Playing it safe? a study of the regulation of outdoor play for children and young people in residential care

The aim of the research was to describe and explain the barriers to, and opportunities for, outdoor play and recreation that exist in residential child care services. The research focussed on six residential facilities which represented a cross-section of the sector. Interviews were conducted with two young people, one manager and two basic grade staff members from each of the facilities. The findings were analysed using data display and reduction and the following key findings emerged

Current trends in the use of residential child care in Scotland

The survey was planned to examine how local authority residential care units were currently being used and to provide data relating to current issues in the use of residential child care. These issues were identified by Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care (SIRCC) staff as they provided training and development work with agencies across Scotland, and others have been part of wider professional and political concerns. They include matters such as the increasing numbers of children being admitted to care because of parentaldrug misuse. There is also anecdotal evidence about increasing numbers of seriously disturbed younger children having to be admitted to residential care because their difficulties preclude them being cared for in a foster home placement, or who had experienced a number of foster placement breakdowns. SIRCC provides a ‘Placement Information Service’ and over the past few years there has been a steady stream of enquiries from social workers looking for a ‘therapeutic placement’ for a younger child. There were also reports of sibling groups still being regularly split up on admission due to lack of places and a general reporting of a shortage of places. Noteworthy also has been the continued high level of emergency placements. As there has been a gradual reduction in residential places over the past 10 to15 years and as residential care is perceived to be an expensive resource it is important to understand what kinds of admissions are putting such pressure on existing resources. The survey therefore requested information about a wide range of topics related to admission to residential care including: age at admission length of stay; previous placement; whether placement was planned or not;whether siblings groups were kept together or not; whether the child was in full-time education or not; the reasons for admission including parental drug misuse; whether the placement was the placement of choice of the socialworker or residential services manager. The survey also asked respondents to give a broad measure of the effectiveness of the placement. It was hoped that the data might supplement the Looked After Children (LAC) statistics that are published annually by the Scottish Executive (SE), based onreturns from local authorities

Brayton cycle 3.2-inch radial compressor performance evaluation

Brayton cycle 3.2 inch radial compressor performance evaluation over wide range of Reynolds number

Patterns

This piece mixes prose, poetry, and a unique form to explore the mindspace of a college student struggling to figure out the next step

Limit

This piece, written in vignettes, utilizes intellectual appeal and disparate memories to analyze the human tendency to push limits through magnifying the story of a traffic accident

Runaway

This prose poem describes the ways that I feel Norman Rockwell\u27s painting Runaway symbolizes my relationship with my father

Loud

This abstract poem recalls a dream-like experience during a night drive

Nutrient status of emergent macrophytes around Bakethin reservoir, Northumberland

Possible relationships between the acid phosphatase activities of the roots of three emergent macrophyte species and the physical and chemical features of their ambient surroundings were assessed. Sediments collected from monospecific stands of Phragmiles auslralis, Equiselum fluviatile and Typha ladfolia growing at Baltethin Reservoir, Northumberland, were analysed and as a result microsites having signifiamtly different organic and inorganic properties were selected. After standardisation of the phosphatase assay procedure it was suggested that the enzyme activity rates of P. auslralis and T. latifolia in the field corresponded to levels of P in the environment. It is also suggested that in the case of P. auslralis the amount of available N in the sediments is important. Although significant differences in total P levels were found in the E. fluviatile stand the phosphatase activities of the roots collected were non significantly different. The accuracy of the assay requires that the entire hydrolysis product formed is being released into solution for measurement, and that production of product is entirely due to the activity of extracellular enzymes. When assayed under different pH conditions all three species seemed to release product after termination of the assay or new product was formed from the action of intracellular activity. Any relationship between the amount of product retained or amounts of intracellular phosphatase activity and the pH of the medium was investigated. It is concluded that more work is needed to attempt to separate the effects of low N and low P concentrations on phosphatase activity rates of higher plants root and that perhaps P. auslralis could be of use as an indicator to the nutrient status of its environment

EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND JOB SATISFACTION ON DAIRY FARMS IN THE NORTHEAST

Economies of size have translated into much larger herd sizes and, therefore, employee bases on dairy farms throughout the Northeast. These non-family employees present managerial issues many farm managers are not accustomed to. This research quantifies and illustrates the internal pay structure and enumerates that current employee satisfaction levels present on the farms of members of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA).Human Resource Management, Compensation, Satisfaction, Labor and Human Capital,