Bottled water consumption Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11000 words

Bottled water consumption - Dissertation Example mental Issues associated with Bottled Water 17 2.3 Consumer Behaviour and Motivation 19 2.4 Perception 21 2.5 Decision Making 22 2.6 Conclusion 22 Chapter – III 25 3. Methodology 25 3.1 Research Design 25 3.2 Population and Sample 25 3.3 The questionnaire 26 3.4 Analysis tools employed 27 3.5 Conclusion 27 Chapter – IV 29 4. Results 29 4.1 Descriptive statistics 29 4.2 Findings 30 4.3 Conclusion & summary of findings 36 Chapter – V 39 5. Conclusions & Discussion 39 5.1 Implications 40 5.2 Limitations of the study 41 5.3 Recommendations for future research 41 5.4 Conclusion 42 References 43 Appendix 47 THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON BOTTLED WATER 47 Chapter – I 1. Introduction Technological development and the demand for healthy living have brought about innovation of water being bottled in a standard nutritional method for consumption: in the place of the known tap water. The huge research and development on the part of the water companies has resulted in bottled wa ter being termed to be distinct from ordinary water, also known as tap water. The result of this has been a massive change of attitudes of the consumers towards bottled water as 57.1% of all water sales are bottled water sales. This development has skyrocketed the price of this product bringing the question of whether bottled water is a luxury or a necessity considering the cost of government spending and individual expenses on it within the present economic climate of the United Kingdom (The Times 2008). The global market for bottled water is stable and growing (Durga 2010). A forecast of the global market for bottled water suggests that by 2012, it would assume a total market value of about $94.2 billion, which is a 41% increase since 2007 (Durga 2010). Figure 1 – Increasing Global Market Value of Bottled... This study suggest that respondents are aware of the pollutant effect of plastic water bottles, they do not entirely agree that this is enough reason to ban bottled water in the UK. However, in the event that bottled water would indeed be banned in the UK, respondents are willing to use a filter in order to make sure that although they will be consuming tap water, it will be cleaned from impurities. This strongly suggests that most consumers of bottled water are paranoid about the safety of tap water. The percentage of respondents concerned about the safety of tap water is considerably high in this study, which leads to the acceptance of the hypothesis that bottled water is preferred for health reasons. This is in agreement with the findings of Saylor, Prokopy and Amberg and Doria, Pidgeon and Hunter who deduced that the "perceived safety of bottled water" and the "perceived risks from tap water" are major contributors to the preference of bottled water over tap water. However, this study found that the perception that bottled water tastes better than tap water is not highly prevalent among bottled water consumers. A relationship was also observed between gender and buying behavior. Females in the under 25 years age group were found to be the highest consumers of bottled water. This finding is also in agreement with that of Saylor, Prokopy and Amberg. They suggest that women are more concerned with environmental health risks than men are, and this may explain the finding that women are larger consumers of bottled water.

