How to Analyze a Historical Document

It can be easy when examining a historical document that relates to an ancestor to look for the one right answer to our question — to rush to judgment based on the assertions presented in the document or text, or the conclusions we make from it. It is easy to look at the document through eyes clouded by personal bias and perceptions engendered by the time, place and circumstances in which we live. What we need to consider, however, is the bias present in the document itself. The reasons for which the record was created. The perceptions of the documents creator. When weighing the information contained in an individual document we must consider the extent to which the information reflects reality. Part of this analysis is weighing and correlating evidence obtained from multiple sources. Another important part is evaluating the provenance, purpose, motivation,  and constraints of the documents which contain that information within a particular historical context. Questions to consider for every record we touch: 1. What Type of Document Is It? Is it a census record, will, land deed, memoir, personal letter, etc.? How might the record type affect the content and believability of the document? 2. What Are the Physical Characteristics of the Document? Is it handwritten? Typed? A pre-printed form? Is it an original document or a court-recorded copy? Is there an official seal? Handwritten notations? Is the document in the original language in which it was produced? Is there anything unique about the document that stands out? Are the characteristics of the document consistent with its time and place? 3. Who Was the Author or Creator of the Document? Consider the author, creator and/or informant of the document and its contents. Was the document created first-hand by the author? If the documents creator was a court clerk, parish priest, family doctor, newspaper columnist, or other third party, who was the informant? What was the authors motive or purpose for creating the document? What was the author or informants knowledge of and proximity to the event(s) being recorded? Was he educated? Was the record created or signed under oath or attested to in court? Did the author/informant have reasons to be truthful or untruthful? Was the recorder a neutral party, or did the author have opinions or interests that might have influenced what was recorded? What perception might this author have brought to the document and description of events? No source is entirely immune to the influence of its creators predilections, and knowledge of the author/creator helps in determining the documents reliability. 4. For What Purpose Was the Record Created? Many sources were created to serve a purpose or for a particular audience. If a governmental record, what law or laws required the documents creation? If a more personal document such as a letter, memoir, will, or family history, for what audience was it written and why? Was the document meant to be public or private? Was the document open to public challenge? Documents created for legal or business reasons, particularly those open to public scrutiny such as those presented in court, are more likely to be accurate. 5. When Was the Record Created? When was this document produced? Is it contemporary to the events it describes? If it is a letter is it dated? If a bible page, do the events predate the bibles publication? If a photograph, does the name, date or other information written on the back appear contemporaneous to the photo? If undated, clues such as phrasing, form of address, and handwriting can help to identify the general era. First-hand accounts created at the time of the event are generally more reliable than those created months or years after the event occurred. 6. How Has the Document or Record Series Been Maintained? Where did you obtain/view the record? Has the document been carefully maintained and preserved by a government agency or archival repository? If a family item, how has it been passed down to the present day? If a manuscript collection or other item residing in a library or historical society, who was the donor? Is it an original or derivative copy? Could the document have been tampered with? 7. Were There Other Individuals Involved? If the document is a recorded copy, was the recorder an impartial party? An elected official? A salaried court clerk? A parish priest? What qualified the individuals who witnessed the document? Who posted the bond for a marriage? Who served as godparents for a baptism? Our understanding of the parties involved in an event, and the laws and customs which may have governed their participation, aids in our interpretation of the evidence contained within a document. In-depth analysis and interpretation of a historical document is an important step in the genealogical research process, allowing us to distinguish between fact, opinion, and assumption, and explore reliability and potential bias when weighing the evidence it contains. Knowledge of the historical context, customs,  and laws influencing the document can even add to the evidence we glean. The next time you hold a genealogical record, ask yourself if you have really explored everything the document has to say.

Interpreting Modern History Revival of the Appreciation...

