Midlothian Housing Accommodation - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2505 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Housing Essay Type Essay any type Did you like this example? Chapter 4.0 – Midlothian A Case Study Having looked at the development of partnering philosophies, potential benefits, challenges, and overall aims of partnering in Chapter 2.0, this chapter will focus on the actual implementation of partnering arrangements in the UK public sector. It does this by describing the approach and the process undertaken by Midlothian Council in setting up the current New Housing Construction Partnership (MNHCP). It goes on to explain how Midlothian have addressed Rethinking Construction challenge and implemented partnering through the signing up to the framework agreement. 4.1 Introduction As is common with most local Authorities within the United Kingdom, Midlothian Council had not constructed its own housing for over 40 years. Housing stock has been running low within Midlothian due to the amount of properties purchased by the tenants under the controversial Right to Buy scheme, brought in by the then Conservative Government in 1979. Many other authorities within Scotland have suspended their right to buy option. The homelessness act 2003 put even greater pressure on Midlothian to supply accommodation for those falling under this category. In 2004 Midlothian spent ÂÂ £1.2 million on bed and breakfast accommodation and it was recognised that this would be unsustainable over the coming years and that some other form of action would have to be taken. That action came in the form of a proposal to construct 1000 new houses across 30 sites within the Midlothian area. The framework was agreed in November 2006 with a total planned capital spend of ÂÂ £1 05 million over 5 years from 2006-2011. The project was let under a GC/Works 5 form of contract, based on a negotiated Target cost with a risk/reward element defects and accidents on site. Benefits for Midlothian Council include maximising construction spend, modernising the authoritys procurement process and delivering best value from improved predictability. The longer-term aims of the relationship included eliminating duplication, improving communications and integration between the Council and its partners and promoting continuous improvement. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Midlothian Housing Accommodation" essay for you Create order 4.2 The Project Specific Aims The Project aims are to: Provide 1,000 new social housing units in 5 years; Use best practice/principals; Provide a property of good quality built to last; Avoid conflict and additional costs; Have flexible housing to cater for Housing for Varying Needs; Have sustainable housing to meet Agenda 21 targets; Ensure that buildings constructed require only low-level maintenance throughout their lifetime; Ensure these aims and goals are to be secured by Design. 4.3 The Partnering Decision This section focuses on how the decision was made by Midlothian to go down the partnering route and the stages covered to put the partnering team in place. As stated previously Midlothian had not undertaken such a large project for over 40 years and valuable experience in how to handle this size of contract had been lost due to local authority job cuts. Most of the construction section had been decimated and contained very little experience of contracts of such size and complexity. Consultants were brought in to give advice and it was established in these early meetings that a partnering arrangement would fill all the requirements that Midlothian were looking for. At the time of this decision the Facilities and Construction Manager (FC M) was aware that the traditional approach to construction did not meet the requirements, along with his knowledge of rethinking construction (Construction Task Force, 1998). Feeling that there was strong backing from central government de cided that partnering was the way forward. This knowledge that central government was committed to reform in the construction industry was vital as it gave Midlothian Council the confidence to move ahead with partnering. Furthermore partnering offered the chance for the council to show best value in carrying it out. A strategy report was then sent to council cabinet for approval. The report outlined the benefits to the cabinet in the use of a partnering agreement through its auditability and also confirmed that it could meet the requirement of best practice. This report acted as the mechanism for Midlothian to allow partnering to proceed. According to prescriptive texts on partnering, for the client to ensure that all relevant parties in the organisation are informed about partnering (Loraine and Williams, 2000). These requirements were largely fulfilled in the case of the Council. 