Social Work Reflection: Experiences and Legislation

Social Work Reflection: Experiences and Legislation Kate Satchell Reflection on personal experience in practice, relating to the legislation and standards applicable in my workplace and how legislation impacts on the communication process. During this report I will draw on the information which I spoke about during my presentation. I will reflect on my personal experiences in practice, relating to legislation and standards that are applicable to my setting and research how legislation impacts on the communication process. I will draw upon my organisations practices, policies and procedures which facilitate effective communication and will identify any barriers which exist. The organisation that I work for are called First City Nursing Services and I will refer to them throughout my report, I have received confirmation that this is ok to do so. Communication is a great deal more than just speaking verbally to another person, it’s all about getting your message and point across via obtaining information, giving information, sharing ideas, opinions and views and it is important to have good communication between service users and the service providers which assists in building a good rapport. There are four types of communication which include verbal, non-verbal, written and assisted communication for example, through use of computers etc. (buzzle.com, 2010) As a domiciliary care worker I care for numerous service users with a variety of different care needs. Occasionally issues will arise if the member of staff who entered the individual’s house before myself has failed to fill in the Progress Notes/Medication/Nutrition Charts with all relevant information. This can cause inconsistencies especially where medication is involved as it may become unclear whether or not medication has been given. This may result in medication being missed, as the unrecorded dose cannot be given again in case of an overdose. First City have a very strict policy on recording and reporting and any staff member found not recording relevant information will be called in for a meeting and may face disciplinary action. (First City Handbook, 2015) Health and social care is strongly influenced by different cultures, beliefs and values but it is also influenced by the guidance which is provided by legislations, charters, and codes of practice. Organisations like First City Nursing follow the guidance within these documents as it ensures that they are within the law in their practice. A way in which legislations, charters and codes of practice influence the communication process is demonstrated by the fact that they allow the provision of equality. The current laws which guide the practice of health and social care are based on the principle of equality which does not allow discrimination of any individual, this includes staff, service users and anyone else involved in the service. (Equality Act, 2010) For example, legislations such as those which provide fair employment, sex discrimination acts, racial discrimination etc. are some of the laws which have an influence in practice. These laws create a framework of the behaviour of the healthcare professional and form the basis of how they act and how they communicate. For example: the correct way of behaving to stay within the law is implemented into the policies and procedures and job description. The consequences of going against legislations will be a critical factor in the observance of a good communication practice (Cambridge Training Development, 2000). The Data Protection Act 1984 provides a good example of legislations in communication. This act provides protection to information which is confidential and should only be used when nescarry and for reasons known by the indivudals involved. Service users could lose trust from the service providers if confidential information is given out, making it important for laws to provide protection for this. Certain legislations are also made available to provide equality and anti-discrimination in the workplace. These factors are highly influential in shaping the communication practice and activities of people in health and social care (Moonie, 2005). The code of practice is also highly influential in communication practices especially in consideration of the fact that they can affect confidentiality and privacy of information. For instance, the use and access to the internet for health and social workers are often limited and defined by codes of conduct, depending upon the institution, to be assured of good communication practices and work ethics. An example of this may be service providers using Facebook or other social networking sites and breaching confidentiality of a service user or of the service itself. First City Nursing have a very strict policy relating to this and suggest that no photos are taken when in uniform, no information regarding work or work locations is shared and any staff member in breach of this could face disciplinary action The Data Protection Act provides restrictions and limitations on the use and access of personal information, especially those of the clients or the patients. Some of this information includes personal information, medical records, treatment history, and credit information. Record keeping is very important and should be adhered to and followed strictly. (Essays, UK. 2013) Legislation, regulations and codes of practice as looked at within this report as well as in my presentation provides a number of benefits for the health and social care sector. It sets guidelines and standards which assist with meeting the individual needs, ease of administration of procedures, making efficient administrative practices, accurate documentation, and fostering a more dynamic communication practice. (Essays, u.k 2013) Communication aids also provide assistance in improving practice, accountability, and quality of care. It allows service users and their service providers to communication effectively, enabling a person centred approach to be used by finding out the individuals wants and desires for their own care. There is a great need for improvement in communication within the health and social care sector but by being able to identify ways by which such could be improved, via reading the written communication and speaking verbally with service users and providers, the health and social care sector can begin to pinpoint ways in which communication is failing and needs to be improved, this can lead to updates of legislation and the organisations policies and procedures.