UK marketing analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

UK marketing analysis - Assignment Example For the purpose of appealing to new customers located in existing as well as new markets, the organizations are increasingly trying to concentrate on the lines of product development, market development and even diversification. 1. Environmental Appraisal analysis – UK market It has to be said that the long established and highly popular brand of motorcycles Harley Davidson is facing a slowdown in the US market, which is often recognized as its core market. The reason for the slowdown of the American brand in the domestic and home market is mainly because of the fact of aging of its targeted market segment as well as difficult scenarios in the economic scene of the region. For the purpose of attaining growth in the business in the upcoming future, the US based brand motor cycle brand is focusing on entering into new and emerging markets. Hence, as a part of its strategic move, the brand is focusing on entering the UK market. Before venturing and investing in the development of the UK market, the prospects of the market needs to be studied and analyzed properly. It can be said that for proper analysis of the foreign market of UK, an environmental scanning is very much needed. PEST analysis While analyzing the UK market, the prospects needs to be analyzed from the political, economic, social and technological point of view. It can be said that the PEST framework will be greatly influential in assessing the impact and influence of the various factors of the macroeconomic levels in the automobile market of UK (Birkholz, 2007, p. 7). Political From the political point of view, it can be said that the nation’s automobile industry suffers considerable amount of...The Euro zone was formed in the previous decade to promote economic growth and stability through region wise cooperation of the multiple small western nations. While designing the formation of the euro zone various rules, policies and guidelines of economic and political background were outlaid to form a guiding principle for the nature, method and mode of operations for the nations represented under the Euro zone. However, with the passage of time, most of the laws were overlooked and broken by the participating nations of the Euro zone (BBC News, 2012). It has to be said that some of these nations are almost on the verge of bankruptcy and are looking forward to implementing government spending cuts as well as launching austerity measures to tackle the national crisis spread over multiple regions. It has been realized that after the crisis of the US banking sector the year 2008, the multiple nations of the Euro zone has amassed enormous amounts of debts during the process of conduction of operations. This is playing a major catalytic role in regards to the process of restoring growth and stability within the Euro zone nations (Inman, 2013). With the entry of Cyprus in the Euro zone crisis, the macro economic crisis of the multiple western nations is far from over (Pratley, 2013).

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Risk taking being the major aspect in business, the trend of investing downtown for businesses that took the risk has actually guaranteed them their success. This success is also attributed to its ample parking space and accessible location (Schupp, 2005). Festival marketplaces’ main concern is their customers, so understanding consumer needs and behavior so as to coop with their ever changing trends is actually necessary. For this kind of business to be privileged in the human heart, then it has to consider the following factors: high quality goods and services and that’s what customers mainly go for, fairly priced goods and services, it should also offer a variety of goods and services so as to offer customers a wide collection to choose from. Festival marketplaces have actually succeeded in achieving most of this vital factor. However, understanding consumer behavior is a difficult task. I said difficult and not impossible. It has to start with market research. This will enable the marketplace to address issues from its consumers directly. Businesses must at all-time strive to be ‘human era’ oriented so as to win bias among the customers in the market. Festival marketplaces have wholly embraced the idea of openness, honesty, being empathetic and exciting. This is an exact illustration of a ‘human era’ oriented firm. This achievement has been through events like; monthly gift card drawing, holding free workshops and offering a ‘thank you’ to the community and its own staff (Blythe, 2008). Moreover, rising to levels that most festival marketplaces have managed to reach is a hectic transition that involves much hard work and devotion of its staff. However, there are easy procedures and strategies for getting to the top of your business line without necessarily having to wait for decades for the transition to occur. Business favors ‘smart’ people whose ideologies and actions are not limited or rather confined to a box. Festival