4.4 The Partnering Process The partnering agreement would be based on the concept of the Seven Pillars of Partnering see Chapter 2.0 page Membership Choosing the Partners Following the decision to partner on a particular project or a contract and having completed the process of inculcating its values within the client organisation, the next step is to select the partners (European Construction Institute, Partnering in the Public Sector, 1997). The process was a multi-stage one and very intensive, consisting of preliminary and more detailed questionnaires, presentations, interviews and site visits and the sample pricing of two exemplar sites. In assessing the bids, the council used geared weighting of multiple criteria, which included not only conventional factors (such as commercial stability and technical skills), but also others, such as deep understanding of partnering. At the end of this process it led to the selection of two contractors and five consultants. The consultants that were involved in the initial consultation on partnering were not among the five chosen. The partners were informed of their success in August 2006. Integration- Team Formation The remainder of the seven pillars of partnering were put into action once the strategy and financing of the project had been passed by the council cabinet. Partnering depends on co-operation which in turn depends on trust. The integration pillar deals with the need to develop co-operative behaviour at all levels. This was done through a serious of workshops. The purpose of the workshops was for the project team to: Get to know each other Create a Partnering Charter for the project Develop an Issue Resolution Process Develop a Joint Evaluation Process The first workshop took place over 14/15 November 2006 and was attended by 22 participants of the partnering organisations. This workshop was designed to develop the partnering agreement. This was achieved by a discussion to identify the issues that would affect the way the partners work together. During each workshop the proceedings were fully documented and these provide a basis for further development of an action plan agreed by the parties. In addition to the conduct of the workshop appropriate pre and post workshop advice is provided on the development and maintenance of the partnering agreement. 4.4.3 Benchmarks : Setting Standards Once the partners had been selected it was, of course, necessary to operationalise partnering by agreeing objectives, structures, performance monitoring, conflict resolution and how information would be communicated (Lorraine and Williams, 2000). Essentially the partners had to agree mechanisms to facilitate partnering; changing it from an idea to a reality. From its inception, the MNHCP has been committed to rigorous performance measurement. It was crucial that MNHCP could see how it was performing and compare results against national construction industry standards, particularly with regard to cost, time, health safety, defects and sustainability. A second workshop was held on the 5/6th of December 2006. This workshop was designed to engender a sense of ownership of the agreement by getting those present to decide what factors to focus on and measure in the Partnership and establish agreed expectations and to generate performance indicators. The Project Performance Indicators (summarised below) designed for the project to provide feedback on how the partnership is performing as well as an assessment of how each contractor and consultant are meeting the required standards across a range of criteria. The KPIs Programme (Management of Time) Tenant Satisfaction Public Relations (No of complaints) Health Safety (Accidents Safety Notices) Finance (Cost Saving Cash Flow) Payments (from client-constructors-sub-contractors/sub-consultants) Adherence to Procedures Errors (Design Construction Errors) Defects (Internal External) Staff (Continuity Training) Environmental (Material Waste) Project Processes : The Issue Resolution Protocol (IRP) The partnering workshop is the vehicle used to create the partnering charter for the project which comprises the mission statement and performance objectives; issue resolution and evaluation process as well as problem management techniques are subsequently developed (European Construction Institute, 1997). In line with the overall procurement philosophy, the Council have developed a protocol based on best practice. The protocol does not seek to give advantage to the Council or any other party. Under the IRP issues would be resolved at the lowest level possible. Conflict resolution was an area where the workshops were apparently weaker in comparison to suggested best practice. Such practice guides contain information about the timescale which each level has to solve a dispute before it moves to a higher level for consideration. (Loraine and Williams, 2000). The dispute resolution procedure of the MNHCP shown in Figure 6 below is less explicit than those described in best practice guides. For example there exist no timescales to determine how long each organisational level has to resolve a dispute before it must move up the next level. This contrasts sharply with suggested practice. Of course so far there have been no disputes that have not been settled and so the procedures shown above seems to be perfectly adequate. However, a more detailed procedure would allow parties to know where they stand and timescales involved so that expectations are not unrealistic. This flow chart is an indicative representation of the process. The shaded elements represent the desired process. Figure 4.2 : Midlothian Partneship Issue Resolution Protocol (IRP) (Source : Midlothian Construction Services, March 2006) Feedback and Communication Communication and feedback are the great drivers of the MNHCP. A monthly project progress team meeting is one of the partnering tools used for feedback. The progress meeting provides the team an opportunity to bring up issues, concerns, and ideas on a regular basis. Project meetings can help everyone working on the job understand the schedule, co-ordinate work, and to identify and resolve issues by bringing everyone together involved in one place, at the same time, to discuss the status of the project and to plan ahead. Good communications and planning