A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act

Outline Objective To critically discuss the FMLA, including how it relates to other labor laws and leaves in New York State. Body (1) Discuss: Basic federal regulations of FMLA, guidelines for eligibility (employers employees) and benefits Body (2) Discuss how the FMLA is related to other laws such as the short-term disability act in New York State. Its relationship with other types of leaves such as vacation, maternity and paternity leaves is also discussed Conclusion FMLA has greatly assisted employees to balance their work roles with other family or personal needs Prior to the introduction in 1993 of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), many workers in the United Sates of America were ostensibly unable to achieve an adequate balance between their work-related responsibilities and other obligations outside of work.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act specifically for you for only $16 .05 $11/page Learn More However, workers can now adequately achieve a near balance between work and non-work related roles, thanks to this specific Act which was signed into law in February 1993 by the 42nd president of the U.S., Bill Clinton, and took full effect on August 5 2003 (Cartmell, 2010). The FMLA recognizes the ever rising need of balancing work roles with family obligations, and guarantees many protections and benefits to workers. It is the object of this paper to critically discuss the Act, including how it relates to other labor laws and leaves in New York State. In its most basic level, the FMLA is a federal labor law that requires large employers to avail to eligible employees a 12 week job-secured unpaid leave on an annual basis due to a multiplicity of legitimate reasons which may incapacitate an employee from performing his or her job-related responsibilities (Meyers, 2005). An employee is eligible to request for the leave in the event of a serious health condition, illness of a close family member or relative, or to care for a new-born child that may either be biologically related to the employee or adopted. According to Vikesland (2006), â€Å"†¦FMLA can be taken on an intermittent basis allowing the employee to work on a less than full-time schedule† (para. 3). The Act, though applied differently by various states across the U.S. due to divergent regional regulations, is guided by similar underlying principles. For instance, FMLA only applies to organizations that employ over 50 members of staff within 75 miles of their physical location or worksite (Vikesland, 2006). However, all public agencies are required to avail FMLA to their employees regardless of the number employed. It should be noted that prior to passage of the Act into law, the provision of leave for private, family, or health reasons was holistically left to the discretion of individual employers, who could not only deny employees an opportunity to proceed on leave for any reason, but also sack or discriminate upon those who proceeded on leave for family or medical reasons.Advertising Looking for essay on family law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Still, employees were not sure if their requests to proceed on leave would be treated consistently in the event of changing jobs within the same organization, and were also not certain if they would be readmitted to the same job ranks and benefits upon return from leave (Vikesland, 2006; Aitchison, 2003). To be eligible for FMLA, a worker must first and foremost be employed by a company which has already employed 50 or more workers within a 75-mile radius of their location or worksite, or be employed by a public agency such as schools, police department, public hospitals, and other state, local, and federal organizations (Vikesland, 2006). The employee must also have offered services to that particular employer for a period n ot less than 12 months, and must have worked for the employee for at least 1,250 hours within the last calendar year. However, the 12 months period do not necessarily have to be consecutive. The FMLA comes with guarantees, protections and benefits for employees. For instance, eligible workers taking the leave must be restored back to the same job position upon leave termination or be offered with a position that is considerably equivalent in pay, benefits, and responsibilities in the event that the employee’s former position is no longer available (Aitchison, 2003). In addition to protection of employee benefits when the worker commences leave, he or she is also entitled to restoration of all the benefits that were entitled to the individual prior to commencing leave. What’s more, the Act not only protects the rights of employees against interference by the employer, but also protects them from retaliation by an employer or company for exercising their rights as envisa ged in the Act. However, an eligible worker must furnish the employer with 30 day advance notice for predictable circumstances. In New York State, FMLA is inherently related to other state labor laws and leaves such as Short-Term Disability Act, sick time, paternity leave, maternity leave, and vacation leave for personal, family or medical reasons.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees who are temporarily unable to handle their job-related roles for medical reasons may receive a paid leave of up to 26 weeks in a calendar year, while those seeking leave due to pregnancy, childbirth, and other related exigencies such as seeking time to bond with children or to adopt a new child are entitled to a partial wage of not less than 50% of their salary, paid by the state temporary disability insurance (Taylor, 2010). Owing to the fa ct that the FMLA is an unpaid leave, many employers are confused on how to treat other leaves such as the paternity and maternity leaves, and only pay benefits entitled to employees in the event that the employee had already used the maximum number of days allowed for FMLA. According to Guerin (2010), an employee â€Å"†¦can always use accrued paid leave that is characterized as vacation or personal leave†¦ [and may] substitute accrued sick or family leave for FMLA† (para. 8). In addition, the employer has the mandate to request an employee to use accumulated vacation or personal days during the unpaid FMLA leave. All in all, it can be argued that the FMLA has so far remained effective in balancing employees’ work-related responsibilities with their personal or family needs. Reference List Aitchison, W. (2003). The FMLA: Understanding the Family and Medical Leave Act. Portland, OR: Labor Relations Information System. Guerin, L. (2010). Taking Family Medical Leave. Web. Meyers, L. (2005). What every employer needs to know about FMLA leave: What is an employer’s obligation to designate requested leave, even when the employee doesn’t request it? Web.Advertising Looking for essay on family law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Taylor, A. (2010). New York State Family Medical Leave Act Laws. Web. Vikesland, G. (2006). The Family Medical Leave Act: Balancing work and family. Web. This essay on A Critical Discussion of the Family Medical Leave Act was written and submitted by user Elian M. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Deux femmes homosexuelles vivent sous un pacte soc Essays (1499 words)