Depression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Depression - Essay Example They would also tend to use repression wherein the person who lost somebody would tend to get angry with the deserting person, but because they might alienate the persons whom they had depended on for support, they repress the anger that they have. Another is projection, wherein a person protects himself from the awareness of their own undesirable traits by attributing those traits to others. For example, a woman who had been cheated by her husband tends to get angry but she projects as not angry rather believes that her husband is angry at her that’s why he did it. Psychoanalysts, uses the theory of Freud, wherein they assume that each individual has opposing forces within called the id, ego and superego that make internal conflicts inevitable. The person may or may not be aware of this thus influence their personality development and the ability to handle life’s stresses. One technique a therapist would use is the free association wherein the person is allowed to spea k whatever comes into his mind without editing or censoring. This can also be done together with dream analysis wherein the person is encouraged to talk about the content of his dreams and free associating to that content, the analyst and the client attempt to discuss the unconscious meaning. Another is transference wherein the tendency for the client to make the therapist the object of emotional responses. Another is interpretation, wherein the analyst helps the client gain insight into the nature f the unconscious conflicts that are sources of his difficulties. Another view that we could understand depression is the Cognitive perspective wherein depression focuses not on what people do but on how they view themselves and the world (Atkinson, 1990). In this perspective, patients are pessimistic, expecting the worse from a situation rather than the best. The depressive symptoms on this

Bus. team B Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bus. team B - Essay Example Therefore, health care sector poses greater opportunities for entrepreneurs. Daily Apple Inc will provide food solutions as the best alternative medical practice. People are now becoming more health conscious and they do not want to rely on medicine as sometimes it has adverse effect on body. The health care product offered by Daily Apple Inc is unique and the best alternative for medical practices. The target market of the Daily Apple plc will include health care market and general food market. The company will enter the market with ten organic food items and the market will be segmented based on the segmentation of the products. According to different markets, various techniques for supply chain will be designed. It will be easier to penetrate the general and health care market for distribution of the products. To identify other potential target markets, research and test marketing will be conducted. Opportunities in health care for constant innovation are higher than any other sectors. In order to bring efficiency and improvement in human health, advance technology is very important. Every day, latest health care products like medicines are introduced to counter the various types of diseases and infections. However emerging diseases and infections that pose continuous threats to the human life seem numerous. In this respect, chemical medicines are the most widely used solution. However, these chemical medicines also have adverse effect on human body that leads to further health related issues. This is known as the side effects of chemical based medicines. The health care consumer groups have become aware of this fact and hence are looking for other better alternative medical practices. Daily Apple Inc has been able to identify these requirements of market and hence it came up with a solution. Daily Apple Inc has introduced organic foods to offer alternative health

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Organisational Behaviour Essay The concept of the balanced scorecard (BSC) was first introduced by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton (1992) in their now widely cited Harvard Business Review article, â€Å"The Balanced Scorecard—Measures that Drive Performance.† The widespread adoption and use of the BSC is well documented. For example, Kaplan and Norton (2001) reported that by 2001 about 50% of the Fortune 1000 companies in North America and 40% to 45% of companies in Europe were using the BSC. The basic premise of the BSC is that financial results alone cannot capture value-creating activities (Kaplan Norton, 2001). In other words, financial measures are lagging indicators and, as such, are not effective in identifying the drivers or activities that affect financial results. Kaplan and Norton (1992) suggested that organizations, while using financial measures, should develop a comprehensive set of additional measures to use as leading indicators, or predictors, of financial performance. They suggested that measures should be developed that address four perspectives: 1. The financial perspective. Measures in this perspective should answer the question, â€Å"How should we appear to our shareholders?† 2. The customer perspective. These measures should answer the question, ABSTRACT. Although the application of the balanced scorecard (BSC) in the business sector is well documented, very little research has been reported regarding the adaptation or application of the BSC in the education sector. In this article, the authors (a) describe how the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence has adapted the concept of the BSC to education and (b) discuss significant differences as well as similarities between the BSC for business and the BSC for education. The authors also present examples of the BSCs of three Baldrige Education Award recipients. financial performance (Kaplan Norton, 1996). Thus, the BSC enables managers to monitor and adjust the implementation of their strategies and to make fundamental changes in them. The Baldrige National Quality Program: An Overview The Baldrige National Quality Program is the vehicle of implementation of The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Improvement Act of 1987–Public Law 100–107. This law was enacted on the basis of a set of â€Å"Findings,† one of which was that [T]he leadership of the United States in product and process quality has been challenged strongly (and sometimes successfully) by foreign competition, and our Nation’s productivity growth has improved less than our competitors’ over the last two decades. (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003a, p. 61) â€Å"How should we appear to our customers?