are critical to a successful project. Good communication also means that there are no surprises on the project. It means that one day you wont open a letter to find that someone is upset about something that you have never heard of before. The project team committed to not writing letters without talking to each other first. Talking first gives everyone an opportunity to make sure they understand the issues(s) and to try t o work things out before positions are put in writing. The council also committed to review achievements regularly, to ensure efficient and effective working. One innovation has been the appointment of a Project Co-ordinator. His role includes a number of functions designed to ensure the effective functioning of the Partnership. This post reflects suggested partnering practice. (Other key individuals within a partnering arrangement are The Partnering Champions. These are senior individuals in the organisations concerned and they play a central role in ensuring the viability of partnering, (Bennett and Jayes, 1995). For this role indicates a commitment to partnering and, as noted, commitment of individuals is vital for successful partnering. The functions of this role are vital in allowing the agreement to function. The Council Champion roles include: Agreeing the Charter Agreeing the targets Agreeing the allocation of works under the agreement Establish and maintain monitoring systems to evaluate partnership performance Monitor targets regularly Liaise with all parties involved to ensure adherence to the Partnership Promote innovation within the partnership Discussion : Midlothian Approach Vs Best Practice The selection process and the development of the Midlothian Housing Construction Partnership in the workshops discussed above, was essentially very successful. The selection process, involving two questionnaires and an interview/presentation. It was a rigorous selection process that achieved its aim of selecting effective partners. This validates the approaches followed as effective tools to help implement partnering. Thus this validates the texts on the best practice which promotes such approaches. The selection process also required commitment from constructors. For example all the successful (CT) set up a special panel to deal with the questionnaire and interview. Such commitment here indicates a commitment to partnering generally. Having noted this however it should be mentioned that past experience was a factor in these Construction team (CT) knowledge of what would be required of them. This knowledge gave them an understanding of what the client would require of th em. This experience was important, not because it directly resulted in these companies being selected as partners, but because they could draw on the past experiences to convince Midlothian of their competence in the selection process, which fits well with ideology of partnering. The Central function of the interview/presentations allowed the council to establish the (CT) who felt they could work with effectively on a personal level. The fact that these contractors/consultants had been short listed proved that, generally, they were capable (CT). Indeed all of those who made presentations were very competent and the race was a close one. It can also be argued that the diversity of the selection panel was actually positive. Had the panel comprised compromised technically qualified individuals they would have been more likely to have focused on technical issues that, at this point, were no longer relevant. The primary qualification questionnaire had already ensured those short list were competent. At this stage attitudes were important and the selection panel were more than competent to judge on these. The workshops ought to be deemed successful as they achieved all the aims they are supposed to according to writers on the subject. In particular it felt the workshops were well organised, spread the team working message very well. Furthermore the initial workshops were successful in that they promoted the aims of Midlothian Council. To allow the partnering agreement to operate, a series of project workshops followed. They generated a sense of ownership, a range of issues to focus on and performance indicators to measure and illustrate Best value. These project workshops should be regarded as a positive aspect of the partnering process to the extent that they allowed those involved to have a direct input into performance measurement. The dispute resolution procedure of the MNHCP is less explicit than those described in best practice guid es. For example there exist no timescales to determine how long each organisational level has to resolve a dispute before it must move up to the next level. A more detailed guide, perhaps including timescales and who to contact would make the situation clearer. To date he MNHCP approach has worked well. During the course of carrying out this research, for this project, no major unresolved disputes came to light. Time will tell whether the MNHCP approach to conflict resolution will prove as, if not more, effective than suggested best practice. Summary This study describes the establishment of the MNHCP which, generally, was through and followed current perceptions of how to set up partnering, with only a limited number of specific deviations. These appear to have had a significant negative impact on the overall process. The problems and issues noted, whilst important, should not deflect from the overall view that the establishment of the MNHCP was professionally and successfully carried out.