Deux femmes homosexuelles vivent sous un pacte soc Essays (1499 words) Deux femmes homosexuelles vivent sous un pacte social de solidarite, l'une d'entre elles accouche de deux enfants, elle les reconnait alors, chose que le pere ne fera pas. Suite a cela, la partenaire de la mere biologique demande l'adoption simple des enfants avec le consentement de la genitrice. La cour d'appel de Paris, dans un arret du 6 mai 2004 a rejete la demande d'adoption de cette derniere. Elle considere, en effet, que cette adoption n'est pas conforme a l'interet des enfants dans la mesure ou leur mere serait privee de l'autorite parentale. La demanderesse forme alors un pourvoi en cassation sur le moyen que la creation d'une double filiation entre deux personnes vivant au foyer familiale, participant a l'entretien et l'education des enfants et uni par un pacte de solidarite civil est conforme a l'interet de la progeniture. Elle soutien egalement que le double lien de filiation cree par l'adoption simple justifie la delegation parentale qu'elle souhaitait et que cette delegation parentale est non pas antinomique mais belle et bien possible en cas d'adoption simple. On peut alors se demander si dans un couple homosexuel, l'adoption simple des enfants par le partenaire de la mere, la privant ainsi de ses droits d'autorite parentale, est-elle possible? La cour de cassation rejette le pourvoi dans la mesure ou la mere biologique perdrait tout autorite sur ses enfants en cas d'adoption par sa partenaire. Elle considere egalement que cette situation est contraire a l'interet des enfants etant donne que la mere biologique entend continuer a elever ses enfants. La cour de cassation estime que la delegation ou le partage de l'autorite parentale est, a l'egard d'une adoption simple, antinomique et contradictoire, l'adoption d'un enfant mineur ayant pour but de conferer l'autorite parentale au seul adoptant. I) L'interet de l'enfant: la condition principale a l'adoption simple A) La volonte du legislateurquand a l'adoption: en desaccord avec la volonte de la mere La cour de cassation dans un arret du 13 decembre 1989 defini l'adoption simple comme ayant pour but de donner une famille a un enfant qui en est depourvu. Le probleme que nous pouvons admettre dans la demarche de la mere biologique c'est que d'un cote elle souhaite que ses enfants soient adopte par sa compagne mais de l'autre cote elle aspire toujours assurer une communaute de vie avec ses descendants. On constate donc une contradiction entre la volonte de cette femme et ce que le legislateur a voulu pour l'adoption simple. En effet dans une adoption simple, l'enfant est pris en charge par une autre famille que la sienne, de ce faite la famille naturelle doit s'effacer afin de laisser place a la nouvelle. Le probleme c'est qu'ici la mere naturelle des enfants va a l'encontre de ce que la loi prevoit dans la mesure ou elle aspire a vivre avec les futurs adoptes, a les elever et meme a exercer une autorite parentale sur ces derniers. On comprend alors que cette demarche a pour but d'a jouter un lien de filiation supplementaire a un tiers sans pour autant modifier les rapports familiaux initiaux. C'est en ce sens que le rejet du pourvoi de la demanderesse est justifie dans la mesure ou elle entre en contradiction avec la loi. De plus, la cour de cassation s'oppose a cette adoption et donc a la creation de ce double lien de filiation, car le moyen pour y arriver est contraire a la vocation premiere de l'adoption. Enfin la demande est rejetee etant donne que la concentration de l'autorite parentale entre les mains de l'adoptante apparait contraire a l'interet de l'enfant. B) L'adoption simple et la privation des droits de l'autorite parentale pour la mere biologique: la negation de l'interet de l'enfant Bien que la demanderesse ait emie l'idee que cette adoption simple permettrait la creation d'un lien entre les enfants et sa partenaire, les juges du fond on surtout fait valoir le probleme qui en decoule c'est a dire que seul l'adoptant beneficie de tous les droits de l'autorite parentale a l'egard des adoptes. A l'inverse du mariage, aucun partage d'autorite parentale n'est prevu entre deux concubins pacses. Si la demande des partenaires etait acceptee, la mere biologique des enfants, se trouverait alors prive de l'exercice parental sur ces derniers, elle

Manufacturing Materials and Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Manufacturing Materials and Technologies - Essay Example In most industries carbon fibre reinforced polymers is replacing aluminium and steel. Some of the vehicle manufacturers are making use of Carbon fibre reinforced polymers in their some modals. However, some other vehicle manufacturers like Ferrari, have tested carbon fibre reinforced polymers and other composites and evaluated that aluminium is better due some properties. Carbon fibre reinforced polymers are several advantages over conventional materials. It is strongest composite material and the material formation can be altered to suit various types of applications. Several layers of carbon fibres are applied to make the carbon fibre reinforced polymers strong enough to support ant type of application. Carbon fibres can be used in combination with aluminium, Kevlar, glass fibres and other metals to make the materials durable and attain more density to mass ratio. Unlike metals Carbon fibre reinforced polymers show low thermal expansion behaviour. It has less impact of hot or cold weather. Moreover, carbon fibre reinforced polymers has better thermal insulation properties as compared to metals (Sauder et al. 2002: 503). Aluminium, copper and steel are known bets for thermal conductivity. It is has very less density. When it comes to tension bearing capability, carbon fibres can bear an immense tension. None of the materials has the capability to bear such tension as that of carbon fibres according to the density of the fibres. Carbon fibre reinforced polymers are non corrosive materials. Theses materials can sustain the harshest corrosive atmosphere. In this way, the materials are good for the chemical industries. These materials can replace metals which are highly corrosive and weakens the strength of the material. Theses polymers are good conductor of electricity (Selzer and Friedrich 1997: 595). Carbon fibre reinforced polymer is very light material yet strong enough for any purpose. It is 10 times stronger than

