Report about Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty, although Essay

Report about Plagiarism is one form of academic dishonesty, although it cannot be assumed that all plagiarism occurs merely because a student is aiming to cheat. Discuss - Essay Example It is basically copying and pasting ideas from an original work of another person.Murdoch University (2004) defines plagiarism as: Plagiarism constitutes using the work of another without indicating by referencing (and by quotation marks when exact phrases and passages are borrowed) that the ideas expressed are not their own. †¦ Plagiarism and collusion apply to work in any medium (for example, written or audio text, film production, computer programs, etc.) (p. 20). Most universities tend to believe that students plagiarise simply because they want to cheat, however an analysis of a qualitative study done on 12 students revealed that there are other factors that influence a student in plagiarising. Such factors range from poor academic skills, self esteem to social and cultural factors. Research findings from other parts of the world are also comparing positively with these research findings and these findings can go along in generating ideas for universities to look into in solving this issue. Several studies all over the world have been conducted to find out what influences students to commit plagiarism. Initial researches have often used the assumption that plagiarism as a form of cheating is done deliberately by students for selfish gain however recently other research institutions have deviated from this assumption to other qualitative views that propels students to plagiarise (MurdochUniversity, 2004). Certain factors associated with education such as academic skills, social pressures, cultural pressures have also been found to contribute to plagiarism without the student necessarily intending. Although in most universities plagiarism is often equated with cheating. Cheating such as taking notes to an exam room, lying so as to get consideration and intentionally coming up with a fake bibliography is more intentional than plagiarism therefore plagiarism should be given a different approach in order to

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Adverse Effects of the Foreign Aid - Essay Example uals, organizations and governments in order to assist people or governments experiencing distress, suffering, war, disasters and other emergencies provide humanitarian aid. For instance, governments could provide aid through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in cases of emergencies that occurred as a result of natural disasters. Development aid is the main focus of this paper. It is the financial and other resources provided by wealthy countries to low-income states in order to help spur economic development, reduce poverty, improve governance, solve population explosion, expand access to basic education and healthcare, protect the environment, promote stability in conflictive regions, protect human rights, among other objectives (Tarnoff, 2010, p.3). It is distinguished from the humanitarian assistance by the fact that the intent to alleviate suffering and poverty is aimed at the long-term as opposed to the latter's emphasis on the short- term relief. Industrialized countries have institutionalized development aid through their respective Official Development Assistance (ODA). Financial resources are provided through different channels such as international aid organizations, non-government organizations and global bodies such as the UN and the World Bank. The flow of financial resources and the part of it that is normally called aid, wrote Singer and Ansari (1988, p.180), is only a part - and a comparatively small part - of the total aid relationship between rich and poor countries. This is because other types of aid could also emerge. For instance, there are those who argue that when a rich country opens up its market to the exports of low-income countries, it is providing a meaningful aid. Ideally, the effect of foreign...This essay investigates the theme of relative ineffectiveness of foreign aid, compared with other forms of financial cooperation. The essay identifies a comprehensive list of problems that are ei ther directly or indirectly associated with large amount of foreign aid. It is expected that through the information, corrective measures could be identified made so that the delivery of financial aid is effective and could achieve more meaningful effects. Foreign aid is supposed to be an altruistic initiative. However, aids are often granted to beneficiaries in exchange for something or tied with several conditions. Then, there is also the claim that foreign aid could give rise to numerous problems on the part of the beneficiary such as its incapacitating effect on people in determining and building their own solutions to their problems. These variables, among others, underpin the manner by which large amount of financial resources and other forms of aid could cause harm to recipient countries. The absorptive capacity is the ability of a country to employ both domestic and foreign capital productively in the sense that the resources yield some minimum rate of return. This concept explains the problems and negative impacts for foreign aid beneficiaries listed by this paper. The lack of competence and capability for example, led to wastage in the financial aid, which often fall prey to unscrupulous government officials. It provided insights with regards to addressing the pitfalls entailed in giving aid.