Modern history was the abandonment of European confinement. I understand modern history as being the revival of the appreciation of art, ideas, and moral values known as the Renaissance. During and before this time period, the majority of the European population was deeply embedded and blinded by the church. It is my understanding that Modern history is comprised of a sequence of events. It was not limited to specific dates, it was a continuous cycle of religious and political strives for power, establishment, and scientific discovery. The events, formerly mentioned, that took place were the Renaissance, the Reformation, and Exploration. The first of the sequenced events is known as the Renaissance. The Renaissance was the period in Europe†¦show more content†¦Each state was similar to a political unit that competed both politically and methodically with its neighbors. There were five main powers of political units that dominated Italy’s affairs. Two being monarchs, and the other three being city-states in northern Italy. What I perceived is that up until mid fourteenth century, Italy’s political dealings were unorganized. It wasn’t until the middle of the fifteenth century that some semblance of order was achieved due to the increasing development of centralized government. Restoration of internal order finally led to diplomatic balance in Italy. (Backman, 2013) The second sequence of events is known as the Reformation. The Protestant Reformation took place during the 16th-century. It was a European Christian movement that began as an effort to reform the Catholic Church and ultimately led to the establishment of Protestant Christian religions. The Protestant Reformation was a religious, political, intellectual and cultural disturbance that fractured Catholic Europe. The Protestant Reformation set into place the structures and beliefs that defined the mainland in the modern era. 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Clean Energy Free Essays

Fuel Cells and Clean Energy for the Future are a better alternative source of energy for our world, and a cheaper and cleaner way to live compared to the alternative, fossil fuels! Humans have been using fossil fuels to power industries, electric plants, vehicles, and home heating, for over a hundred years and have polluted our world and have killed off species of animals and charged inflated prices to get rich, not counting all of the taxes (Natural Resources Committee, 2013). It’s time for newer cleaner and cheaper practical ideas to produce energy. Some of the alternative energy source ideas in this paper have been around for a surprising amount of time but due to greed from people who have got rich off from all the sales of fossil fuels, none of the practical ideas were ever implemented because of ridiculous excuses such as there too expensive to put in place. We will write a custom essay sample on Clean Energy or any similar topic only for you Order Now Some of the ideas aren’t taxable, which I’m assuming would be one of the biggest reasons alternative energy ideas are not used by many people. Fuel cells are a great alternative energy source; there are numerous ideas such as wind generation, solar power, HHO enerators, geothermal, solar-chemical systems and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion. All of these alternative energy sources will be discussed in depth, and all the pros and cons of each of them. Alternative energy sources and fuel cells will eventually be used because fossil fuels will eventually run out. 1% of the earth’s surface is covered in water and the sun shines every day, almost all of the alternative energy sources use nature’s abundance of natural resources and potential energy to produce energy, and the waste products are not harmful to the environment. Some f the alternative energy or fuel cell ideas are challenging to build, but that’s how the world has become what it is today, everythings a challenge which makes it exciting. Where will we be in twenty years, and how will we power our planet, run our cars or heat our homes or produce el ectricity? There are two known ways of using the sun’s rays to capture and use it to make energy. Typically we think of solar right away, but solar-chemical systems are being experimented with to try and capture and store the sun’s energy to be able to use it on demand via chemical storage and the use of a atalyst to use the energy (MIT, 2010). A molecule of fulvalene diruthenium, was experimented with at MIT, it is able to capture the sun’s energy almost like a rechargeable battery, the chemical can store it for later use and when the stored energy is used the molecule snaps back to its original state ready to be used again. The energy can be used as heat to boil water to turn a turbine to produce energy or use the heat to directly heat a home. These heat storing chemicals can store the and possibilities of ideas are endless. Based on this molecule, MIT is in search of ther molecules with the same properties that are in abundance and a lot cheaper. Ultimately this can be used as a solar-thermal fuel, when the reaction takes place to let out the suns heat it can reach temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius. This heat could be used in a number of ways to produce energy, for example Just using the heat released could easily heat a home. The chemical used isn’t readily available but they are still experimenting with different chemicals to find one with the same properties as fulvalene diruthenium. Solar power is energy harnessed from the un’s rays, and is a renewable energy source. Panels are made from silicon which is a semiconductor when the sun’s rays (photons) hit the solar panels electrons in the panel absorb the energy which transforms the electrons into conduction electrons (Clean Energy, 2012). The electrons then carry an electric charge to a place that stores that energy like a battery bank. Solar panels are put up in series