† 3. Internal business processes perspective. Measures in this perspective should answer the question, â€Å"What processes must we excel at?† 4. Learning and growth perspective. These measures should answer the question, â€Å"How can we sustain our ability to change and improve?† A critical factor for an effective BSC is the alignment of all the measures in the four perspectives with the company’s vision and strategic objectives. The BSC allows managers to track short-term financial results while simultaneously monitoring their progress in building the capabilities and acquiring the intangible assets that generate growth for future The primary objective of the Baldrige Program is to help American businesses improve their competitiveness in the global market. Businesses can improve their competitiveness by identifying role-model organizations, recognizing them, and disseminating their best practices throughout the United States. The Baldrige Program is widely recognized as a very significant factor in strengthening U.S. competitiveness in the global market. In its 1995 report Building on Baldrige: American Quality for the 21st Century, the Council on Competitiveness made the following statements: â€Å"The Baldrige National Quality Award and its state and local offshoots have been key to the effort to strengthen U.S. competitiveness† and â€Å"The Baldrige Award Program, having galvanized U.S. quality efforts, is now positioned to become the vehicle to stimulate and coordinate efforts to expand quality as a national priority† (Council, p. v). The Council (p. 22) also stated that it â€Å"is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of chief executives from business, higher education and organized labor who have joined together to pursue a single overriding goal: to improve the ability of American companies and workers to compete more effectively in world markets, while building a rising standard of living at home.† In 1995, The Council was chaired by Paul Allaire, CEO, Xerox, with Thomas E. Everhart, President, California Institute of Technology, and Jack Sheinkman, President, Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, AFL-CIO, CLC, as vice-chairmen. Recipients of the Baldrige Award are obligated to present their â€Å"best practices† at one national and two regional conferences. In addition to these obligatory presentations, there is a great demand for additional presentations. Through 1998, past Baldrige Award recipients made approximately 30,000 presentations. The centerpiece of the Baldrige Program is the Criteria for Performance Excellence. These criteria define a stateof-the-art management model that integrates the following seven areas into a comprehensive system: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and business results. In Figure 1, we show the framework of the criteria in a systems perspective. The criteria maintain currency through annual revisions and improvements that incorporate emerging issues and best practices (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003a). The criteria place heavy emphasis on the development of a comprehensive measurement system that is aligned with the company’s strategic objectives. The measurement system yields results in the following areas (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003a): 1. Customer-focused results 2. Product and service results 3. Financial and market results 4. Human resource results 5. Organizational effectiveness results, including key internal operations performance measures 6. Governance and social responsibility results Clearly, this set of results is consistent with the basic concept of the BSC. The financial and market results are the only lagging indicator and cover the BSC’s financial perspective. The customerfocused results obviously cover the BSC’s customer perspective. The product and service results together with the organizational effectiveness results cover the BSC’s internal business perspective. The human resource results cover the BSC’s learning and growth perspective. The governance and social responsibility results were added in 2003 and represent a new perspective in view of the recent, well known collapses that giant corporations experienced owing to unethical practices. The Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence In 1995, the Baldrige National Quality Program began the process of converting the business criteria for use in the education sector. This process culminated in the development of the Education Criteria for Performance Excellence and with Congressional approval of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Education in 1999. In Figure 2, we show the framework of the education criteria in a systems perspective. Clearly, this framework is very similar to that of the business criteria shown in Figure 1. In 2001, three educational institutions became the first recipients of the Baldrige Award. The BSC in the Education Criteria for Performance Excellence Although the concept of the BSC has been widely adopted and used in the business sector, the education sector apparently has not embraced the BSC concept widely, as indicated by the dearth of published research on this topic. A thorough review of the literature yielded few significant publications. For example, Cullen, Joyce, Hassall, and Broadbent (2003) proposed that a balanced scorecard be used in educational institutions for reinforcement of the importance of managing rather than just monitoring performance. Sutherland (2000) reported that the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California adopted the balanced scorecard approach to assess its academic program and planning process. Also, Chang and Chow (1999) reported that responses in a survey of 69 accounting department heads were generally supportive of the balanced scorecard’s applicability and benefits to accounting programs. The importance of measurement permeates the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. The focus on measurement in the criteria first appears in the set of â€Å"Core Values and Concepts.