Analyze one or more main character traits of the protagonist in one of Essay

Analyze one or more main character traits of the protagonist in one of the stories. How do these traits create the action of the - Essay Example This is the character trait of Sammy and this paper is an analysis of Sammy’s character in order to trace how Updike weaves a beautiful story using this inherent weakness in the central character. The place where Sammy stands in the store gives him a full view of the intricate divisions in the store. His eyes can easily follow the customers who pick up the articles for purchase and for him â€Å"there was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again† as it was a Thursday (Updike). The readers follow Sammy as he is also the narrator. When the three girls enter the store and when his eyes study the details of their physical appearance, Sammy becomes spellbound. The incident shows the natural impulses of a boy at the sight of his opposite sex. Sammy is overpowered by the force of female attraction: â€Å"With the straps pushed off, there was nothing between the top of the suit and the top of her head except just her †¦ it was more than pretty† (Updike). The girls have arrived there wearing their swimming suits, revealing the beautiful shapes of their bodies. He could bear the sight of the first two girls walking into the store, but the third one, Queenie's beauty, broke his heart. Sammy is an innocent boy who has not learned to live in this corrupt world. He reacts immediately to his impulses, to fulfill his desires.

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay Example for Free

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay Introduction Mystic Monk coffee company is a cloistered monastic environment where monks from the Carmelite monastery of Clark, Wyoming spend their daily manual labour hours roasting coffee (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420). The monks are a religious sect of the Catholic church and are fully dedicated to their religious and spiritual side, which requires most of their daily hours, be spent praying or contemplating in silence; this leaves little time to spend on coffee roasting productions, especially due to the small population of monks that are able to live at the Carmelite monastery. There were many restrictions that the Carmelite monks faced with their coffee productions such as having restricted roasting capacity, inadequate land and partial workers. Father Daniel Mary, the prior of the Carmelite order, had a vision of expanding the small monastery of 13 monks, by creating a new Mount Carmel in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming. There is a nearby location called the Irma Lake Ranch that would include a large house, caretaker house, guesthouse, a gothic church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, a hunting cabin and a dairy and horse barn; this would allow the monks to expand their opportunities, as well as expand their Carmelite monk residents (Thompson, 2012, pg. 421). This vision is everything that Father Daniel Mary ever dreamed, the only thing prohibiting the change, is that the Irma Lake Ranch will cost the monks $8.9 Million. The Mystic Monk coffee company only earns money based on their coffee sales (11% of revenues) and donations from private donators; the Carmelite monastery received a $250,000 donation which they can use at their discretion (Thompson, 2012, pg. 420,423). The following report will take a look at the options that are available to the Carmelite monks and what would be the most strategic plan that should be enforced in order for the monastery to be successful. External and Internal Analysis S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths * Fair trade/ Organic Arabica beans * Variety of coffee flavors * Accessories (t-shirts, cups, CD’s) * Online shopping is available * Tea has been added to selection * Free labour/ No wages paid * Affordable/ reasonable retail price * Membership â€Å"coffee club† * Favors catholic market (large)| Weaknesses * Limited roasting capability (540 lbs/day) * Limited production due to worship * Cant expand due to limited land * Coffee is not a necessity (trend?) * Caffeine is highly addictive (health) * Purchase beans instead of growing * No business expertise/ experience * No absolute competitive advantage * Poor earnings (11% of revenues)| Opportunities * Expand availability into grocery stores * Collaborations (Keureg, Tassimo) * Other purposes (weight loss, bio fuel) * Increase advertisements * Expand into international market * Start a franchise * Open coffee shops (Starbucks, Tim’s)| Threats * Poor coffee growing season * Natural disaster/ weather * Eco nomic Conditions (recession) * Established competition (Folgers, nabob) * Others’ personal religious beliefs * Dependant on donations/ revenues| (Mystic Monk, n.d., pg. 1) Alternatives The Mystic Monk coffee company has to look at their options before they are able to make a decision regarding the continuation of their business. The two options that are available to the Carmelite monks at this point in time are: 1) stay at the current location of Clark, Wyoming, and continue operations as they are and use some donation money to purchase another roaster to help increase production or 2) see if the owners of Irma Lake Ranch would â€Å"gift† them a portion of the ranch without monetary repayment, as a donation, and they would pay the owners as a lease to own the remaining balance of the land, until a breakeven point has been reached. Discussion of Alternatives The first option is to stay at their current location to continue operations as they are. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) retaining their donations and revenues to improve their current monastery, 2) there is little to no risk involved. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is little opportunity to expand the Mystic Monk Company, 2) they cannot easily increase their Carmelite population. The second option is to move to a nearby area, which would involve purchasing the Irma Lake Ranch. The advantages of choosing this option are: 1) the Mystic Monk Coffee can increase production easily, 2) there is a large opportunity to expand, 3) the new Carmelite monastery would allow its population to double. The disadvantages of choosing this option are: 1) there is a tremendously high level of risk involved, 2) the owners may not gift the monks any land. Recommendation After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, a decision has been concluded that the most practical and strategic option would be to receive a portion of the Irma Lake Ranch, as a â€Å"gift† without monetary repayment, then pay the land owners on a lease to own schedule with the increased earnings projected from the new Mount Carmel location. This is the most logical selection if they want to expand and improve their Mystic monk coffee brand, as well as their community; the Carmelites will have no opportunity to grow or expand if they choose to stay where they are and continue on as they have been, as well as soon they will not be able to keep the supply at an adequate level to cover the demand for their products. The Carmelite monastery would have more financial opportunities available with this purchase, such as milk production from the dairy cows, horse rides on the trails through the forest, increased population to help roast and package the coffee. Also, the monks would have sufficient land to be capable of growing and producing their coffee beans without the need of suppliers, which in turn will decrease the cost of goods sold and drastically increase the Mystic Monk’s net profit margin from the current 11% of the sales revenue. The risk on this investment is exceptionally high, but if it is successful, the reward and pay off could be far greater than projected. Action Plan A realistic action plan must now be devised, to ensure that the previous decision is executed correctly, otherwise the Carmelite monks and the Mystic Monk coffee company will not be successful. The monastery is incapable of affording the Irma Lake Ranch with the funds that they currently have, including the $250,000 donation. The Mystic Monk coffee company should confront the current owners of the Irma Lake Ranch and see if they would be willing to â€Å"gift† them a portion of the property without monetary repayment, which could be considered a donation; the remaining balance owing on the land could be contracted as a lease or rent to own situation, where a breakeven point would be reached in a reasonable time frame. Also, because the property has been â€Å"gifted† to the Carmelite monks, they would be eligible to receive a tax break, which would significantly affect their financial status. The new property would be able to offer the monastery an opportunity to expand their brand by introducing tourism, sustainability and other financial opportunities. If the Mystic Monk coffee company decided that they would be capable or growing their own beans on the new land, they would be able to drastically cut costs on the cost of goods sold and eliminate suppliers, which in turn will increase their marginal earnings from the sales revenue. All of these new opportunities are realistic and show that the increased earnings would rapidly and effortlessly be able to pay off the remaining balance owing to the original Irma Lake Ranch owners. Conclusion In conclusion, the Mystic Monk coffee company has been successful with its entrance into the coffee market, however demands are increasing and new opportunities are being presented to the Carmelite monastery. If they wish to grow and expand their business and community, they are going to need to take the risk which is to relocate to a more practical location, ideally the Irma Lake Ranch. Irma Lake Ranch offers many new prospects to the Carmelite monks, which they would not be exposed to if they stay at their current location. This property can allow them to be independent from suppliers and venture into new venture projects such as introducing horse trail rides and milk from the dairy cows. Although the monks are a non-for-profit group, the sales revenue will mostly be paid to the original property owners until the principal amount is depleted, the rest of the money from earnings and donations will be put towards building, growing and maintaining the new Mount Carmel Monastery. References Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. (n.d.). Mystic Monk Coffee | Buy Coffee Beans Online | Online Coffee Store. Retrieved January 24, 2013, from http://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/store/storefront.php Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M. A., Gamble, J. E., III, A. S. (2012). Case 1. Crafting and Executing Strategy (18th Edition ed., pp. 420-424). New York: McGraw-Hill/ Irwin.