and work together to harness the sun’s rays to produce energy required for whatever it is you’re trying to power. It takes quite a few quality high watt panels to power a small cabin. Solar power is clean and sun rays are free but the system isn’t and to power a home or cabin these systems can cost $20,000 and up. The price of the systems is the reason most people don’t have them or use them. To set up a solar system, there are also a lot of components to hook up and a lot of wiring. With a lot of these different systems you would have to have a charge controller and a battery bank to store the energy produced by the solar panels. Which battery banks are also very expensive and need to properly be wired in series whether it is a 24 volt or 12 volt system. Solar power also doesn’t produce electricity all the time, at night and on cloudy days solar panels don’t put out the peak wattage they are capable of. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion or (OTEC) has been around for a long time. An OTEC plant is built in the ocean on a hurricane proof platform so workers are safe from the elements. The oceans waters store 1000 times more heat than the atmosphere. More than 300 times the earth’s needs are in the solar power contained in the tropical ocean. The heat is distributed by Thermo hailing circulation, which is a combination of wind, emperature and the earth’s rotation; it acts like a conveyer belt. An ocean thermo energy conversion plant would be strategically placed in the ocean. At the equator the surface of the ocean is hot and some depths reach 3000 feet deep which is cold water. So this is an ideal place to place the plant since it works by the temperature differences in the water. An OTEC system uses the surface water to boil a gas such as propane, because propane has a low boiling point (Britannica, 2013). So it is used to power a turbine which produces electricity. The hot water on the top boils the gas nd creates steam out of the liquid propane which powers power’s the turbine. The propane goes through a condenser and is cooled by the deep water temperature. So the propane is not burned at all it’s Just used to turn the turbine, to turn the electric generator, as steam, and then it goes through the cooling process to return to liquid form. Depending on the size of the plant, these OTEC plants can produce endless amounts of power and the process does not pollute the atmosphere. The plants cost a lot of money to build, but it would easily pay itself off in a few different ways. The technical definition of Bio diesel is a fuel comprised of mono alkyl esters of long has been around as long as diesel engines, but hasn’t been in demand until recently. The way bio diesel is produced is through a process called transesterification, by altering the chemical properties of the oil with methanol. It is produced from renewable domestic resources which are not as harmful to the environment as petroleum fuels. It is also nontoxic and biodegradable. These kinds of fuels can be used in endless real world applications to produce energy. Commercial and esidential diesel generators can be ran with these fuels to produce energy without any modifications to the engine. Bio diesel also can be used with diesel vehicles that let off bad emission, and are worse for the ozone layer and affect global warming. Tractor trailers drive cross country daily to supply our nation with foods and products, by using bio diesel they could lower tail pipe emissions by 41%. These fuels can power diesel generators that could easily power a house or business. With some modifications to lower noise levels it could be a feasible and fairly cheap and clean ay to live and also get rid of a power bill. The only real problem with bio diesels is it could increase nitrogen oxide emissions. That problem can be overcome by a process called blending, which 20% bio diesel is blended with 5% diesel to get the best of both and get rid of the worst. Fuel cells of the near or distant future will be like batteries in a typical house hold item such as a flashlight. A fuel cell is something that uses a source of fuel like Hydrogen and an oxidant to electrochemically make electricity (National Geographic, 2013). Fuel cells could power our vehicles, houses, nd be portable so electricity can be brought where it would be required. Unlike batteries, fuel cells won’t stop producing electricity as long as fuel is provided to it. Fuel cells are better for our atmosphere, they don’t produce as many harmful green house gases and they don’t produce any of the air pollutants that create health problems or smog. Once in production and fuel cells are able to compete with the fossil fuel industries, eventually they would be a lot cheaper than our typical sources of energy. Every fuel cell has two electrodes one negative and a positive one; they are called the anode and cathode. Electricity is produced at the electrodes. They also have an electrolyte which carries charged particles from one electrode to the other. There is also a catalyst that is introduced between the electrodes that speed up the reaction at the electrodes to produce more electricity at a faster rate. Another alternative energy source or fuel for everything we need fuel to power is water, the most abundant natural resource on the planet. Hydrogen fuel cells or hydrogen generators are being experimented with everyday. Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen molecules, so to make it a combustible fuel, the hydrogen olecules need to be separated from the oxygen molecules. To accomplish this to produce hydrogen as a fuel is fairly easy. First a cell is made out of stainless steel with a positive and negative lead, separated by 1. 