childs needs (HMG, 2003: 9). Conclusion In the situation of Shona and her family, this assignment has highlighted the current social and political thinking towards safeguarding children with the balance in the CA, 1989 between welfare and childrens wishes; the emphasis on partnership with parents; the importance of accountability through reviews and the value placed on children remaining with their families. The five outcomes for children in care provide a framework for the provision of services, however, the limitation in budgets does not support the political agenda.

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge Essay -- Fifth Discipline Peter Se

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In his book The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge emphasizes his model of a "learning organization," which he defines as "an organization that is continually expanding its capacity to create its future." A learning organization excels at both adaptive learning and generative learning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Senge describes five disciplines that are necessary for a learning organization. "Learning organization" is a catchphrase covering the ideal of an organization built on vision, teamwork, openness, flexibility, ability to act under changing conditions, and so forth and so on. It is an organization where people don't just promote their limited region and privileges, but where they take risks and responsibilities for their shared future, working on creating maximum synergy and maximum ability to deal with the whole state of affairs. The five disciplines are: team learning, building shared vision, mental models, personal mastery, and systems thinking. Team learning is the proficiency of a group of people to halt their theories and assumptions and freely think together. That involves dialogue in the true meaning of the word, as a flow of meaning. It means going beyond personal defensiveness and presenting ideas openly, even when one is going out on a limb. Building shared vision means members of a group truly share their pictures of the future, if they are excited about what they are creating together, then they will act out of inner motivation an...

Feminist Reading of Hardy’s the Return of the Native Essay

Most of Hardy’s novels or better to say all of them are considered to be modern. In fact, one can notice so many features of modern novels in his fiction. By referring to Robert Schweik’s article (1994) pertaining to the idea that Hardy has influenced so many modern novelists such as D.H. Lawrence, one of the key critics of Hardy novels, chiefly in the notion of feminine and treatment of women which is one of the distinguishing features in his fiction. One can regard this type of treatment of women in Jude the Obscure, the sixth and the last of his major fictions, in a way that Sue, the heroine of the novel, is a liberated, unconventional and broadminded feminine who rebels against the conventions of the Victorian society. Although at the end Sue thrusts upon the social laws and ideologies, she is very much a modern type of woman or as Elaine Showalter stated the obvious in her division of the female literary tradition into three stages . Here the second stage is immensely relevant that is the stage of protest against the standards and the values and, a call for autonomy (Literature of their own, 13) Hardy established in his fiction. Moreover, by making a female character like Tess, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Hardy tries to criticize the Victorian society, the very strict one with that particular Victorian code and respectability which is a traditional type of dealing with women in the community in which the only way to protest is to commit suicide. While many critics have disagreed with the matter that Hardy treats with his heroines in a kind and tender way, Rosemarie Morgan gives us evidence regarding this idea: â€Å"While he [Hardy] was writing the Return of the Native†¦he was reading the works of a woman he greatly admired, whom he regarded as one of the â€Å"Immortals† of the literature, and who has happened to be highly unconventional—he was reading George Sand Mauprat and was taking notes.†(Morgan, 1988: 41) Hence, this statement tells us that Hardy’s favorite novelist was an openly and defiantly unconventional and liberated woman whose writings Hardy thinks highly of. Morgan also goes on with this idea and bestows on us a nice  statement from Sand’s novel which were Hardy’s notes: â€Å"Men imagine that a woman has no individual existence, and that she ought always to be absorbed in them: and yet they love no wo- man deeply unless she elevates herself, by her character above the weakness and inertia of her sex.