Roundup Essay -- Monsanto’s Soya Bean

"If you read Wall Street’s reports, they don’t talk of soya bean as originating in China. They don’t talk of soya bean as soya bean. They talk of Monsanto soya. Monsanto soya is protected by a patent. It has a patent number. It is therefore treated as a creation of Monsanto, a product of Monsanto’s intelligence and innovation." – Vandana Shiva (Barsamian, 1997) Introduction Monsanto is a Saint Louis Chemical manufacturer that is a major player in the weed killing business. Monsanto has quite a portentous past. They developed and produced the notorious defoliant "Agent Orange" used in the Vietnam War, they invented the controversial recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), and they were the inventors and world’s main producer of polychlorinated biphenols (PCB’s) which are now banned but still linger in our soil and water (Arax, 1997). Presently, Monsanto is commonly known for its potent herbicide named Roundup. As the biggest-selling weed killer in the world, Roundup accounts for 17 percent of Monsanto’s total annual sales of $9 billion (Arax, 1997). The main ingredient of Roundup is glyphosate. Glyphosate is the eighth most commonly used herbicide in U.S. agriculture and the second most commonly used herbicide in nonagricultural settings (Cox, 1995). It’s estimated annual use according to the U.S. EPA is between 15 and 20 million pounds in agriculture and between 4 and 6 million pounds elsewhere (Arax, 1997). Monsanto claims that Roundup breaks down quickly in the soil, so that little or no toxic byproduct accumulates in plant or animal tissue - a viewpoint often disputed. Monsanto’s patent on Roundup will expire in two years, and when this happens, countless chemical companies will undoubtedly jump into the mark... ...Susan Benson, and Rachel Burstein. "A Growing Concern." Mother Jones January / February 1997: 37-43. Barsamian, David. "We Can’t Afford To Have a Sacred Car Rather Than a Sacred Cow." The Progressive September 1997: 36-39. Bruno, Kenny. "Say It Ain’t Soy, Monsanto." Multinational Monitor January / February 1997: 27-30. Cox, C. "Glyphosate, Part 1: Toxicology." Journal of Pesticide Reform Fall 1995 Vol. 15, No 3. Cox, C. "Glyphosate, Part 2: Human Exposure and Ecological Effects." Journal of Pesticide Reform Winter 1995 Vol. 15, No 4. "Perils Amid Promises of Genetically Engineered Foods" by Dr. Mea Ho. Biology Department, Open University, U.K. November 1996. WWW.GREENPEACE.ORG/~GENENG/INDEX.HTML "Why Consumers and Farmers Should Avoid Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Soybeans" – A Greenpeace Report. WWW.GREENPEACE.ORG/~GENENG/INDEX.HTML

Humorous Wedding Speech †Two Best Men -- Wedding Toasts Roasts Speech

Humorous Wedding Speech – Two Best Men Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. For those of you that are wondering why there are two best men standing up here, it’s perfectly simple. Arthur wanted to appoint a best man for the occasion, but sadly couldn’t find one, so he got two barely competent ones instead. So before I start, let me clarify the ‘role’ situation. Dennis, Arthur’s university friend and very trustworthy, was responsible for carrying the rings in church. I am Steve, Arthur’s childhood friend and very good with lager (beer). I was responsible for organizing the stag weekend (bachelor’s party). We both had the responsibility of getting him to the church on time, smartly dressed and sober†¦ but neither of us could achieve that last part. And, regrettably, we have both been asked to give a short speech. So why does it take two of us to describe the bridegroom? Well, as the man in Moss Bros said, 'There's a lot to fit in'. But you can rest assured that I’ll be keeping my part brief†¦ as I know the other bloke (guy) can drone on for hours! So what can I tell you about Arthur Wilson? He is my oldest friend and I’m convinced that without his guiding hand while we were growing up I would have been half the man I am today†¦ and certainly twice as popular. From an early age we lived a few doors away from each other, so not only did we become great friends we also became great rivals, and obviously ... ...y became trapped in the sticky beer socked carpet, the music was too loud for a conversation and it was pretty dark as well. Everything was in Arthur's favour! Playing hard to get though, Linda tells me it was months before she fell for Arthur. But having witnessed how quickly they progressed to a cat and five kittens, I'm not so sure. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for listening to Steve and myself. If you’re having a fantastic time today - which I’m sure you all are - that’s a direct result of the months of hard work and meticulous planning by Arthur and Linda. They have done an incredible job to make this a truly wonderful wedding, so please all stand as I propose this toast – to the bride and groom.