5mm for optimum hydrogen production. A common cell is 7 stainless plates which two of the plates on the outside are positive and negative and the rest of the sandwiched plates are neutral plates which help keep the cell run at cooler temperatures. The cell is then put into a housing unit with distilled water and an electrolyte; with a 12 volt source hooked up o the positive lead and a ground hooked up to the negative lead. Bubbles will start to form, which are hydrogen molecules breaking free from the oxygen molecules. ousing of the generator and into a bubbler to make sure the hydrogen is clean. From the bubbler the hydrogen can be pumped into a tank and then into an engine or directly into an engine. The waste ends up producing water, which isn’t good for regular metal exhausts and will rust them out, but a stainless exhaust can replace it with no further worries. Catalytic convert ers on cars today turn some of the missions into water and eventually rust exhausts anyway. Some vehicles need more fuel than others, such as a tractor trailer VS a Prius (USA Today 2013). A hydrogen generator would have to be made specifically for the engine it’s going to run. Alternative energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy sources will be a more efficient way of sustaining energy needed by humans. A wind turbine creates energy by the wind, which is potential energy sitting there where ever located, Just waiting for a gust of wind to produce energy. Solar energy is readily available to us all but is ery expensive to set up. Geothermal energy is also readily available to us and is a clean source of energy but is also a very expensive set up. In the future prices will come down. So the companies making products for solar energy and geothermal energy can better compete on the energy market. By using alternative energy sources and fuel cells our planet could be a cleaner more efficient planet (Clean Energy, 2012). Fuel cells and alternative energy sources are a lot more efficient than the use of fossil fuels. There are a variety of different fuel cells and alternative energy ources in production right know, experimenting with different fuels and energy sources could potentially make more of a variety of efficient fuels and alternative energy combinations. Conclusion alternative, fossil fuels! There are numerous possibilities of alternative energy source ideas to power the world. The previous paragraphs talked about seven different alternative energy sources that could work to power our planet, without pollution and environmental wastes. These alternative energy sources use natural resources to produce energy, which seems to be the most responsible way to power our world. MIT’s experiments with the molecule fulvalene diruthenium, is an exceptional idea. To be able to have the power of the suns energy stored in a molecule, and to be able to use it on demand is an amazing feat. Solar power is another alternative energy source that harnesses the suns power to create energy, which also doesn’t pollute our world, and is a renewable energy source. Both solar and chemical solar systems use sunlight to produce energy which is in abundance and don’t produce waste products. The use of water to produce power is another alternative energy source or fuel that uses nature’s natural resources. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion technology is not new. In 1881, Jacques Arsene d’Arsonval, a French physicist, proposed tapping the thermal energy of the ocean. But it was d’Arsonval’s student, Georges Claude, who in 1930 built the first OTEC plant in Cuba (U. S. Department of Energy (2013). OTEC can be used today to supply the world with energy with no pollution or waste, the first plant built produced 22 Kilowatts, which is enough to power a house or two but not enough to power a country. If the plants were made bigger with new technology and a fleet of these plants were built, ells and HHO generators are another alternative energy source that uses nature’s natural resources. HHO generators use’s water to produce energy or fuel, water covers 71% of the earth’s surface so why not experiment with it as a fuel or energy source? The water used in some of the systems can be recycled so there is no waste or pollution. Fuel cells use hydrogen and an oxidant to produce electricity. HHO generators produce hydrogen as a fuel, which in combination could produce power as a fuel and electricity. These two alternative energy sources could be used on all ehicles in the country and cut out emissions as a whole. This would dramatically help our environment in a short period of time, probably enough to offset Chinas pollution and waste it produces. These alternative energy sources are Just a few of hundreds of ideas, new and old that are realistic energy sources to power our country or planet. It would take years to implement some of the ideas but some could be produced and ready to use immediately. I have personally made wind turbines and I am currently building an HHO generator and I’m also building a self-running generator that runs on nothing but the energy it produces. IVe experimented with all of these on a small scale and they worked great. So If you would like to make a difference and help clean up our planet and stop polluting and save a few dollars, start inventing or look at the history of alternative energy sources and build off someone else’s ideas. If you’re not into building things yourself, do some research on the alternative energy source of your choice and buy it. There are a lot of websites that sell wind turbines, solar panels, HHO generators and boosters, some systems are a lot of money but most are obtainable by the average American. How to cite Clean Energy, Papers

Leading Equality and Diversity free essay sample