Book Report On The Steampunk Genre - 1274 Words

Trade ships are sinking and reports of a giant creature are to blame or the â€Å"attacks†. Professor Aronnax and his companions Ned land, and his servant Conseil search for the unknown thing attacking the ships, but little did they know what was going to happen next. Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil find themselves trapped in a mystifying metal submersible and are conflicted on whether or not they want to gain their freedom back.† Better to be a prisoner on the Nautilus than in the hands of the natives.†(Verne 89) The genre is adventure, science fiction, it is adventure because the entire book they are exploring the unknown.The science is because it is said to be some of the beginning of the â€Å"steampunk â€Å"genre. The Steampunk genre is a†¦show more content†¦Since they were always at sea the characters and the mood grew weary and longed for land and real venison. It made Ned Land tempered and made the Professor pleased because he could research. Since the captain was so secretive that made the mood more sullen and unpleasant at points. The captain also made the tone tense with his need to know basis and the way he worded things. The point of view is first person protagonist and Professor Aronnax is the one telling the story. He is a researcher and he told the story in his journal and his notes. Since it was told through his notes, it seemed much more realistic than it would have been if it was told differently, â€Å" The next day was the 9th of November. I awoke after a long sleep of twelve hours†.(Verne 61) The characters Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil are the three main characters and Captain Nemo is another important character. Professor Aronnax was a renowned scientist and researcher, and his tour of the Nautilus was the perfect time for unimaginable research of the depths of the ocean. Professor Aronnax once said â€Å"never spills the blood of innocent creatures without good reason† about Nemo the captain of the Nautilus. Professor Aronnax eventually realises that he was wrong and has to admit that he may have been wrong. Professor Aronnax is torn about whether or not he wants to leave the Nautilus. Ned Land was a Canadian harpooner and hunter searching to take down the â€Å"monster† terrorizing the trade

Introduction to children and young people Free Essays

These include rooting, sucking, swallowing, grasping, and stepping ND startle reflex. Babies are helpless when they are born and they don’t have very much muscular co-ordination. They are able to focus their eyes very quickly and follow sound from side to side as well as being able to cry and make gurgling sounds Soon the muscles begin to strengthen and babies start to control their movements. We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to children and young people or any similar topic only for you Order Now This allows them to begin exploring their environment and learn how their world operates. Physical control and co-ordination progress downwards, beginning with the head and moving through the neck, trunk arms and the legs. Muscle control 0-3 years: 2 Months – able to raise head when lying on stomach Months- can grasp objects using whole hand 6 Months- Can sit up without support 8 Months – Can start to crawl 12 Months – can walk without help 18 Months- Can climb stairs and run but often falls 2 Years – Can controls muscles which allow for toilet training and can climb on furniture and kick a ball but not yet catch one 3 Years- can Jump and ride a tricycle Intellectual – means the development of the mind and lets us to recognize, remember, reason, know and understand thing around us. We also develop communication skills which allow us to make ourselves understood and to develop relationships. As children interact with the environment they slowly organism their thoughts and develop a set of Reposes for dealing with the world. These become adapted as new experiences occur giving us all a better understanding of our world. Language development is another part of intellectual development; children should know at least six works by 18 months. Most one-years-olds should be able to name simple objects and by the age of two most are able to put two or three words together into a simple sentence. By the age of three, most speech should be understandable and children should be able to speak in complete sentences. Emotional- at the age of one babies are able to learn about the effect their behavior has on their parents/guardians and can express emotions through tears, laugher and facial expressions At two years of age toddlers are known for their temper tantrums â€Å"terrible two’s† as they struggle to express how they feel. They are able to show things to a certain degree, which is often expressed through play. At the age of three, children are more sensitive to others feelings and will share their toys with others and take it in turns to play with toys. They are interested in having friends and his is often when children start nursery or playgroup Social – Social development is similar to emotional development, young children from friendships and tends to show preferences for particular people. Language skills are important in the development of this relationship and, as children develop, they are more able to express their feeling verbally. Contact between ages is part of a normal family life and children benefit from spending time with both older and young people. Most children start nursery at this age and this provides an opportunity for them to share time with different age groups. Childhood 3- 11 years physical- growth continues really fast during childhood, although not as fast as in the first three years, and body proportions as beginning to be more adult-like. Gross and fine motor skills are becoming more advanced, like tying shoes, making and decorating a cake, playing football, building a musical instrument, throwing a ball and gymnastics Intellectual – as children get older they are able to do more logical activities. That begins to understand different concepts but often need to actually see concrete objects in order to understand them. As a child progresses through this tag they become fluent in language and may develop a good vocabulary. They become able to construct sentences and use grammar well. Moral development is something that begins during this phase. This is the process by which children take on rules and expectations of the society in which they brought up and develop a sense of right and wrong Emotional – as children progress through this stage they begin to lose the bounds with their main careers although they still need their support. They begin to be more independent and start to develop a sense of ‘sense’ Most of our emotional responses are learned from our parents/guardians. All children learn to control of their emotional Reposes and to resolve conflict and parents/guardians should praise