Anti-Discriminatory Practices Essay

There is a variety of national initiatives which promote anti-discriminatory practices: Some of these practices are provisions relating to, European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, The Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, The Children Act 1989, Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, Disability Discrimination Act 2005, it is important in every work place and setting to follow these acts in order to prevent discrimination arising for both service users and providers. By following all these service users and providers will feel safe and valued in health and social care settings. This promotes discrimination by living by the rule treat others as you want to be treated-if you treat others with respect and do not discriminate they will more than likely treat you the same, this will then subsequently set standards and expectation for people to follow. For example- nurses wear the same uniform as that’s the expectation for them. Two of these acts I will go into more detail with and explain exactly why these acts in the health and social care work place promote anti-discriminatory practices. When working in health and social care setting it’s also important to be aware of the types of discrimination that can occur so you can both act on it if you was ever to come across another person behaving in such a way and prevent yourself from behaving this way also. Therefore, promoting anti-discriminatory practices by being aware of this and making others aware to, these types are of discrimination are Direct discrimination: discrimination because of a protected characteristic. Associative discrimination: direct discrimination against someone because they are associated with another person with a protected characteristic. (This includes carers of disabled people and elderly relatives, who can claim they were treated unfairly because of duties that had to carry out at home relating to their care work. It also covers discrimination against someone because, for example, their partner is from another country.) Indirect discrimination: when you have a rule or policy that applies to everyone but disadvantages a person with a protected characteristic. Harassment: behavior deemed offensive by the recipient. Employees can claim they find something offensive even when it’s not directed at them. Harassment by a third party: employers are potentially liable for the harassment of staff or customers by  people they don’t directly employ, such as a contractor. Victimization: discrimination against someone because they made or supported a complaint under Equality Act legislation. Discrimination by perception: direct discrimination against someone because others think they have a protected characteristic (even if they don’t). You can no longer ask a prospective employee about their health before offering them work, unless you can prove you’re doing so to check whether the employee can carry out an essential task (such as heavy lifting for a removals company) or to monitor diversity. You can screen health once you’ve made a job offer – but then of course you’re opening a world of trouble if you rescind your job offer on the grounds of a disability, as you are then liable to be taken to tribunal too. Race relations act 1976-2001: This covers race discrimination in employment, training, education, housing, facilities and services and even advertising. In 2001 this act was amended to include discrimination by all public bodies’ e.g. council- Blackburn with Darwen social services. Direct discrimination occurs when a person is treated less favourably on racial grounds than he or she would treat another person, Could be defined as people with different skin colour, race, nationality or ethnic origin. This could potentially happen in the work place if an Afro-Caribbean was to only employ Afro-Caribbean or African works as this would be treating other ethnicity less favourable by giving them less favourable work or less paid work due to their race. This act is in place to prevent these things happening to people due to race as this could hinder their confidence with others in fear of being discriminated against or being given lack of opportunity, this legislation works by simply be prevented by having this ac t in place which gives prosecutions and punishments for not following it these prosecutions could occur if people did not know the correct terms to use to others and how to address people in the best possible way also you could help improve this by educating people on how they should and shouldn’t behave in the work place this this will help them be more educated and accepting of others, helping them to follow the race relations act. What is the mental capacity act 2005; The Mental Capacity Act is designed to protect people who can’t make  decisions for themselves or lack the mental capacity to do so. This could be due to a mental health condition, a severe learning difficulty, a brain injury, or stroke. This act has many purposes as it helps to assist service users in the best possible way, some of these purposes consist of; Allowing adults to make as many decisions as they can for themselves. This gives the service user some independence and helps to make them feel less controlled by service provider helping them to build self confidence in the long run as they are not being restrained to others making decisions for them. This helps to prevent discrimination by not treating a person differently because of their disability treating them as you would any