Be able to understand the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity 1. 1 – Evaluate the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. Ashley Care LLP is firmly committed to diversity in all areas of our work. We believe that we have much to learn and profit from diverse cultures, experiences and perspectives, and that diversity will make our organisation more effective in meeting the needs of all our stakeholders. We believe that equality and diversity within our organisation contributes to our objectives and we are especially conscious of the fact that effective partnership relationships require a shared commitment to equality of opportunity and valuing and managing diversity. We will write a custom essay sample on Leading Equality and Diversity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Our Equality and Diversity Policy helps to ensure that there is no unjustified discrimination in the recruitment, retention, training and development of staff on the basis of gender including transgender, marital status, sexual identity, religion and belief, political opinion, race, work pattern, age, disability or HIV/AIDS status, socio-economic background, spent convictions, on the basis of having or not having dependants, or any other irrelevant grounds. Our Policy is an integral way on which we handle our recruitment procedures to ensure a fair and approachable image of our organisation. Ashley Care LLP have an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Policy and its purpose is to ensure that its service is fully committed to these principles and values and to communicate this commitment to all stakeholders. The policy should always be referred to wherever differences of view based on lack of understanding or prejudice about diversity, equality and inclusion are evident. Equality, diversity and inclusion means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed he or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. 1. 2Discuss how behaviour, actions and words of all members of the organisation support the commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity At Ashley Care LLP we are committed to working together to build a community founded on equality of opportunity a social care community which celebrates the rich diversity of our service users and staff populations. Discriminatory behaviour has no place in our community and will not be tolerated. Within a spirit of respecting difference, our equality and diversity policies promise equal treatment and opportunity for all regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnicity or nationality. We call on all members of our company to make a personal commitment to these aims. Our Partners of the Company will ensure that its own actions promote equality and diversity. Through their words and behaviours, Partners will aim to provide genuine equality of opportunity regardless of gender, sexuality, race, colour, disability, religion, age, and ethnic or national origin. In considering its own composition and filling vacancies, the Partners will seek to ensure that its membership embraces the widest possible variety of backgrounds and views, consistent with the need to maintain a Partnership with the skills and experience necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. especting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. involving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. howing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. Partners will devote time to the development of their own knowledge, understanding and practices to promote and achieve equality and respect for diversity and will see such development as one test of their effectiveness. The achievement of genuine equality of opportunity is at the heart of our mission as a provider of higher education. We aim to build a learning community which exhibits the diverse range of skills and experience which cannot be found within any single group of students or staff. In pursuing this aim, we want our community to value and to be at ease with its own diversity and to reflect the needs of the wider community within which we operate. Although we accept all of our responsibilities under current legislation, we aim to reach beyond the strict confines of the law to provide equality of opportunity for all. We will continue to formulate and implement policies to that end. Every member of our company has a moral and legal responsibility to promote equal treatment within that community and to respect its diversity. Overall responsibility for working with our community in support of these aims lies with the Senior Partner, closely supported by the other Partners. The HR amp; Workforce Development Manager is responsible for matters relating to equality of opportunity in employment, for developing policies which meet legislation and best practice, for monitoring the impact of these policies on different minority groups, and for providing relevant employment statistics. All staff and service users are responsible for ensuring that their actions are carried out in accordance with this policy. They may be held personally to account should their actions fall sort of the requirements of this policy in any way. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We wish to see people from all groups in our society represented at all levels of employment, to ensure that no available talent is overlooked and to provide role models for our staff members. 1. 