Discuss the Ways in which Cohesion and Coherence Contribute to Making Essay

Discuss the Ways in which Cohesion and Coherence Contribute to Making Meaning in texts - Essay Example This paper will explain the concept of cohesion in greater detail, and will apply the concepts introduced to two different speeches, one from John Kerry and one from George W. Bush. Discussion According to Cutting (2008), cohesion may take either the form of grammatical cohesion or lexical cohesion. In grammatical cohesion, a referring expression links with another referring expression which is cohesive with â€Å"the previous mention of the referent in the text† (Cutting, 2008). In other words, certain words, known and endophora, refer back to certain other words – the word â€Å"them† will refer back to an earlier noun, and the word â€Å"this† will refer back to an earlier sentence. Further, endophora may be associative, which means that the context in which a word is used tells the listener or reader the meaning of that word. Anaphora means a word which refers to the previous text, and cataphora refers to following text (Cutting, 2008). Moreover, Kerry uses anaphora much more than Bush does, with 7 different anaphoric sentences, compared to 3 different anaphoric sentences in Bush’s speech. ... Basically, grammatical cohesion is a type of short-hand, where short words are used to refer back to other words, and ambiguous words are defined by their context. Further, endophora may be contrasted with exophora, which refers to outside context and not what occurred in the text – the listener knows the meaning of the word through its context (Cutting, 2008). Exophora reference is a cohesion concept that both George W. Bush and John Kerry use extensively. Both men used exophora 8 different times in the speeches. However, while much of John Kerry’s use of exophoric terms are some variation of â€Å"you,† â€Å"we,† â€Å"our† and â€Å"us,† with Bush, he doesn’t use these same terms. He uses the word â€Å"we’ve† in three different sentences – 16 to 18 – but, other than this, the terms that Bush uses which are exophoric are â€Å"lofty† sentences such as â€Å"freedom† in sentence 12, â€Å"l iberty† in sentence 13, and â€Å"great land† in sentence 23, as well as the term â€Å"our alliances† in sentence 10. Hoey (1991) states that cohesion can further be broken up into five classes – conjunction, reference, substitution, ellipsis (all part of grammatical cohesion) and lexical cohesion. Conjunctions are words which mark a semantic relationship to a previous sentence. These words might include â€Å"however,† which signifies that the coming sentence is an exception to the rule of the previous sentence, or â€Å"alternatively,† which means that the coming sentence presents an alternative from the previous sentence. Reference is a semantic relation and the identity of the word can be ascertained by the previous text – pronouns such as â€Å"them† and â€Å"this† in the examples above would be an example of a reference. Substitution refers

Personal Experience Essays Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Personal Experience Essays - Essay Example I have always considered luck to be a luxury among few people who either have lost hope or prefer receiving free things. During the family vacation in Africa, I had a chance of visiting Maasai Mara national park in Kenya. At first I was reluctant to make the trip; however, after my parents convinced me that it will be a memorable experience, I decided to give it a try. Previously, I preferred visiting playgrounds, friends and making a good use of my bicycle; however, I gave up this opportunity for the memorable experience. Our journey to Kenya was interesting considering that we had many stopovers. It was not my first time to board a plane; however, I felt new and encouraged to work hard and reach the highest level of education. Arguably, this would allow me exploit-varied fields of development while also quenching my thirst for adventure. Consecutively, the opportunity allowed me to have an aerial view of different towns ranging from Amsterdam to Nairobi. Upon our arrival in the city, we received tour guides at the airport, which had earlier been booked by my parents. The first day involved having a taste of the variety foods prepared by the many cultures. The opportunity gave me a first-hand experience to taste what felt like food and others that that I found limited interest in having a bite. Nevertheless, my parents were receptive to the diverse cultures hence an encouragement. Day two was the day to remember that confirmed my worst fears while at the same time changing my view of the entire world. This was a day to take a view of the beautiful wildlife and nature, which has been admired by many people. It was a day to have a personal encounter the lion, Giraffes, baboons, monkeys, and other exciting sceneries only common to many in pictures and national geographic programs. Contrary to other days, I was happy; however, the excitement was laced with

Leadership In Health And Social Care

Leadership In Health And Social Care 1.1 This report looks at my existing leadership skills and how they have developed when implementing a postnatal group within my practice. Through developing this group, I will look at how the team responds to my leadership and how I approach situations. As part of my continuing professional development, I will identify changes needed in my approach to future practice in order to provide a quality working environment and improved development of service provision. This community health care project was chosen because Hall et al (2009) states that governments are increasingly interested in community healthcare programmes because, in partnership with other agencies, they can reduce social exclusion and the inequalities within and between local communities. Support groups can relieve feelings of isolation and loneliness in a study of women with post-natal depression, the support from others meant that mothers gained in self-esteem and felt empowered (Eastwood et al, 1995). 