† These factors comprise the philosophical foundations of performance excellence and are as follows (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b): 1. Visionary leadership 2. Learning-centered education 3. Organizational and personal learning In the â€Å"focus on the future† core value, the criteria state that â€Å"a major longer-term investment associated with your organization’s improvement is the investment in creating and sustaining a mission-oriented assessment system focused on learning† (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b, p. 3). The criteria recommend that organizations use both (a) formative assessment to measure learning early in the learning process to allow for timely intervention, if needed, and (b) summative assessment to measure progress against key relevant external standards and norms regarding the knowledge and skills that students have (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b). In the â€Å"management by fact† core value, the criteria make the following statement: â€Å"A major consideration in per-formance improvement and change management involves the selection and use of performance measures and indicators. The measures or indicators you select should best repres ent the factors that lead to improved student, operational, and financial performance. A comprehensive set of measures or indicators tied to student, stakeholder, and/or organizational performance requirements represents a clear basis for aligning all processes with your organization’s goals† (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b, p. 4). The congruence of the portion in italics with the basic premise and the perspectives of the BSC is clear. In the â€Å"focus on results and creating value† core value, the criteria state that â€Å"the use of a balanced composite of leading and lagging performance measures offers an effective means to communicate short and longer term priorities, monitor actual performance, and provide a clear basis for improving results† (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b, p. 4). The criteria make the following statement in the â€Å"systems perspective† core value: â€Å"Alignment means using key linkages among requirements given in the Baldrige Categories to ensure consistency of plans, processes, measur es, and actions† (Baldrige National Quality Program, 2003b, p. 5). The 11 core values and concepts are embodied in the following seven categories: 1. Leadership 2. Strategic planning 3. Student, stakeholder, and market focus 4. Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management 5. Faculty and staff focus 6. Process management 7. Organizational performance results In Figure 2, we show the framework connecting and integrating these seven categories into a comprehensive system. In describing Figure 2, the criteria state, in part, that â€Å"Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management (Category 4) are critical to the effective management of your organization and to a fact-based system for improving performance.

Case study of fostering team in nuneaton

Case study of fostering team in nuneaton The background to your involvement I am currently on placement with the fostering team in Nuneaton which has in excess of seventy five carers in and around the Nuneaton/Bedworth area. The fostering team consists of 4 full time social workers, whose role encompasses assessment work along with supervisory responsibility of foster carers in line with the Department for Children, Schools and Families Working Together to Safeguard Children March 2010 which sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to save and promote the welfare of children and young people in accordance with the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004 ( (DCSF, March 2010) and to identify placements for children being accommodated under various sections of the Children Act 1989. While on placement I shadowed a social worker involved in supporting 14 yr old Philips foster carers to deal with particular behavioural issues that had led to his placement breaking down. The foster carers have 3 foster children currently in their care, Phillip 14, James 15 and David 16. The 2 foster carers Mike 49 and Jane 46 live in a 4 bedroom house in Hinckley. Philip had left the house and was refusing to return, stating that his foster carers did not like him and that he wanted to live on his own. Bed and breakfast accommodation was arranged for him for a few days while the situation was re-assessed and a meeting with the foster carers arranged. Fundamental to all relationships and particularly the interaction between Philip and his mother, Philip and his foster carers and social worker and foster carers, communication is a central component. Analysing how effective communication plays a vital part in this clients circumstances will form the basis of this discussion. Good communication skills are a principle component of effective social work practice. They include active, attentive and empathetic listening, recognition of verbal and non verbal communication and general formal and informal interview techniques, as Payne has suggested, the application of communication theory gives practical help in controlling and understanding relationships and interactions with clients and a technology of interviewing and interpersonal skills (Payne, 2005, pg 178). Over recent year the children looked after by foster carers have included an increasing proportion of distressed adolescences along with the disruption rate for these placements as being high (Farmer et al 2003). One of the aims of the fostering