Advanced Forensics vs Traditional Investigation

Technology has allowed our world to become much more advanced. This was never truer than in the field of forensic science. There was a time where the only evidence introduced at trials was the murder weapon and the testimony of an eyewitness. Now we have DNA, hair, fiber, and soil samples to analyze. We rely on forensics when decomposed bodies or skeletal remains are found to provide an identity and a cause and time of death. The field of Criminalistics has definitely come a long way from just questioning suspects but this still remains a critical part of any investigation. It can be said that forensic science provides amazing answers but the results can never have 100% certainty due to human error. Traditional investigative methods must go hand in hand with forensic analysis in the process of ensuring that all possible evidence is acquired and a jury has proper information to make a fair decision. Forensic evidence provides many answers to questions that would otherwise remain a mystery. We can take the example of forensic anthropology, or the study of human remains. Sometimes the remains are skeletal or so badly decomposed that it is impossible to even identify the victim until an examination is done by a forensic anthropologist. As we learned in chapter 1 of our text, studying remains as well as the insects and soil found in and around a human body can determine a time and cause of death. This is important information useful in finding and convicting a suspect. Every case is different, but evidence is always required to prove guilt. Forensic science has become so evolved that traditional methods might be seen as out dated; this shouldn’t be the case. Interrogating a suspect should be just as important as submitting a DNA sample. No case should rely solely on one or the other. If we consider some of the cases from the past we can see how important it is to have a good combination of both. In the Wayne Williams case there was a huge amount of fiber evidence linking him to 12 different victims; however fiber evidence is only good when you have a source to match it to (Saferstein, 2007). If the Atlanta P. D. had not set up a surveillance team the night he allegedly dumped a body into the river, this case might remain unsolved. An old fashioned stake-out provided a big break for this case. The Manson case is another high profile case that relied heavily on eyewitnesses and informants as opposed to forensics (Bugliosi, N. D. ). In this case the prosecution was able to prove through witness testimony that Charles Manson had almost complete control of his followers. Unfortunately juries do place a lot of credibility on forensic evidence which might be a cause of the â€Å"CSI effect† (Robbers, 2006). The CSI show has captivated so many people with its unrealistic techniques of solving crimes in less than 60 minutes. Society has embraced its popularity and has come to expect something similar when they land in the jury box. Jurors should not base their decision solely on the fact that they have a forensic scientist confirming a DNA sample match with the suspect. Let’s not forget that the scientist making this analysis is human and susceptible to commit errors whether intentional or unintentional. . In recent years many lab scandals have been uncovered from innocent unknowing mistakes to faking tests results. I had come across the story of Mariem Megalla, a forensic scientist who is accused of falsifying evidence she tested. She is accused of labeling a sample of a suspected drug as positive when it had actually come back with a negative test result (Mangan, 2010). Rather than having it retested, she removed the label off of a positive sample and placed it on the negative sample. Because of scandals similar to this the Justice for All Act of 2004 was created. This did require strict guidelines, frequent audits and more oversight in forensic labs but this still does not guarantee a mistake proof result every single time. Jurors must always keep this in mind when deciding how much weight to put on any type of forensic science evidence.

How Judaism and Christianity Diverged - 862 Words

The origins of Christianity can be originated in Judaism and for that reason it is no surprise that both religions have many beliefs in common. During the earliest beginnings, Christianity was a part of Judaism, but currently they are two distinct communities. However, they are bound together by their belief in one God and to worship any other is to deny Him. The separation between both religions did not happen fast or easy. The entire division took some hundred years and the very complex separation didn’t happen all at once. Christianity began with Jesus Christ and his disciples about 2000 years ago in Judea. Throughout that duration of time, Judea was ruled over the emperor of Rome, Constantine. The Romans were pagan and had†¦show more content†¦He doesn’t look like a king they have imagined and thought of him as pathetic and rejected him. When Jesus first came to Israel, Jesus said publicly, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.† â€Å"Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?† a high priest ask him and Jesus replied, I am, ... And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:61-62). This haven’t convinced them that Jesus was the Messiah and condemned him to torture and death for lying. â€Å"Eli Eli lama sabachthani!† was Jesus’ last words as he was crucified as stated in the New Testament. After three days, he was resurrected and ascended to the heavens in front of six hundred people. His disciples began to spread his word to various parts of the world. After Paul, one of Jesus’ disciples and his right hand man, failed to convince the Jews, Paul had to resort to converting the Romans. Around 312 A.D., Emperor Constantine I adopted the Christian faith and, therefore, legalized Christianity. He supported the Christian Church and tried to abandon all the pagan temples. In 325 A.D., he sent for the Council of Nic aea to establish the Nicene Creed. The emperor wanted to enforce orthodoxy and to eradicate heretics. Christianity began to spread and detached it’s way from Judaism. The Roman government began to acknowledge its independence and the emperor let them go from paying the fiscus judaicus, a tax forShow MoreRelatedPrayer and Fasting: Traditions That Cross the Barriar of Religions1441 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s world there are hundreds of religions with thousands of traditions and practices. Many of these religions share the same roots, but have diverged so much over the years that the only thing in common is the God they worship. 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He lived as a king in a castle until his departure from his parents as an old man and became a monk after coming to a road block facing hardship and indigence

Ethical Dilemmas Of Utilitarianism And Deontology

Andrew Sponsler 11/4/15 Ethics Considering Ethical Dilemmas through Utilitarianism and Deontology Kant’s theory of deontology and Mill’s theory of utilitarianism provide starkly different approaches to assigning moral value to ethical dilemmas, two modern dilemmas being commercial surrogacy and physician-assisted suicide. This essay will expound upon the process of deciding moral value within each ethical theory and then apply this decision process to the two ethical dilemmas. Arguments will be posited in support or in opposition to the proposed ethical dilemmas according to the ethical theories. The discussion will revolve around the theories as proposed by the specific authors mentioned above in their relevant works. Mill writes of utilitarianism in the eponymous work Utilitarianism. According to his work utilitarianism is a means of deciding the moral value of actions. 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