3Identify organisational and personal responsibilities and liabilities under equality legislation and codes of practice The Equality Act became law in October 2010. It replaces previous legislation (such as the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995) and ensures consistency in what we needed to do to make our workplace a fair environment and to comply with the law. â€Å"This was, primarily , the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. † en. wikipedia. rg/wiki/Equality_Act_2010 The public sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Act) came into force on 5 April 2011. The Equality Duty applies to public bodies and others carrying out public functions. It supports good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities, helping them to deliver policies and services which are efficient and effecti ve; accessible to all; and which meet different peoples needs. The Equality Duty is supported by specific duties, set out in regulations which came into force on 10 September 2011. The specific duties require public bodies to publish relevant, proportionate information demonstrating their compliance with the Equality Duty; and to set themselves specific, measurable equality objectives. The Equality Act covers the same groups that were protected by existing equality legislation age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity it extends some protections to some of the groups not previously covered, and also strengthens particular aspects of equality law. The Equality Act is a mixture of rights and responsibilities that have: * Stayed the same for example, direct discrimination still occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of a protected characteristic * Changed for example, employees will now be able to complain of harassment even if it is not directed at them, if they can demonstrate that it creates an offensive environment for them * Been extended for example, associative discrimination (direct discrimination against someone because they associate with another person who possesses a protected characteristic) will cover age, disability, gender reassignment and sex as well as race, religion and belief and sexual orientation Been introduced for the first time for example, the concept of discrimination arising from disability, which occurs if a disabled person is treated unfavourably because of something arising in consequence of their disability. As a result, I needed to review and change most of our policies and practices. 2. Be able to understand the application of equality of opportunity and diversity 2. 1 – Describe the organisation’s equality and diversity policies and how these are communicated within the workplace To ensure equality and diversity is no longer viewed as something only affecting minority groups, any issues need to be viewed not as issues, but as something to be explored and celebrated. Staff could be personally affected by stereotyping, prejudice and/or discrimination when attending work, which could lead to non attendance or non achievement. As a manager I need to ensure all my staff value one another and that the basic rights they are entitled to, for example to learn in a comfortable and safe environment are met. The Pre-Employment Induction to Ashley Care LLP include details of all policies and procedures, including equality and diversity, which are brought to the attention of the staff members during their initial interview and during the induction session. Having a policy is not enough, Ashley Care LLP also have a working group to ensure that the policies are promoted, monitored and regularly reviewed. Policies are also communicated to all staff through the following mechanisms: * Staff handbook * Contract of Employment * Application Form * Team meetings * Staff meetings Ashley Care LLP fully supports all principles of equality and diversity, and opposes any unfair or unlawful discrimination on the grounds of ability, age, colour, culture, disability, domestic circumstances, employment status, ethnic origin, gender, learning difficulties, marital status / civil partnership, nationality, political conviction, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and/or social background. Ashley Care LLP aims to ensure that equality and diversity is promoted among all staff and service users and that unfair or unlawful discrimination, whether direct or indirect, is eliminated to promote a climate of equality and respect. All staff can expect to work in an environment free from harassment and bullying. † Taken from Ashley Care LLP’s policy on Equality and Diversity 2. 2 – Assess the application of the organisation’s commitment to equality of opportunity and dive rsity The evidence that Ashley Care LLP have collected over the years clearly demonstrate our commitment to equality and diversity. The application form states that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all work seekers and shall adhere to our policy at all times. We review all aspects of recruitment to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination. † Our policy states that â€Å"Equality and diversity means that every service user has their individual needs comprehensively addressed. He or she will be treated equally and without discrimination. This is regardless of the individual’s ethnic background, language, culture, faith, gender, age, sexual orientation or any other aspect that could result in their being discriminated against purely because they have such characteristics. † Within our policy we also state that â€Å"Ashley Care LLP expresses its commitment to equality and diversity by: a. respecting service users’ ethnic, cultural and religious practices and making practical provision for them to be observed b. reassuring its service uses that their diverse backgrounds enhance the quality of experience of the service c. accepting service users as individuals, not as cases or stereotypes d. nvolving service users to express their individuality and to follow their preferred lifestyle, also helping them to celebrate events, anniversaries or festivals which are important to them as individuals e. showing positive leadership and having management and human resources practices that actively demonstrate a commitment to equality and diversity principles f. developing an ethos throughout Ashley Care LLP that reflects these values and principles g. expecting all staff to work to equality and diversity principles and policies and to behave at all times in non-discriminatory ways h. providing, training, supervision and support to enable staff to do this i. aving a code of conduct that makes any form of discriminatory behaviour unacceptable; this is applicable to both staff and service users and is rigorously observed and monitored accordingly. † 2. 