† (Morgan, 1988: 41-42) Interestingly, the â€Å"existence† of such a female resulted in many heroines in novels of Hardy and those come after him. The Return of the Native is perhaps the strongest example of Hardy’s demonstration of struggle of women to establish their identities. In fact, it is the document of their attempts and battles against natural and social laws. The purpose of this paper also is to have a feminist reading through using the recurrent theme of individual as Eustacia versus society as patriarchal society with its own ideologies and conventions. By considering Wollstonecraft’s concept â€Å"women’s duty†, the idea that is mostly applicable to Victorian women and mostly the folk people of Hardy’s novels like what one sees in characters like Thomasin or Susan Nunsuch or Olly (what simply they call her â€Å"besom-maker†), his heroines like Eustacia are against this notion. In fact, there is a redefinition of that very concept in his fiction The novel demonstrates a restless passionate woman searching for fulfillment in the monotonous surroundings of Egdon Heath, where the inhabitants are steeped in the older traditional ways of life. Eustacia considered being a discontented and passionate dreamer who dismisses the opinions of society. She is mysterious by nature and has â€Å"Pagan eyes, full of nocturnal mysteries†¦..assuming that the souls of men and women are visible essences, you could fancy the color of Eustacia’s soul to be flame-like† (The Return of the Native: 51) Certainly, Eustacia has a reputation on Egdon Heath of witchcraft, as a person whose only desire is to use her beauty as a means of attracting the men. One can observe how the folk women hate her, that how they talk behind her or also there is almost no conversation between Eustacia and the other female characters throughout the novel. As evidence, there is a scene in the church, exactly the time of Wildeve and Thomasin marriage, â€Å"Susan had pricked Miss. Vye with a long stocking needle† (RN: 149), as a means of her hatred. But, just in opposite, whatever is thought by the folk people is not Hardy’s objective. He attempts to  criticize the narrow-mindedness of such people, their counterfeit superstitions particularly religious ones. Using Althusser’s â€Å"Ideology†, here, it is very much pertinent to the social laws, the church and what the â€Å"Fathers† are establishing. By reading closely the chapter called â€Å"Queen of Night†, the mysteries regarding Eustacia is unfolded. The common element in the chapter is the high spirited woman rebelling against the constructions of her pres cribed â€Å"woman’s lot† and seeking a life of wider personal freedom than customarily granted to women: â€Å"she had the passions and instincts which make a model goddess, that is, those which make not quite a model woman.† (RN: 55) Through studying the relationship between the men and the women in the novel, Eustacia and Wildeve and also Eustacia and Clym, any other mystery of such a woman will be resolved. First of all, the relationship between Eustacia and Wildeve is discussed. What is found in the character of Wildeve is that he is only a â€Å"womanizer†. What he does in the novel, is playing with women and mostly with Thomasin through procrastinating their marriage and preserving his affair with Eustacia. Oddly enough, only a letter being the reason to leave this woman and go for the marriage, however, later Wildeve returns to her all over again. Furthermore, the name he has chosen for his bar is also debatable which is â€Å"Quiet Woman Inn†. It symbolically presents the nature of a Victorian woman. As a matter of fact, not to go too far, Thomasin may be the main focus in this notion. She is â€Å"quiet lady-like little body† (RN: 19) as Susan calls her, also an obedient, devoted, pas sive one that later in the essay will be discussed more. The object of study of their relationship here is the matter of strength of Eustacia. Her nature proves that she is stronger than Wildeve, for she captivates and declines him in accordance with her tendency. She even threatens him to quit the legacy of passion she has presented upon him, â€Å"I had given you up, and resolved not to think of you anymore.† (RN: 52) thus, the belief that women are the â€Å"weaker sex† is eroded by Eustacia. In regard with the â€Å"power† and strength, also another interesting statement of Eustacia is bearable: â€Å"I determined you should come, and; you have come! I have shown my power. A mile and half hither, and a mile and back again to your home—three miles in the dark for me. Have I not shown my power?