social worker is to conduct detailed assessments of parenting approaches and strategies used by the foster carers looking after a teenager in a long term placement and how these strategies can change and develop during the course of the placement. Research has been conducted into fostering task with adolescents by Farmer et al (2004), found that they were concerns about the behaviour and well being of children when they move into a new placements. The findings in this case study highlighted a number of factors that contributed to the breakdown in the relationship with the foster carers and Philip and finally the placement. In this situation I had found out the Philips social worker had not communicated the nature and context of behavioural issues associated with him to the foster carers social worker so that foster carers could have been better informed. Following the placement breakdown the foster carers had reflected on their own lack of knowledge and experience at dealing with young people with behavioural problems had highlighted the need for specific training in this area for foster carers. Part 2 Using the material from part 1, critically analyse the challenges in ensuring good practice in communicating with this service user/s or carer/s What theory underpins your interaction? Modern social work theory incorporates social psychology and social construction theory to understand the way groups in society relate to each other and create and maintain social identities. Social psychology has influenced social work practice specifically with concepts from role theory and communication theory. Role theory offers a viewpoint in sociology and also within social psychology that includes most of everyday activities to be the acted out of socially defined categories such as mother, supervisor, and lecturer. Each defining social role comes with a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behaviour a person has to be able to fulfill. Communication theory uses a range of concepts from the scientific to the humanistic, to help us understand how people conduct themselves in creating, exchanging and interpreting messages (Farrell, 1987). These concepts help us to understand patterns of language and identify how people construct their social world.helping them to recon struct the world by using language differently to identify possibilities for change (Payne, 2005, pg 161). Communication theory is concerned with a range of ideas that can explain how individuals, groups and organisations communicate with each other. Linguistically, in the form of the spoken and written word and other mediums, and non verbal forms, such as body language and the way we speak, including tone, pitch, intonation and speed. Communication is more than the mere transmission of facts, as has been suggested information might be facts, or other things that might be learned, such as emotions, memories, bodily sensations or an idea about how someone feels about you (Payne, 2005, pg 171 or 178) and furthermore that language informs the way we think, the way we experience, and the way we interact with each other. Language provides the basis of community, but also the grounds for division (Thompson 2003:36) This suggests that communication networks are inextricably linked to social identity, ethnicity, culture and class. As Payne suggests, networks of communication build up and how we communicate and with whom, becomes part of our culture and social relations, for example, ethnic and class division are marked by separation in communication networks and patterns of communication often express power, domination and subordination. Communication may, therefore, help us to identify oppression and inequality (Payne, 2005, pg 171). If we use language, along with the capacity to communicate, to form our lives and to relate to others, then social workers need to be sensitively aware how their choice of words and mode of communication in intensely personal and emotional charged situations, can increase and decrease oppression in their interactions with young people. For example, use of professional jargon without explanation may alienate a client by creating a language barrier between social work er and the service user or carer. Where a child is suspected of being in need of protection the social worker must balance the needs of the young persons safety along with the potential of breaking up the family. The social worker that I shadowed believed that the needs of young people in foster care could be met through meaningful, consistent and positive relationships with the foster carer whilst on the other hand you have child care policy which is primarily about safeguarding, outcomes and accountability. A crucial time for young people spans 12-19 years, this is when they ask themselves: Who am I? Where do I want to be? During this period they are also concerned with how they appear to others and what groups and networks they identify with. Erikson terms this psychosocial stage as the Identity versus Role Confusion period (Beckett, 2002 ). Attachment theory Attachment theory offers an understanding of personality development and behaviour in close relationships and provides an account of the difference in peoples emotional and relationship styles. (Howe, 2000).  