3 – Review the diversity of the workforce against the local and/or national population and identify areas for review. Diversity is about valuing and respecting the differences in the workforce, regardless of ability and/or circumstances or any other individual characteristics they may have. If you have more than one member in your workforce you will experience diversity. I am also different from my workforce in many ways, and they are different from one another, therefore they are entitled to be treated with respect, wi th their differences taken into consideration. Combined together, equality and diversity drive an organisation to comply with anti-discrimination legislation as well as emphasising the positive benefits of diversity such as drawing on a wider pool of talent, positively motivating all employees and meeting the needs of a wider customer base. Differences should be acknowledged, celebrated and embraced, to ensure all employees feel included in the process to be followed, and that the working environment is suitable for all. Examples of these differences are: * ability| * disability – physical or mental| * age| * domestic circumstances| * belief| * educational background| * colour| * employment status| * class| * ethnic origin| clothing worn| * experience| * confidence| * gender| * culture| * intelligence| * language, accent, dialect| * race| * learning difficulties| * religion| * marital status / civil partnership| * sexual orientation| * nationality| * social class or identity| * occupation| * talent| * parental status| * tr adition| * physical characteristics| * transgender| * political conviction| * wealth| Promoting diversity in the workforce is about attracting and retaining the best people, regardless of what group they belong to. â€Å"There is considerable evidence to show that inclusive organisations benefit from diversity through: enhanced competitiveness, attracting and retaining more competent employees, who understand the needs of their workforce and respect differences; * improved performance and outcomes, creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential; * improved customer services, being able to reflect and meet the diverse needs of the workforce and; * improved staff relations, which reduced the risk of costly tribunals by complying with anti-discriminatory legislation. † www. lluk. org. uk/3167. htm As a manager working within the Health amp; Social Care Sector, I agree with the above statement, particularly creating a working environment in which everyone is encouraged to perform to their maximum potential. An inclusive organisation will ensure that their workforce are not excluded for any reason, either directly or indirectly, from parta king in a chosen programme. All the workforce will bring with them valuable skills, knowledge and experiences, I try to incorporate these within any training sessions and treat everyone as an individual. I am always positive and proactive where equality and diversity are concerned, even if my opinions differ from those of my workforce. I have to challenge my own values and beliefs. However, as a professional, I am first and foremost a manager, and my personal opinions must not interfere with the employment process. I must also be careful not to indulge the minority to the detriment of the majority. 3. Be able to understand the needs of others in relation to equality of opportunity and diversity 3. 1 – Explain the requirement to understand individual’s needs, feeling and motivations and to take an interest in their concerns The fundamental reason for promoting equality is to meet the needs of the workforce. Individuals are at the heart of the company and meeting their needs requires an active approach to equality of opportunity at all stages of their employment. It is about the removal of social and economic barriers to participation. Good equal opportunities ensure that all employees: * are respected and not discriminated against; * become aware of equality and inclusion; * benefit from high quality opportunities * work in an environment that supports their development. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) look to employers and learning organisations they fund to help promote equality of opportunity, widen participation and improve performance. They recommend the following. â€Å"Explicit references: equality of opportunity should be promoted and discrimination tacked so that all employees achieve their potential, * guidance and support should be sensitive to quality of opportunity, * organisations should have effective measures to eliminate oppressive behaviour, including all forms of harassment, * companies should be socially inclusive, ensuring equality of access and opportunities for workforces, * managers should use materials and methods that promote equality of opportunity, * there should be explicit aims, values and strategies promoting equality for all that are reflected in the organisation’s work. Implicit references: staff should have access to relevant, effective support on personal issues, * staff should understand their rights and responsibilities, * resources and accommodation should allow all staff to participate fully, * organisations should promote good working relationships, * programmes should be responsive to local circumstances, * the organisation’s values should be fully understood by staff, including sub contractors and work placement organisations, * the performance of different groups of staff should be used to guide programme development. As a manager I need to take positive steps to promote a culture of equality and diversity in everything that I do that may affect the employment process. 3. 