them when this occurs while trying to understand the temper tantrums of frustration that do occur. Children begin to show signs of compassion and empathy and again careers need to encourage this. During this stage children also develop the ability to talk about their feelings. Even at a young age children will say things such as ‘l feel sad’ or ‘that makes me happy’. Social- as children develops into social beings they go through what us termed oscillations. Primary solicitation takes place within the family although there as many different types of family. Relationship with people outside the family becomes more important as children move through this stage. Teenagers 11-19 years Physical- at puberty, chemicals in your body called hormones trigger many changes, including growth spurts and weight increases, and boys and girls begin to change and look different as they grow into young woman and men. Intellectual- ideas about religions and politics may also begin to think about as their minds become more complex. Long term memory develops which enables teens to study for pass exams. Adolescents are able to start thinking about possibilities for both their immediate and long-term futures and plan ahead. Decisions such as whether or not to continue in education or to go out to work may be options for some. Emotional- often teenagers alternate from behaving like children and then behaving as adults. They also often feel misunderstood and may challenge parental value, deliberately pushing against boundaries which are often perceived as too restrictive or controlling. Teenagers become less dependent on family for emotional support and urn to their friends for advice, which is called influence of a peer group. Young people want to be accepted by their friends and this can sometimes lead to difficult situations, affecting both self-esteem and self-concept. Social- social and emotional developments are intertwined. As teenagers gain independence, they spend more time with friends. This allows them to practice social skills. As teenagers turn more to their peers they often struggle because they want to be liked. Peer recognition is very important and things like the types of clothes and interest that are followed become significant. Peer pressure can also present difficulties as it can challenge many of the ideas learned from families. This can be a period during which problems can start by experimenting with alcohol, sexual orientation and attitudes toward education. 2. Know the factors that affect children and young people’s development 2. 1 identify the factors that affect children’s and young people development to include: Background health environment Income- An income is the amount of money an individual has pay to provide everything they need in there life. This usually comes from paid employment or infinite an individual may receive from the government. Housing- where your life affects a lot of an individual’s growth and development, some people live in cities, towns, some live in the suburbs and some live in rural areas. There are different types of places that you live in that can affect your health and wellbeing. Housing standards have improved a lot in the I-J but there are still people who live in poor housing. Environment- as well as the type of home you live in, the local environment and your community also affect your growth and development. Other environmental actors can include living in overcrowded areas with no recreation spaces, living close to busy roads which are noisy, living near sources of pollution or living a long way from health and welfare services. Many areas have high crime areas which is very dangerous and stressful Education- education affects development mainly because it affects Job opportunities. Higher educational achievement usually gives individuals more choice of the types of career or employment they can follow in the I-J, education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16, although many people study ended the age. Culture- people are categorized by themselves and others in different ways for example, race, social class, ethnicity or religion. Sometimes this can lead to stereotyping and people may make generalizations about other based on, for example, the types of clothing they wear. Gender- gender stereotypes as also reinforces by the types of Job people are directed to. For example, the health and social care sector is mainly staffed by woman although today many more men are choosing Jobs in this area. Once in working there are employment laws against discrimination. 3. Know how to support children and young people’s development. . 1 outline different ways to support children and young people’s development to include; physical development communication intellectual development social, emotional and behavioral development Play is a big role in children’s and young people’s development. There are different ways in using language, verbal ways which are to question, c larify, describe, explain and debate. There is also nonverbal ways to communicate, like listening, looking and touching. Talking to your child, tell your child what is going to happen for example now we’re going to have a bath. When we are dry, we’ll get dressed â€Å"parents can start reading with simple board books and longer stories as their child gets older. Story times where they can use their imagination and have input in their stories are also effective. Music is also good play to young children; they will interact with the music by dancing and try to sing to the words. When they listen to lively songs or rhymes they learn about the world around them and the rhythm of language. Repeat their statements back to them with correct words. Give your child lots of praise for heir efforts. Physical Children develop at different rates while some are naturally late bloomers and others are ahead, there are things parents can do to encourage and support a child’s physical development. Encourage your child to move from one place to another, play games with them, run around a playground or sports field, and climb things. Intellectual Encourage your child to find out what he likes to do and answer your child’s questions when you can. As they grow older, many children lose their curiosity. Make sure your child eats well, stay active and gets proper amounts of sleep. Provide an opportunity to learn musical instruments or practice some form of performing arts. Reading will help your child’s mind grow. Social, emotional and behavior development Children often struggle with expressing their feelings; they need help knowing how to appropriately manage their feelings. Using language to identify, label and respect. It can also be helpful to tell and show young children other ways to manage like pounding clay, drawing pictures, and telling stories about how they are feeling. Helping to find appropriate ways to express emotions. How to cite Introduction to children and young people, Papers