†(RN: 54) Moreover, in another important relationship in the novel between Eustacia and Clym, everything changes for  Eustacia. Clym has come from Paris, a city of ambitions for Eustacia, in fact, what she was r eally waiting for. But in an opposite way, an idealist and intellectual Clym is not very much interested in what her beloved thinks of. His core intention to return is just to improve his hometown, to educate them. He has forgotten that his hometown deals only with furze-cutting. Mrs. Yeobright tells him that â€Å"after all the trouble that has been taken to give a start, and when there is nothing to do but to keep straight on towards affluence, you say you will be a poor man’s schoolmaster. Your fancies will be your ruin† (RN 147), however, Clym is too idealistic to recognize that the rustics need material comfort before achieving spiritual contentment. It is intriguing that Clym is trying to uplift mankind rather than to recognize what has really happened to his own life or to Eustacia. It is obvious that he has only attracted to her physical beauty and just has thought of her as a helpmate for his idealistic job. Stave asserts that â€Å"Clym assumes marriage will relieve him of the distress of passion and will provide him a helpmate in his mission to educate the Egdon folk† (Stave, 1995: 60) . Or also in another scene he tells his mother that â€Å"she is excellently educated, and would make a good matron in a boarding-school.† (RN: 161-162). One can also say Clym defied and denied Eustacia’s desires in order to attain his personal ambitions. Oddly enough, the more she fights to avoid the hostility of the heath, the further it dominates her. She marries Clym to save her body and soul from hostile environment around her by leaving heath for Paris but, as it seems, she is quite unaware of the fact that in the patriarchal Victorian society, once a girl is married, she becomes the man’s estate, and is made to satisfy his desires. Actually, Eustacia’s hopes are shattered by her husband’s selfishness. Additionally, the main character foil in the novel is Thomasin, as Hardy calls her â€Å"a good heroine†. She is intriguingly defines herself â€Å"a practical woman, I don’t believe in hearts at all† (RN: 130). She symbolizes the ideal partner, an agreeable and devoted woman which is immensely in contrast to Eustacia. Thomasin, in the first eleven chapters of the book one, reveals her true purpose for marrying: it is not for love but for the family reputation she says: â€Å"But I don’t care personally if it never takes place,† she added with a little dignity; â€Å"no, I can live without you. It is aunt I think of.  She is so proud, and thinks so much of her family respecta- bility, that she will be cut down with mortification if this story should get abroad before— it is done.†(RN: 37) Hence, as it is said, she is a very idol of a Victorian woman who makes the men, like Wildeve, to tread the path of abusing the women as their own possession and property. In concluding what is said till now and by taking into account the most important female of the novel, one can say that from her first appearance till her tragic end, Eustacia is agonized because she does not consent to man’s desires and principles. Hardy desires her to commit suicide rather than be debased to living in a cottage with an indecisive idealist, and a blind man as Duffin observes â€Å"yields little allegiance to emotions† (Duffin, 1991: 201). Her tragic end is an indication of refusal to be an obedient, conventional and passive man. In fact, Hardy’s greater heroines are not static at all but are very much dynamic and just attempting to advance through the interaction of anything out the domestic world. Works Cited: Deen, L.W.1960. â€Å"Heroism and Pathos in The Return of the Native. †Nineteenth century Fiction,Vol.15,No.3,p.211. Duffin, H.1991. Thomas Hardy:A study of the Wessex Novels, The Poems, And The Dynasts, Anmol Publication, New Delhi. Hardy, T. 1995. The Return of the Native, Wordsworth Editions Limited, Hertfordshire. ———- . 1995. Jude the Obscure, Wordsworth Editions Limited, Hertfordshire Harvey, G. 2003. The complete critical guide to Thomas Hardy, Routledge,, London Millgate, M. 1971. Thomas Hardy: His Career as a Novelist, The Bodley Head, London and Sydney. Morgan,R.1988. Women and Sexuality in the Novels of Thomas Hardy,Routledge,London. ———-, 1992. Cancelled words: rediscovering Thomas Hardy, Routledge. London. Showalter, E. 1977. A literature of Their Own, University Press, Princeton. Schweik, R, 1994. â€Å"Modernity in Hardy’s Jude the Obscure† in Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: Thomas Hardy. Ed. Harold Bloom 2010. Infobase Publishing. Wolstonecraft, M: Vindication of the Rights of Women, Everyman Library, London.