2 – Evaluate the impact of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights An example of showing respect to others, recognising their value and upholding their rights could be: An employee has declared to me during this Common Induction Standards training that he is transgender and wants to know which toilet facilities he can use. He has not asked this information remain confidential. This declaration by the employee means that my whole organisation is deemed to know under the Equality Act 2010, and will need to make reasonable adjustments so that the employee has access to toilet facilities he is comfortable with. I may suggest that the employee can use the disabled toilet which is accessed by both males and females. If I am unable to respond to the employee’s needs, he may feel that under the Gender Reassignment Regulations (1999) his needs have not been given the same consideration as those of male and female gender. Some employees may not want to may not want to complete the section on the application form (pre 2008), which required them to disclose details such as a disability, ethnic origin, date of birth etc. Although it was not compulsory, the information often helped our organisation support the workforce, as well as collect data for purposes such as funding and statistics to inform policies. 3. 3 – Describe the need for integrity, fairness and consistency in dealings with individuals When considering forms of harassment, it is important to bear in mind that different people have different cultural and social perceptions as to what they consider to be hostile or degrading. If possible, deliver sessions with your workforce to try to address these perceptions or assumptions. During the recruitment and selection process, I often ask the interviewers what they understand by equality and diversity and how they ensure it in their interviewing. Very often the response is that they would treat everyone the same. However, diversity, fairness and equality are about treating others as they would wish to be treated, rather than making assumptions on their behalf. The workforce is all different and therefore have different needs and different degrees of need which will lead to equal outcomes at the end of their training. Language has a fundamental role to play in treating people fairly. Words you use should give a clear message to all the workforce that myself and my organisation value diversity and respect individual differences. Carefully examining the language I use and the way I use it will help ensure that I treat my workforce as individuals and not merely as members of staff. Communication is not just about words, however, and I also should ensure that my tone of voice, demeanour and body language convey the same message of inclusiveness. An example may be: Gemma has been asked to plan, design and deliver a four week Job Skills programme as part of a Support and Achieve Programme for Lone Parents. The clients are referred to the programme from JobCentrePlus and the aim of the project is for the one parents to return to work. The very title of this project typecasts these clients into a particular group. They are immediately identified as lone or single parents. Gemma therefore suggests the title be changed. Reports from the media project an image of lone parents as predominately young mothers or fathers with children living on their own and claiming state benefits. There are many diverse people who find themselves as lone parents due to different circumstances, for example, widows, windowers or divorcees. The title of a programme can therefore affect who will apply for it, in this example it is positive discrimination in favour of lone parents. However, the content will be based around returning to work and could easily be adapted to suit others, and the mix of workers will help promote inclusion and equality. 3. 4 – Outline a process for dealing with others whose behaviours, words or actions do not support a commitment to equality of opportunity or diversity When an inspection is planned, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) uses the provider’s annual self-assessment report, along with other information such as data on achievement and development plans. Inspection reports include judgements on self-assessment and the self-assessment report. During the inspection the self-assessment report will continue to provide CQC inspectors with crucial evidence to support judgements about the Essential Standards of Quality and Safety’s main aspects, the contributory grades for equality and diversity, safeguarding and the provider’s capacity to improve. Inspectors will use the report to assess risk, monitor standards and plan for inspection. Where subject areas are to be inspected, the report will help the lead inspector select the areas to inspect. Findings during the inspection will be compared with those in the self-assessment report, and a conclusion reached on the accuracy of those judgements. Judgements on the accuracy and use made of the self-assessment report contribute to the grade awarded for the provider’s capacity to make and sustain improvements. A provider that is judged to be outstanding in this area will have a self-assessment report that is highly accurate. The process of self-assessment will be comprehensive and inclusive. It will be used very effectively to secure sustained improvements in all aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be good in this area will have a self-assessment report that is largely accurate. The process will be thorough and used well to secure improvements in most aspects of the provider’s work. A provider that is judged to be satisfactory in this area will use self-assessment well to identify most of the provider’s strengths and weaknesses and bring about improvements. A provider judged to be inadequate in this area may be one where quality improvement and self-assessment do not lead to demonstrable improvements. After inspection you must review and update your plans to take account of the inspection findings. Providers are required to set out clearly what actions are needed and to link this explicitly to the inspection findings within two months of the publication of the inspection report.