John Bowlby is considered to the psychiatrist that developed the attachment theory. Bolwby suggests that when children are separated from their parents or care giver they suffer loss because of the attachment between them. I can see how Philip may have felt when he thought the he had to leave his home for a second time having already lost the home of his birth mother, it is thought by the social worker and the foster carers that one of the reason that Philip does not want to return is because he does not want to suffer loss again. This has had an obvious affect of Philips behaviour, the tenets of this theory is that close relationships or attachments have a direct effect on the emotional and social development across a lifespan (Howe 2000). Avoidant Attachments Howe (2009) describes avoidant attachments as children and young people whom display avoidant attachments as having parent(s) that are either indifferent whom have their own trauma going on or are emotionally rigid or completely rejecting of their childs needs. Although parents will react well when their child is happy and content that soon changes when the child needs change for instance when their child is in distress and is need of comfort. Howe suggest that attempts at intimacy only seem to increase parental distance, even rebuff, this communicating to the child that they are not wanted. Attachment to home and a safe place is a primary ways in which people preserve self-identity. the way in which people identify and become attached to places, buildings, objects, and how this attachment can contribute to personal well-being or how we feel about ourselves (Low et al 1992). To look at why these places, building and objects become important provides us with insight into what happens when people have to move and the dilemmas that they may face. Attachment is an emotional relationship that provides reliability, continuity, care and comfort. John Bowlby writes in his research relating to the concept of attachment, describing it as a lasting psychological connectedness between human beings (Bowlby, 1969, p. 194). Bowlby held the psychoanalytic view that early years experiences of a child has an important propensity toward development and behaviour later in life, most attachment styles are formed in the early years of childhood developed through the relationship with the care -giver. Mary Ainsworth during the 1970s built on the work of Bowlbys work in her study called Strange situations which looked at children where they were left alone for a short period of time then quickly comforted by the care giver/mother (Ainsworth, 1978). These help her to formulate the attachment classification system, which examine specific differences in a childs use of attachment figures as a constant and reliable base from which they can then explore the environment. Change requires personal adjustment, and some change can be more stressful than others. When facing a move fears of adjustment and a change in familiar environment and living conditions can be seen as a major problem for young people. Philip was reluctant to move out of the area that he lived at with his foster carers, he felt that if he had to move to supported lodging that it would be in an are where he has had problems in the past. Care Management involves assessing needs and keeping a watchful eye over a number of services that are provided by workers other than the social worker, the role of care manager is not new to social work and has existed for many years, historically the social worker would arrange a package of care, seek the views of the service user, engage with other professionals when collecting information relevant to the care package following that there would be an assessment then the social worker would engage appropriate services that met the need of the service user. Discrimination ,Inequality and oppression, Separation and Loss Solution focused (brief) theory Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)is based on solution-building rather than problem-solving. SFBT explores the here and now and planned aspirations opposed to solving the current problems this method of working with young people can be practiced as well as other interventions. The theoretical underpinnings of solution-focused brief therapy have been developed out of philosophy as well as an appreciation of communicating positive outcomes through a creative process. Primary because the focus of this intervention is on future goals set by the young person, more importantly because with this method of intervention shows that problems are not limited by boundaries therefore neither the social worker (and other professionals) cannot be wrong the tends to lead to agreements being forged. This had been found to help build the relationship with David so that he felt that he was being heard through his verbal and non verbal communication. However whilst there is not a grounded understanding that identify the nature of the problem SFBT it creates problems in being able to measure efficacy. In this instance SFBT was used to build confidence, trust and capacity with David so that he would be prepared for his future with the current foster carers. Task centred practice Task Centred social work provides a clear framework for professional intervention, it deal with current (here and now) problems. It focuses on the problem and tries to negotiate and agree a method of dealing with the problem by identifying goals and setting timescales. There are 2 primary components of this approach which are Task Crisis intervention theories Outcomes Led Approach Child development Children do not have the same language skills or the emotional development of adults and therefore their attachment anxieties are triggered stopping them expressing themselves verbally and producing dysfunctional or attachment behaviours. Attachment behaviours can include minimising expressions of distress, that is the child knows that when their parent is shouting at them and the child is distressed this results in further parental rejection, so the child learns to minimise expressions of distress. The child acts happy even when frighten. In contrast the child express graet distress, especially when a parent is about to leave a type of attention seeking behaviour is communicating but not saying verbally show me you love me. Parenting a teenager in foster care can be vastly different from the ordinary parenting a birth child that is now a teenager. With