Supermarkets in UK Essay Example

Supermarkets in UK Essay Example Supermarkets in UK Paper Supermarkets in UK Paper The normal way to buy food has changed dramatically over the last half century, with the small independent shops such as butchers, greengrocers, fishmongers and bakers which dominated the High Street in the 1950s disappearing and being replaced by the ubiquitous supermarket. Today, 60% of British shoppers purchase most of their groceries in one weekly shop. The growth of the sector over the last fifty years has been remarkable. In 1950 the multiple supermarkets represented just 20% of the food retail market. By 1961 this had risen to 27%; by 1971 to 44%. As the trend continued, a generation has grown up relying on the convenience and choice of supermarket food. Of course some independent retailers went out of business, but the consumer is king and consumers felt that the price was worth paying. But the price tag got higher. Between 1997 and 2002 more than 13,000 specialist stores around the UK including newsagents, Post Offices, grocers, bakers, butchers closed, unable to cope with the competition from the multiples. A recent study by the Institute of Grocery Distribution revealed that 2,157 independent shops went out of business or became part of a larger company in 2004, compared with a previous annual average of around 300 a year. Traffic congestion rocketed as more large stores were constructed out of town. Tales abounded of the negative impacts of low supermarket prices on farmers and food processors, whether the UK or abroad. By 2005 a mere 8% of food was purchased from the independent sector. Tesco and other supermarkets claim that their growth is occurring purely in response to the desire of consumers. Market structure The UK supermarket industry is led by the `big four (Times Online, 2009), Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons. Thus it can be defined as an oligopoly. In the 12 weeks to 29th November 2009 these four competitors accounted for 75.6% of UK consumer spending on groceries. The market average increase in sales over this period was 4.4%. Tesco hold an actual monopoly over the industry, with 30.7% market share. The industry is currently worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½146.3bn and is predicted to grow to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½175.9bn by 2014 according to UK Grocery Retail Outlook 2009 Repositioning for Growth Market share The market in which Tesco operates is supermarkets. Although this is a highly competitive one Tesco holds a disproportionate amount of power. The figures below indicate that Tesco holds over a third of the market share, and even double the amount of Asdas market share, the second leading supermarket. Market share is the percentage or proportion of the total available market or market segment that is being serviced by a company (Wikipedia 2006). Bargaining Power of suppliers Supplier power is an important part of the Porters five forces model. Implications for Tesco are many. Supplier power is wielded by suppliers demanding that retailers pay a certain price for their goods. If retailers dont pay the price, they dont get the goods to sell. But large supermarkets, like Tesco, have an overwhelming advantage over the small shopkeeper-they can dictate the price they pay the supplier. If the supplier does not reduce the price, they will be left with a much smaller market for their produce. Bargaining power of buyers Buyer power also acts to force prices down. If beans are too expensive in Tesco, buyers will exercise their power and move to Sainsbury. Fortunately for Tesco, there are few other large supermarket companies. This means the market is disciplined the supermarkets have a disciplined approach to price setting. Discipline stops them destroying each other in a profit war. Threat of new entrants Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and other supermarket chains put up considerable barriers to entry. For instance, Tesco may have cornered the market for certain goods; the new supermarket will not be able to find cheap, reliable suppliers. Tesco also has the advantage of economies of scale. Thus, barriers to entry as well as the possibility of sunk costs will help restrict the level of new entrants. Threat of substitutes Its more difficult for Asda to try to raise prices and make greater profits if there are close substitutes available at Tesco But, in some cases, customers may be reluctant to switch to another product even if it offers an advantage. Customers may consider it inconvenient or even risky to change if they are accustomed to using a certain product in a certain way, or they are used to the way certain services are delivered. Competitive rivalry Classical economics predicts that rivalry between companies should drive profits to zero. This is partly down to the threat of substitutes. For instance, Tesco has competition from companies like Sainsbury that can provide substitutes for their goods. This drives the prices of groceries down in both companies. Monopsony issues There has been growing concern over the monopsony power of the big four supermarket chains: Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury. Technically, none is a monopsonist because none is the sole buyer of a particular category of products. Tesco, for example, is not the sole buyer of soap powders or frozen chicken. However because of their size, the big four supermarket chains enjoy much greater buying power than smaller buyers. The OFT has investigated the grocery market on several occasions over the last decade. Researchers asked suppliers for their opinion on the level of negotiating power they felt they had with different retail customers. Their responses showed that they felt they had less bargaining power with the Big Four than with smaller chains and groceries. Supermarket chains argue that they provide value for money to their customers through the efficiency of their operations. Some evidence suggests that the supermarkets do not always pass on cuts in supplier