1.2 The Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) must follow performance standards in association with health enhancing activities (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2004, p12). Part of these standards state that I am responsible for applying leadership skills and managing projects to improve health and well being. Promoting partnership working and leading public health interventions through innovative and visionary approaches is key to my role as a SCPHN. Historically much of health service provision has been service led rather than needs led, designed and developed at the convenience of the providers rather than the patients (Wilkinson Murray 1998). Healthy lives, brighter futures (DOH, 2009a) and Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (DoH, 1999) highlight the importance of there being partnership between services, children and parents which must be driven by strong leadership by SCPHNs. These improvements need to be achieved through an agreement between health practitioners and services and parents, children and young people. 2 . Aims 2.1 The aims of this report are to identify different leadership approaches and my own approach and evaluate positives and negatives of these approaches to improve my leadership skills. To explore the SCPHN role as a leader and the opportunities and obstacles that may impinge on effective leadership requirements in public health nursing through leading the development of a postnatal group. All SCPHNs interventions should operate on a partnership and empowerment model of delivery, which ensures acceptability of the service by both professionals and clients. Further aims will be to understand the principles of change management and conflict management, to enable effective resolution and promote a cohesive team environment. 3. Leadership in Practice 3.1 Through my experience as a SCPHN I believe that I hold transformational leadership traits, which include communication, motivation, decision making and conflict resolution. I believe my current skills lie in communication and motivation but areas where development is required are conflict within teams and on an individual basis. Two types of leaders have been identified transactional leaders set goals, give directions and use rewards to reinforce employee behaviours associated with meeting or exceeding established goals. Transformational leaders have the ability to motivate performance beyond expectations through their ability to influence attitudes (Mcguire Kennerly 2006, p.180). I endeavoured to follow Johnsons (2005) research, which suggested that highly effective leaders need both vision as well as a specific plan in order to carry out their plan if goals are to be achieved. I have demonstrated vision by creating this idea for a postnatal group. As a transformational leader I will try to share my vision with my followers, enthusing them with a high level of commitment (ChangingMinds, 2002-2006). In previous professional roles I was a follower and therefore I need to develop leadership skills. It is important as a practitioner to be aware and incorporate the qualities of both leadership styles in practice. 3.2 In my role as a leader I need to use interpersonal skills to influence others to accomplish a specific goal exerting influence by using a flexible approach of personal behaviours which is important in forging links, creating connections amongst organisations in order to promote high levels of performance and quality care (Sullivan Decker, 2009). I have approached a fellow SCPHN within the team and by recognising her individual expertise and praising her knowledge have encouraged her to contribute to the group by leading a session on womens health. As a leader I recognise Raffertys (1993) work by caring for the people I lead and I can see that by encouraging and praising my team I am able to promote high levels of performance, which therefore results in the delivery of high quality care. 3.3 In my leadership experience I have recognised the need to focus on the relationship between the people and the organisation this is described as Action Centred Leadership by Adair (1979) (Appendix 1). Adair highlighted the importance of a leader having the ability to meet three functions these where; to achieve the required task; to maintain the team and to meet the needs of individual team members. I have recognised the complexity of achieving successful leadership which requires the overlapping of these three functions in variable proportions to achieve the desired outcome. I have identified that both my team members and I have individual strengths and weaknesses and therefore task completion requires a multidisciplinary team approach, considering the organisational skill mix and resources available. Team members need to have an understanding of what is expected of them, and an understanding of how their individual contributions relate to the whole project. When developing the idea for the postnatal group we had a team meeting to share ideas and to ensure that everyone was aware of the aims of the project. Consideration of the needs of the team involved my considering training needs, communication systems and team development in order for my multi-professional team to function. Prior to commencement of the postnatal group a multidisciplinary team introduction meeting was held to ensure that every team member was familiar with their colleagues expertise and skills. As a leader it is important to recognise team members have individual skills, needs and problems, and to give praise and status to everyone. Again training and development is essential in order to maintain quality of care delivery as outlined in the benchmarks within the Essence of Care (DoH, 2006). When delegating work to others as a registered practitioner I have a legal responsibility to determine the knowledge and skill level required to perform delegated tasks. Like other public bodies, health service providers are accountable to both the criminal and civil courts to ensure that their activities conform to legal requirements. As a registered practitioner I am also accountable to regulatory and professional bodies in terms of standards of practice and patient care (RCN, 2006). If a focussed and effective group is to develop huge importance should be given to valuing all the skills and contributions of team members. As the team leader on this project I made myself available for one to one support for staff and held regular update sessions to see how their role was developing within the project and give them opportunity to raise concerns or highlight areas of improvement. 