the foster child there need to be a recognition and understanding of the young person background along with any previous placement breakdowns whether there are any disturbed and difficult behaviours. Foster carers must assist in adjusting the young persons defence mechanisms, developing attachments with the foster family whilst wherever possible maintaining links with the birth family. The foster carers felt that due to a recent argument with Philips birth mother he felt that no one liked him as his birth mother had chastised him for his language toward her. What skills are necessary? Report writing in accordance to the BAAF standards, work load and time management. Correspondence and record keeping Empathy is a dominant concept within social work. Recieving empathy enhances a clients feeling of self worth by communicating to them that they are understandable and are worth understanding. A social workers verbal and non verbal responses are crucial to communicating to the client they are being understood and entails skills to filter out and feedback themes and core messages in the client communication( ) Communications skills are essential in effectictive social work practice throughout the stages of assessment, planning, intervention and review. Questioning skills need to be employed to gain greater clarification concerning extremely personal issues and to constructively challemge client to recognised their responsibilities. For example, in the assessment process the accuracy of information is vital. However, the nature of this information is often sensitive and loaded with emotion and feeling from the past. If foster carers and young people are able to share this type of information they need to be convinced that there are being understood. What knowledge is required? In my interaction with service users and specifically in this case service providers (foster carers) human development theory influences my approach and form of communication. What techniques are appropriate? Interview formal and informal Assessment Reflection From my learning perspective, this case study highlights the complexities associated with working with children with behavioural issues. It was an opportunity to examine how social work can and does address thiese issues through the legislative and policy frameworks, along with our own knowledge and experience as well as the values and ethics set out in the National Occupational Standards. Your analysis should also include reflection on your skills and learning needs (500 words including 500 word description of an interaction with a service user) References Department of Children, Schools and Families (2010) Working Together to Safeguard Children: A Guide to Interagency Working ToSafeguard and Promote the Welfare of Children Nottingham: DCSF Publications. Thompson, N. (2003) Communication and Language: A Handbook of Theory and Practice. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Low, S, Altman, I. (1992) Place attachment: a conceptual inquiry in Altman, I. and Low, S.M. (eds) Place Attachment, New York: Plenum Press. Thompson, N. (2005) Understanding Social Work, Preparation for Practice- Second edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Department of Health (1991). Care Management and Assessment: a Practioners Guide. London: HMSO. Howe, D. (2000) Attachment Theory. In Davies, M. (ed). The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Social Work. Oxford: Blackwell (pp 25-27). Howe, D. (1995) Attachment Theory for Social Work Practice. New York: Palgrave. Farmer,E.,Moyes,S.,Lipscombe,J, (2004) Fostering Adolescents Jessica Kingsley: London Farmer,E,. Moyers,M,(2003) Parenting skills adolescents: Skills and starategies, London School for policy Studies, University of Bristol: Bristol Care Management Care management is gathering information and seeking out how needs can be best met whilst enabling the service user to access services required, it also monitors service delivery ensuring that their services are continuing to meet the identified needs. The relationship between social worker and carer is a continually developing one whereby the negotiating with other professionals and giving and receiving information, this is all done in a non judgemental way enabling the carer to also develop their own skills of negotiating. I this case the carer was concerned with achieving a form of agreement or understanding as to the amount of foster children she could have at her home. It is important not to make the carer feel that care management is all about ticking boxes and ensuring that the correct piece of paper have been completed, if this where the case then there would not be the need for social work skills when manage care packages. Characteristics of Attachment Bowlby held that there were four characteristics of attachment: Proximity Maintenance The desire to be near the people we are attached to. Safe Haven Returning to the attachment figure for comfort and safety in the face of a fear or threat. Secure Base The attachment figure acts as a base of security from which the child can explore the surrounding environment. Separation Distress Anxiety that occurs in the absence of the attachment figure. (Bowlby, 1969). Care Management, involves overseeing the provision of a package of care services geared toward maintaining someone in the community who would otherwise need to rely on institutional provision (Thompson 2005 p69). Good care management encompasses a macro overview when completing the assessment, it should be completed in partnership with the service user and family paying regard to the strength and weaknesses as well as their ability to look at their life history and communicate the reason they find themselves in the current situation. Care Management is defined in government guidance as the process of tailoring services to individual needs (DOH, 1991:b).