prices. Controversially, between 201 and 2003 when many UK dairy farmers were either barely profitable or making losses, prices paid to them dropped when supermarket milk prices were still rising: Illustration of monopsonistic power in the UK retailing industry Summary of the Big Fours competitiveness The Big Four (Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys and Morrisons) have gained a combined market share of 75.9% by pursuing a hybrid low price strategy with perceived benefits. In recent years Sainsburys has moved towards a differentiation strategy by focusing on quality and has implemented a higher pricing structure. These competitors have diversified their product offering and sell a variety of non-food goods including, financial services, clothing, electrical goods, and DIY products. All four possess huge buying power and high economies of scale. Each has invested in own label brands, which have risen in demand during the recession. All four have prime store locations in out of town and inner city locations. Tesco have over 2,000 UK stores. Tesco have developed a number of store formats including Tesco Express, Extra and Metro. This allows Tesco not only to compete in the convenience market but also get around the rules imposed by the Competition Commission, restricting the number of stores Tesco is allowed to have in one area. In October 2009 the Competition Commission recommended the introduction of new tests that would make UK expansion more difficult for Tesco .This may prove problematic as Tescos like-for-like sales slowed in 2009 and profit increases are driven by new store openings. Asda Relocation to larger, out-of-town sites in the 1980s gave many supermarkets the additional space required for extending their non-food offering. Asda in particular, focuses on non-food sales, because its 400 stores are generally much bigger than its competitors. Some of Asdas non-food brands have been phenomenally successful the George clothing brand has helped the chains clothing sales to outstrip those of Marks Spencer. Asda is currently the only UK supermarket offering the facility to purchase clothing online, in addition to groceries and other non-food items. Asda does not offer a loyalty scheme and claims to invest in a strategy of everyday low pricing. Asda expanded into the South in 1989 by buying out Gateway superstores. Asda became a subsidiary of Wal-Mart (the worlds largest retailer) in 1999 and hence enjoys huge buying power. Sainsburys 830 UK stores are mainly located in affluent areas. Sainsburys have diversified from their superstore format into convenience stores (Sainsburys Local). Sainsburys is the only competitor within the top four that has the strategy of quality goods for a fair price. The other three are positioned as low price supermarkets. Sainsburys hope to double the customer base of its larger stores within five years by expanding its non-food range (TU clothing range is very successful) and branching out into the North of England and Scotland Morrisons have 420 UK stores and three distinct brand values: Fresh, Value and Service. These values provide the flexibility to react to market changes and consumer trends. Morrisons aim to offer more freshly prepared food than any other retailer and have more staff preparing food than any other supermarket. The retailer grew in strength and expanded into the South of England following the acquisition of Safeway in 2004. Unlike its closest rivals Morrisons decided not to enter the convenience store sector. Vertical integration is key to the retailers success; Morrisons own their factories, production facilities and distribution network. With these facilities Morrisons can get food to stores faster so that its fresher. Morrisons have invested heavily in training and their staff is highly skilled and know their trade. Level of contestability A contestable market occurs when there is freedom of entry and exit into the market. Thus there will be low levels of sunk costs. Thus, when considering the contestability of supermarkets it is important to consider the following points: Barriers to Entry Barriers to entry in the supermarket industry are obviously extremely high, due to the massive market share held by the four main UK supermarkets. Small food retailers can be assisted in their growth by the government, with incentives such as tax relief and grants. Economies of scale are the second important barrier to entry. In addition to the usual one, the UK grocery retail market has a special economy of scale arising from the substantial bargaining power which retailers enjoy over their suppliers, the manufactures of food and grocery product. Updating earlier analysis, it has been observed that the European new contracts, Aldi and Netto have some ability to defeat this barrier. Aldi enjoys a buying-power derived economy of scale advantage in the European countries in which it has a large market share. The third major barrier to entry, the shortage of unexploited store sites, is again one that European discounters may be able to penetrate. A preliminary analysis would suggest that the UK market should be a difficult prospect for a new entrant. Unexploited superstore sites are running out. Mintel 91 has an estimated saturation point for superstores in the UK at about 800, only around 150 more than the present total. Furthermore, a barrier of entry may present itself in the sheer amount of land that a store owns; in the case of Tesco which limits the amount of new entrants into the UK market Sunk Costs If Sunk costs are high this makes it difficult for new firms to enter and leave the market. Therefore it will be less contestable. In the supermarket industry, spending on advertising are an example of costs that cannot be recovered when the firm exits the market. High sunk costs are a constraint on the level of contestability. Level of advertising and brand loyalty If an established firm has significant brand loyalty such as Tesco, then it will be difficult for a new firm to enter the market. This is because they would have to spend a lot of money on