3.4 As a leader in Health Care it is my role to promote and develop partnerships between clients and other agencies, to empower and motivate individuals in order to develop services and service provision in communities. In 2006, the Essence of Care (DoH, 2006) outlined the importance of partnership working health promotion is undertaken in partnership with others using a variety of expertise and experiences. In many areas of the health service funding is limited but if individuals within my community can be motivated to take the lead on this project, they may be able to apply for extra funding (such as lottery grants) in order to be able to achieve future aims and targets. 3.5 An important aspect of leadership is having a good understanding of your team and an awareness of team relationships which includes how you view yourself as a leader and how your team view you. Having the ability to reflect on your own leadership style is essential in order to promote flexibility and the ability to change methods to suit different teams and individuals. I look to my manager to provide active displays of recognition, commitment and vision to ensure that my skills and those of other health professionals are utilised to improve the health and well being of communities, families and individuals (McMurray Cheater, 2004). I realise that vision is a key characteristic of effective leadership; it reflects the ability to create and articulate a realistic, credible, attractive picture of the future for individuals and organisations that grows out of and improves upon the present (Robbins, 2000). I agree with Barr Dowding (2010) who stated that you do not need to be a man ager to be a leader but you do need to be a good leader to be an effective manager. 4. Leadership styles applied to the complexity of delivery of care. 4.1I have encountered many different leadership styles in my work in the Health Care sector. Many theorists have discussed leadership styles; Lewin et al (1939) identified three main leadership styles. Laissez-faire can present as disorganised, team members not aware of what is required from them with feelings of panic and lack of time. I have worked with a Laissez-faire leader which led to stressful situations where the leader would shout and not warn team members of future roles and responsibilities. This led to a very disjointed team and high levels of absence with stress related conditions. Directive/Autocratic this mode of working generally focuses on task specific allocation which great emphasis on precision delivered in a military style. I see my own leadership style as being non confrontational and therefore an autocratic leadership technique is not my preferred choice. I aim to develop my leadership style to become a participatory leader with a quiet contributory presence, encourage a happy team spirit where each member of the group supports and values each other, and there is a sense of belonging. I aim to deliver quality patient care with effective monitoring of standards, by allocating task driven duties, which give my team feelings of achievement. To progress and develop the skills required to achieve this form of leadership style I need to be aware that different teams require flexible approaches and this style may not suit all. I will need to seek continuing professional development and take advantage of available training throughout my career to develop my leadership skills. I can continue to grow as a leader by maintaining evidenced based practice and keeping abreast of key research into healthcare leadership. I recognise that there are disadvantages to this participative style of leadership it can be time consuming when decisions need to be made quickly which can prove costly in terms of resources. 4.2 As a SCPHN I must be an effective leader, which means possessing the ability to communicate with others in such a way that they are influenced and motivated to perform actions that achieve desired outcomes (Daft, 2005). As a leader we must focus on our own strengths and use a reflective approach to access the willingness of each individual to take on board change (Barr Dowding, 2010). It is my aim to stimulate awareness of health needs and lead on such initiatives by delegating aspects of practice to other agencies and facilitating the work of relevant team members (NMC, 2004). This collaboration presents significant challenges to the success of the proposed intervention and requires me to make important professional considerations about the proper implementation of a change strategy. Effective leadership is required to ensure that various practitioners communicate with one another and provide a holistic, coordinated service tailored to local needs (DoH, 2009c). Communicating an understanding and awareness of workload, resource and time pressures for staff is important as a leader in order to delegate work appropriately to team members and to avoid further stress and aid motivational leadership. 4.3 More flexibility in service delivery has been highlighted in the NHS Plan (DoH, 2000) confirming the drive to blur professional boundaries. The resulting flexibility of approach in relation to who does what, at what time and in what setting, has changed the skill mix of teams. As a result of new flexible service delivery plans, every individual needs good leadership to be fully aware of their roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion or potential conflict. To implement the postnatal group I need to introduce a careful change management program to ensure complete engagement of the whole team. I can use the structure of a framework to shape the change process. Lewin (1951) model of planned change breaks the change process down into three stages. These stages are: Unfreezing the existing organisational equilibrium, Moving to a new position, Refreezing a new equilibrium position. The unfreezing stage is commonly greeted with guilt and anxiety and it is important that as a lead er I provide psychological safety that helps these anxious individuals to convert their anxiety into motivation to change. This did cause friction and resistance with some team members who were unwilling to adapt to their new roles therefore a detailed rationale for changes was clearly explained through discussion groups. Demonstrating my leadership skills through effective communication was of paramount importance in order to try to avoid hostility towards any perceived threat (although not actual). The moving stage needs a new role model (within the partner organisations) to champion the proposed change and help others to follow and establish the new service. This may involve convincing senior management for the need for change and responding to any suggestions for modifications. Time may need to be negotiated in order to share information and update staff on the necessity for communication between professionals perhaps through workshops or focus groups. The refreezing stage invol ves integrating the new initiative into the organisation and consolidating significant relationships. The successful implementation of this change process is crucial to the success of the initiative; this can be aided by audit of results. Evaluation of my role is vital to validate the implementation and also to help diminish the risks against conflict as professionals can feel they own a project and have the ability to make changes and modifications. 