advertising, a sunk cost, which as explained above reduces the level of contestability in a market Levels of Profit If a firm is making very high profit, this is an indication that the market is not contestable, because hit and run competition should enable new firms to enter and reduce the profitability. Each of the Big Four have seen their profit margins expand while Tesco and Asda have enjoyed abnormal profits continuously Pricing and non-pricing strategies The following section discusses how each firm operates in the competitive environment of the retail grocery industry. Tesco battles by expanding market demand, increasing market share and defending market share with strategies such as flank, pre-emptive or mobile. In return the main competitors Asda and Sainsburys are attacking the market leader by using offensive strategies such as frontal, flank or bypass, in order to gain market share. Tescos understanding of its customers as well as its strong defensive marketing strategies against competitors assure them the leading position in the market. The vast majority of both marketers and practitioners frame a stores pricing decision as a choice between every day low prices or deep but temporary discounts, labeling the first strategy EDLP and the second PROMO. The kinked demand curve theory shows us that firms would lose out if they changed their prices relative to other major players i.e. if the firm increases its price, it will lose out on market share due to an asymmetric response from other competitors. If he firm reduces its price, other competitors would lower their prices too so that very little extra demand would be generated. Successful implementation of EDLP may involve offering a deeper and narrower product line than PROMO, allowing firms to exploit scale economies (in particular categories), reduce their inventory carrying costs, and lower their advertising expenses. Article by Retail Week as at 21 February 2005: Tesco shows no signs of letting up its position of dominance in the UK grocery sector, according to the latest market share figures from Taylor Nelson Sofres. Other EDLP players, such as Asda and Morrisons, also enjoyed solid growth, but Sainsburys and Safeways share dropped. Tescos market share rose by 0.7 percentage points to 26 per cent year-on-year for the 12 weeks to February 2. Asdas share increased by 0.6 percentage points to 16.7 per cent for the same period, while Morrisons share rose by 0.1 percentage points to 6 per cent. In practice, firms can choose a mixture of EDLP and PROMO, varying either the number of categories they put on sale or changing the frequency of sales across some or all categories of products. Not surprisingly, practitioners have coined a term for these practices, hybrid pricing. What constitutes HYBRID pricing is necessarily subjective, depending on an individuals own beliefs regarding how much price variation constitutes a departure from pure EDLP. Because of the price rigidity, supermarkets have resorted to non pricing strategies as a means of capturing market share. Examples of non pricing strategy may include:   Traditional advertising / marketing   Store Loyalty cards   Banking and other Services (including travel insurance)   In-store chemists and post offices   Home delivery systems   Discounted petrol at hypermarkets   Extension of opening hours (24 hour shopping)   Innovative use of technology for shoppers including self-scanning and internet shopping services Legal issues concerning public interest As with any large corporation, the supermarket chain has been involved in lawsuits, usually from claims of personal injury from customers, claims of unfair dismissal from staff, and other commercial matters. Two notable cases were Ward v Tesco Stores Ltd, which set a precedent in so-called trip and slip injury claims against retailers, and Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass, which reached the House of Lords and became a leading case regarding the corporate liability of businesses for failures of their store managers (in a case of misleading advertising). Criticism of Tesco includes disapproval of the effects supermarket chains can have on farmers, suppliers and smaller competitors; along with claims of generally poor labour relations with its staff concerning sick leave regulations. Accusations concerning using cheap and/or child labour in Bangladesh amongst other places have also arisen from Sainsbury. Asda and Sainsbury are among companies that have agreed to pay near record fines of 116 million after admitting they fixed the price of milk, cheese and butter between 2002 and 2003. The supermarkets claimed they joined forces to help raise the price of milk to farmers who were suffering badly from falling milk prices and the after effects of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. In contrast, consumers had to pay an extra 3p for milk and 15p extra for a pound of butter. The total cost to consumers form the higher prices was 270 million. Tesco, Sainsburys and Asda, as well as Imperial Tobacco and Gallaher, were among those accused of increasing profits illegally by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). Cigarette brands at the centre of the investigation include Embassy, John Player Special, Lambert Butler, Benson Hedges and Silk Cut. Tesco has been heavily criticized by the media in both the UK and Ireland among other places over its comparatively more ruthless and harsh business tactics compared to its rivals, all of whom stand charged, like Tesco, of bullying farmers to lower their prices to unsustainable levels. Waitrose was the only major supermarket to come out of this accusation relatively unscathed. Tesco has been subject to several claims of apparently out-of-date food being back-labeled to appear to still be in date, poor cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ hygiene and a staff member contracting legionnaires disease in the Wrexham store. Tesco has been involved in the areas of employment law, personal injury, intellectual property disputes, and taxation amongst others.

Essay on The Alchemist

Essay on The Alchemist Essay on The Alchemist Berenice Mejia Jehanne Brown English 70 Journal #1 Main Points: * Santiago is a Shepard who likes to his job because he enjoys traveling. * He meets a shopkeeper’s daughter which he can’t stop thinking of and is looking forward to see her again after waiting a whole year to deliver wool to his father again. * Santiago dreams a strange dream twice which he is curious about. * He decides to go see a Gypsy to try to figure out what his dream means. * After hearing his dream, the Gypsy tells him to go to the place where the dream takes him and she requests 10% of the treasure when he finds it. * He then meets a man, which ends up being a king, who tells him to follow the path that god has prepared for him and that was to go find the treasure and he as well requests one-tenth of his sheep because he helped him make his decision. * He meets an old man at a bar to which he offers to be his guide, which the old man agrees after he finds out he has enough money. The old man then runs off with all the money the boy had after he i s distracted looking at a sword. * He then walks in to a shop where he meets a crystal merchant that offers him a job. Summary: Santiago is a Shepard who likes to his job because he enjoys traveling. With one of the stops he made to deliver wool he meets a shopkeeper’s daughter which he has a conversation with and couldn’t stop thinking of since. The thought of her even made him doublethink if he had made the right decision of traveling since she made him consider wanting to stay in one place forever. Santiago then has a weird dream which a week later he dreamt of again. He decides to go see a Gypsy to try to figure out what his dream meant. After hearing his dream, the Gypsy tells him to go to the place where the dream takes him and she requests 10% of the treasure, the dream tells him he is going to find, when he finds it. He then meets a man, which ends up being a king, who tells him to follow the path that god has prepared for him and that was to go find the treasure. He also requests one-tenth of his sheep if he decides to go. It’s only fair since he had helped him make the decision. Santiago decides to take the challenge since he had nothing to lose. He then meets an old man at a bar to which he offers him to be his guide to which the old man agrees after he finds out he has money. The old man then runs off with all the money the boy had after he is distracted looking at a sword. Even though Santiago becomes a little discourage he decides he is going to continue to find the treasure. He then walks into a shop where he meets a crystal merchant that offers him a job. Personal Response: The reason I’m enjoying this story so far is because the situations Santiago goes through really do happen to people in the real world. When the old man he meets at the bar steels his money for example, shows how you can’t be humble and trust everybody. There’s thieves out there which all they look for is to steal from people regarding what the case might be. I also enjoyed the last section in part one where he is offered a job by the crystal merchant. It shows that as there are bad people out there, there is good that are willing to help out even if it’s a stranger. I relate to this because it feels like something my mom might do and it just reminds me so much of her. That is what makes it beautiful. Evidence: As I’ve mentioned in the previous text, I can relate to this story because in a lot of the situations it reminds me of my mom. â€Å"It was as if some mysterious energy bound his life to that of the sheep, with whom he had spent the past two years, leading them through the countryside in search of food and

Victory Arch of Titus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Victory Arch of Titus - Essay Example The Arco di Tito (Arch of Titus) is situated in a slightly raised position on a branch of the Palatine Hill at the entrance to the Forum. Its religious relevance lies in its portrayal of the conquest of Jerusalem and its revered temple by the Romans in 70 AD.1 Domitian erected the Arch of Titus. In the year AD 70, Domitian was the Emperor of Rome. The Empire then was in a status of excellence. People all over were talking about the triumphs of Domitian’s brother Titus. Titus then was heading his army into Jerusalem to conquer the Jews in the Emperor’s name.2 Sometime around AD 80 word arrived that Jerusalem had been defeated and that Titus would be returning with the wealth of Jewish Temples. To await his return, Domitian ordered the building of the Arch. The Victory Arch of