4.5 By implementing a skill mix I have ensured staff ownership from the outset, utilising a bottom up approach. Barr Dowding (2010) state that the bottom up approach is encouraged within the humanistic technique, whereby the subordinates (followers) are encouraged to share ideas with their leaders and will be involved with the decision making process. As the leader I used a full and clearly defined evidence of staff members and their relevant skill mix in order to utilise them effectively. It is vital to utilise research and evidence of best practice in relation to postnatal groups in other areas of the UK. The current economic climate challenges our leadership skills and means that all practitioners need to scrutinize their practice to organise their work and be as innovative and productive as possible within the constraints of health service budgets (DoH, CPHVA, Unite, NHS, 2009b). 5. Leadership benefits to the quality of client care. 5.1 My role as a leader is to promote and implement concepts such as joint working and partnership with the community, addressing equity and inequality issues, collective action and an empowering agenda with a new way of thinking and methods to use in order to work dynamically (Cowley, 2008). These key concepts highlight the importance of this postnatal group being effectively led and supported by multi-agency organisations and community partnerships. As a registered practitioner and leader it is my responsibility to ensure that there is a supervision system in place within an organisation to protect the patient/client and maintain the highest possible standards of care. On-going supervision is used to assess team members abilities to perform delegated tasks and capability to take on additional roles and responsibilities. Supervision will be offered indirectly or directly at set points in time and team members will be given weekly opportunities to discuss any issues, concerns or worr ies they may have. 5.3 As the leader of this project it is important to be aware of the five areas of clinical governance identified by Crinson, 1999 clinical audit, clinical effectiveness, clinical risk management, quality assurance and staff development. It is important that within the leadership role I improve services based on complaints, evaluation and feedback by both professionals and clients, while accepting criticisms of my leadership skills. Any service must involve professional groups in multi professional audit. Proactively identifying clinical risks to patients/staff should make for a sound provision and aid myself as a health professional to be an effective leader. I aim to monitor my ability to measure the capacity and capability to deliver services by ensuring that there is effective clinical leadership as stated by the National Audit Office, 2007. 5.4 As a leader I believe setting high standards of quality care for clients is a key responsibility. This can be done by identifying key benchmarks set by the NMC (2004) where it is stated that the public have the right to expect that health care professionals will practice at a high standard. The use of benchmarks can assist in identifying the need for change. Within the Norfolk PCT I believe the value of the Nursery Nurse is recognised by SCPHNs with particular relevance to their skills being utilised. Using this as a benchmark it may therefore be suggested that integrating a Nursery Nurse into the postnatal group would compliment my role as a SCPHN in addressing the needs of the client in the most effective manner. Effective delivery of information at the postnatal group is dependent on the capacity of the workforce to implement it and having the appropriate resources to support the work force. This capacity relates to having sufficient staff in place, who have the requisite know ledge, skills and confidence to undertake assessments (DoH, DFEE Home Office, 2000c). The team that I am responsible and accountable for leading is multi-skilled and able to share relevant information in order to offer help and support to each other. 5.5 To be an effective leader I believe it is an essential requirement to undertake evaluation and analysis of any intervention on a regular basis to give the opportunity to implement change, which is supported by Summerbell et al (2005). They highlight that stakeholders (families, school environments, and others) be included in the decision making and I believe this allows for a broad range of ideas to be shared to provide quality care and services that are effective and appropriate for the target client group. Evaluation is key to quality assurance and an essential part of the leadership role is to ensure that followers are actively involved in the quality control process (Marquis Huston, 2009). 5.6 As a leader by utilising this service I am able to effectively share other agency resources and the skills of professionals with similar aims and objectives. The Department of Health (2000) promotes the collaboration of services and the ability to pool budgets and resources in order for services to be maintained and obtain sustainability. I believe that shared ownership of a strategy encourages partner agencies to incorporate targets into their individual plans and to work together to provide appropriate support for children and families this is supported by Hanson, 2010. The key to successful collaborative working and partnerships is to reach a common understanding of the priorities of the community and how to best tackle them (Mitcheson, 2008). Concepts such as joint working and partnership with the community, addressing equity and inequality issues, collective action and an empowering agenda all provide me as a SCPHN with new ways of thinking and methods to use in order to wo rk dynamically (Cowley, 2008). Once the group is more established, their own personal development aims will enable some of the clients to take a more prominent role in the leadership and development of the group as peer supporters. 5.7 Within the team I believe that the consequences of poor leadership to client care could be that staff members becoming unsettled and unhappy in their position and they may transfer these feeling towards the clients resulting in a lack of motivation on both sides. I feel that if staff are not behind their leader then this will reflect into the group through misinterpretation of the service Coe et al (2007) and Smith and Roberts (2009) found that barriers to attending groups include misinformation about the organisation. This evidence highlights the importance of my supportive leadership of health professionals to be clear, consistent and supportive in the information they are giving. 6. Dynamic and flexible approaches to leadership issues. 6.1 I have found through experience that awareness of conflict management is a key area of responsibility for an effective leader. To date I have found that in health there are a huge variety of professionals all with different knowledge and backgrounds and interacting with each other giving considerable potential for conflict. Conflict can arise through the competition of different groups vying scarce resources. An individuals personal objectives may also be a cause for potential conflict. As a leader it is vital that I do not ignore any potential conflict situations and if conflicts do arise, I will plan solutions before patient care is compromised. I intend as a leader to promote a positive working environment through my leadership skills, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN, 2005) state that many professionals experience both positive and negative working environments and recommend a useful tool to explore relationships on an individual and team basis. I aim for my team members to view me as a leader who is able to collaborate and involve relevant parties to solve a situation rather than one who avoids conflict. Conflict can result in poor productivity (Barr Dowding, 2010) by being a dynamic and flexible leader who is able to resolve conflict effectively I can ensure a continuing high quality of patient care. 6.2 If I had conflict within a team I am leading, I would use a tool created by Tuckman (1965) on stages of group development. The four stages of group development Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing can be used to break down a difficult situation into manageable elements. During the forming stage of team development and development of the group it was my aim to ensure that I explained all tasks and objectives in a clear manner and to emphasise and reassure team members that I was happy to listen to ideas but decisions would be made so that everyone had a good understanding of what they were required to do. To team then moved into the storming stage of development where the group were happy to discuss ideas but showed respect if there was disagreement and communication skills to come to amicable decisions. The next stage is the Norming stage were the group began to support each other in their roles. This stage can sometimes develop slowly currently the team has not reached t he consistent performing stage as partners and team members continue to develop and learn how to work effectively together. By maintaining and developing the group further I hope to achieve consistently high standards of performance within the group. This will require effective communication, shared labour, greater cooperation, lower absenteeism and increased resistance to frustrations. If I continue to perform as a leader to a high standard I believe I can achieve the delivery of high quality care and a motivated team. 6.3 In order to maintain professional development and practice based on evidenced-based research I believe health professionals need to access relevant training, and share knowledge and skills within the team environment. Reflection is essential in order to look back at achievements. Consideration of what has been successful and what would be done differently in future practice to make a service as beneficial and effective as possible for children and families is essential. I aim to promote partnership working as I feel it is key to the implementation of this intervention in order to sustain it and continue future development within the area. 6.4 At the end of the project I aim to collect data in order to evaluate and analyse the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and identify opportunities for cost savings, which is part of my professional responsibility identified by NICE, 2007. I aim to involve service users and engage them in a simple customer feedback questionnaire to establish how well the initiative meets their needs. 7. Conclusion 7.1 I feel that further and continuing research is required on what clients require within a service. It is my responsibility as a SCPHN and a leader of a team to maintain evidenced based practice and respond to the needs of professionals and clients. I aim to continue developing the key skills of reflecting upon experiences and improving practice at the beginning, during and after action, to ensure improvement of services. From the experiences and reflection I have undertaken I have identified my leadership style and conclude that I will try to respond to individuals within the context of their understanding and community. Consideration of ideas generated by members of the team and client group are key to effective leadership. 7.2 I endeavour to share and input values such as honesty, respect, integrity and emotional strength as I believe they are essential for working with team members and clients. Promotion of my values and constructive criticism need to be demonstrated within any team. Adaptability and flexibility of leadership styles must also be developed and used. I aim to continue and develop my participatory leadership approach with both colleagues and clients. This will enable me to evaluate, question and confirm all of my actions within my role as a SCPHN. 8. Recommendations 8.1 As a SCPHN I should lead change and encourage change in a flexible and appropriate manner to aid the development of healthcare services. 8.2 I acknowledge that I need to develop my skills in applying quality care frameworks in practice to improve my quality assurance. 8.3 I recognise that my conflict management skills should be developed through experience and used effectively to promote good leadership. 