Titus honors Titus triumphant defeat of Jerusalem after the huge Jewish uprising around 70 AD. Although it was most likely built by Titus’ brother and successor, Emperor Domitian, there are some who believe that it was actually built by emperor Trajan because of resemblance to the Arch of Trajan located at Benevento. Titus had actually already died when the arch was constructed, but Titus younger brother Domitian was emperor, and he wanted people to think of his brother Titus. Hence, the writing has Titus name on it. (It says, the Senate and the People of Rome, to the Divine Titus, son of the Divine Vespasian, Vespasian Augustus).3 The letters were originally distinguished in shimmering bronze letters, but the bronze was stolen away. The Arch of Titus is situated on the topmost point of the Via Sacra, a road leading to the Roman Forum. It is positioned at the eastern most side of the forum and was used as an entrance and exit to the forum. This is a solitary arch, 15.4 meter high, 13.5 meter wide and 4.75 meter deep.4 At the interior of the arch are two panels with reliefs or an art figure in which the top exterior of the art work reveals some

Gender and Sexualiy in Italian Community of Vancouver Personal Statement

Gender and Sexualiy in Italian Community of Vancouver - Personal Statement Example degree in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia, where I am currently completing the International Graduate Study Preparation Program (IGSPP). My educational background has provided the theoretical framework for a career in anthropology through the Bachelor Degree in Cultural Anthropology (Major in Faculty of Arts) secured from the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Italy, from September 2004 to July 2007. Due to the immense interest and orientation to different aspects of culture and society that exhibit patterned interrelationships and trends, I delved into a Master’s Degree in Methodology of Research in Anthropology (Major in Faculty of Arts) from theUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, from September 2007 to April 2010. During these academic experiences, I was given the opportunity to visit other universities as part of the exchange student programs. I have travelled and shared educational experiences with students from the Universidad Aut onoma de Madrid and the University of Technology of Sydney (UTS). The rich and varied exposure to diverse people, places, and cultures with utterly multifarious facets and orientations has prepared me to embrace an open-minded stance in understanding anthropology as an integrative interdisciplinary field of endeavor. As clearly depicted in the University of Florida’s published discourse about anthropology, I recognized the profession â€Å"with its holistic perspective, (that) intersects the multiple approaches to the study of humankind – biological, social, cultural, historical, linguistic, cognitive, material, technological, affective, and aesthetic† (University of Florida, n.d., pp. 1-2). Having personally experienced living in various countries, such as Italy, Australia, the UK, and Canada, the desire to learn more about the four major anthropological fields (archaeological, biological, linguistic, and socio-cultural anthropology) kept my interest aflame. As initially propelled by the impetus to pursue the Ph.D. program in Anthropology, my research on â€Å"Shifting Perceptions of Gender, Sexuality and Identity among Italian Immigrants in Vancouver† led me to identify my research aim to explore the shifting perceptions on issues of gender, sexuality and identity these young people may have in contrast to the earlier generations. Through the research, appropriate investigations are proposed to be made to address whether younger Italians might be affected with limiting and more conservative views on issues of gender roles and sexual identities. Attached is a copy of the Doctoral Research Prospectus for the admission committee’s perusal. The successful completion of this research would highly depend on the University of British Columbia’s approval of one’s application. I am very much interested to pursue the program as part of my long term commitment to be an instrumental contributor to improving the lives of c ontemporary generation through a determination of significant factors that affect human existence across a global scale. Through the developments accorded by advancement in technology and communication, various sources of information could be sourced readily and validated through electronic means. These developments’ influence and impact on the lives of people are interesting and