9. Appendix Appendix 1 Adair, 1997 interaction of needs within the group 11. References Adair, J (1979) Action Centred Leadership. Aldershot: Gower Press. Barr, J Dowding, L (2010) Leadership in Health Care. London: Sage. Changing Minds (2002-2006) Transformational Leadership. (Online) Available at: http://www.changingminds.org/disciplines/leadershipstyles.htm (Accessed 24th June, 2010). Coe, C. Gibson, A. Spencer, N. Struttaford, M (2007) Sure Start: voices of the hard-to-reach. Child, care, health and development. 34, 4, 447-453. Cowley, S (2008) Community Public Health in Policy and Practice. 2nd Edition. London: Balliere Tindall. Crinson, I (1999) Clinical governance: the new NHS, new responsibilities. British Journal of Nursing. 8 (7): 449-453. Daft, R (2005) The Leadership experience. 3rd Edition. Canada: Thomson South-Western. Department for Education and Employment, department of Health Home Office (2000c) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. London: HMSO. Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan. London: HMSO. Department of Health, CPHVA, Unite NHS (2009b) Getting it right for children and families. Maximising the contribution of the health visiting team. Ambition, Action, Achievement. London: The Stationery Office. Department of Health (2009c) Healthy Child Programme Pregnancy and the first five years of life. London: The Stationery Office. Department of Health (2009a) Healthy lives, brighter futures The strategy for children and young peoples health. (Online) Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/publications (Accessed 5th June, 2010). Department of Health (2006) Our Health, Our Care, Our Say. London: HMSO. Department of Health (1999) Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation. London: HM Stationery Office. Eastwood, P. Horrocks, E Jones, K (1995) Promoting peer group support with post-natally depressed women. Health Visitor, 68 (4): 148-150. Hall, D, Williams, J, Elliman, D (2009) The Child Surveillance Handbook. 3rd Edition. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing. Hanson, S (2010) Empowering change. Community Practitioner. 83, 36-37. Johnson, S (2005) Characteristics of effective health care managers. Health Care manager 24(2), 124-128). Lewin K (1951) Field Theory in Social Science. New York: Harper and Row. Lewin, K, Lippitt, R White R (1939) Patterns of aggressive behaviour in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology 10: 271-299. Marquis, B Huston, C (2009) Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing Theory and Application. 6th Edition. London: Lippincott, Williams Wilkins. McGuire, E Kennerly, A (2006) Nurse managers as transformational and transactional leaders. Nursing Economics 24(4), 179-186. Mitcheson, J (2008) Expanding Nursing Health Care Practice Public Health Approaches to Practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. National Audit Office (2007) Improving Quality and Safety Progress in Implementing Clinical Governance: Lessons for the Primary Care Trusts. London: NAO. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2007) Behaviour Change. London: Department of Health. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Standards of proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. Norwich: The Stationery Office. Rafferty, A (1993) Leading questions: a discussion paper on the issues of nurse leadership. Kings Fund Centre. Robbins, s (2000) Organisational Behaviour. 9th Edition. New York: Prentice Hall. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2005) Working with Care: Improving Working Relationships in Healthcare. London: RCN. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) (2006) Supervision, accountability and delegation of activities to support workers A guide for registered practitioners and support workers. London: RCN. Smith, D Roberts, R (2009) Young parents perception of barriers to antenatal and postnatal care. British Journal of Midwifery, 17, 10. Sullivan, E Decker, P (2009) Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing. 7th Edition. London

To Kill a Mocking Bird - Maturation Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"Growing Together† The way and rate that people mature at can be directly attributed to the values and beliefs of the society that surrounds an individual. It is undeniable that society’s perspective on many controversial issues will generally be adopted by the younger generations in a given society. Moreover, the exposure to significant events, coupled with the major influence of family members, can have an enormous impact on how an individual matures. Additionally, family members greatly help each other develop into moral adults by instilling in each other values that will ultimately determine an individual’s character. In Harper Lee’s timeless classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, the constant reiteration of Atticus Finch’s values, in conjunction with the exposure to significant events, assist in Jem and Scout’s maturation into virtuous adolescents. Throughout the novel, Atticus’ assistance to Jem and Scout’s development becomes evident. Atticus takes every opportunity to attempt to teach his children the importance of having an open-mind. For instance, when Scout queries Atticus about Maycomb’s prejudice perspective, he tells her, â€Å"You never really understand a person until†¦you climb in their skin and walk around in it.† (Lee 30) Even during the early stages of the novel, it is apparent that Atticus endeavors to instill the values of empathy and tolerance within Jem and Scout by teaching them how to have multiple perspectives on a situation. In addition, Atticus also attempts to enlighten his children about peaceful resolution in society. For example, when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus tells Scout, you might hear some ugly talk about it at school but†¦you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.†... ...heme of maturation in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, is conveyed through the characters of Scout and Jem, in conjunction with the assistance of their virtuous father Atticus Finch. Early in the novel, Atticus ascertains himself as a major facilitator in the maturation process of Scout and Jem by incessantly providing mature solutions to his children’s predicaments. Moreover, Scout, a major benefactor of the Boo Radley incident and Atticus’ wisdom, has helped her develop into a very tolerant and mature individual. Undeniably, Jem’s remarkable development into a broadminded and compassionate character can be directly attributed to Atticus’ kindness and Jem’s exposure to the Tom Robinson trial. In synopsis, it is evident that the individuals and social circumstances that surround an individual play a major role in defining the type of individual one will become.