adults. Enables adults to make advance decisions about whether they would like future medical treatment. This helps the service user understand the treatment they are going through and the d rugs/medication they will be taking without this they could feel unsafe as they don’t understand the medication they are being made to take, this helps prevents discrimination as it helps go with the service users rights of choice and right to protect their own body in case they didn’t want to go ahead with the treatment. An example of this act in use in health and social care setting is for example in a nursing home founded by the NHS a patient may have dementia and should still be able to make their own decisions such as what they would prefer for tea or if they would like to purchase something such as a TV, this will be giving the patient the right to their own choices and not restricting them too much. Also in this case they would need and advocate allocated to make important their decisions and care for them (e.g. daughter/husband). When all these things have been took into consideration it’s then made clear how important this act really is for the welfare of people with disabilities. It helps toward making them feel secure and not just another number as they can make their own personal decision on how they want things to go in the best way for them. Therefore promoting equality and reducing discrimination. Disability discrimination act; 2005-2006 The disability discrimination act is designed to end discrimination that may face many people with disabilities of various forms such as immobility, mental disabilities or physical disabilities. This act helps people who have these troubles and want to get on with their life as best as possible  whether it is in the work place or services provided to them by the health care system. Throughout this act it entails people with disabilities having rights in the areas such as, Running of public transport services, such as buses and trains- the government makes these more accessible and easier to get from a to b with disabilities, making things such as local councils, schools and hospitals more accessible for them so they can make sure no matter what their disability people can rather access for the service or work for it. When the act was emended in 2006 it was made sure Public bodies, like hospitals or local councils, now have to do a lot more to make sure that they don’t break the laws that protect disabled people, and give disabled people fair chances. This act can be enforced in health and social care setting such as dentists its essential that a patient with a disability is able to access your practice to enforce this you should ensure corridors are wide enough, if there are stairs there is a lift in which a wheelchair would fit, there is a suitable exit for anyone in a wheel chair in case of. This would be respecting all their rights and promoting anti-discrimination by setting an example to other practices and making the service user feel safe and valued. To conclude this section on who, how, where, and when acts are used in every day health and social care settings, I feel that it’s shown to everybody just the importance of the acts and the impact it has on both service users and providers to make them feel safe and valued, causing them to have more confidence in the system. These acts promote anti discriminatory practices and raises awarenes s on how people should and should not be treated no matter what their individual traits may be. The government has enforced these legislations in England to make sure every individual is receiving the correct and equal treatment from practices so the best care is given to them. By promoting this through practices such as hospitals it will help to promote anti-discriminatory practice nationwide and set standards and examples of how professionals and non-professionals should behave towards one another. M2- Assess the influence of a recent national policy initiative promoting anti-discriminatory practice. The main influence I think in the health and social care system is the equality act 2010, this act helps preventing discrimination in Great Britain and promoted anti-discriminatory practices especially in areas to do with health and social care, this policy is a great guideline for practices to follow in  order to meet service providers and service user’s needs. What is the equality act and why do we need it? Equality is used to protect service users and providers from discrimination and unfair treatment it’s also used to help promote anti-discriminatory practices and makes others in Britain aware of why discrimination is wrong and why everyone deserves to be treat as an equal. This act is good for many reasons; People enjoy life more if they are treated fairly. The country is richer because each and every person can do what they are best at. It is easier for people to live side by side and get on with each other if everyone is treated fairly. Without the equality act we would still be experiencing things such as, many women being paid less than men for the same kind of work. Clever children from poorer families wouldn’t do as well at school and in later life would struggle at finding a job due to the government not helping them as much, and they may receive poor health care which would also limit their chances in life. disabled people would be a lot less likely to have job as the without the equality act in place services were less expectant of disability’s and providing for them as it costed the system more money. People of different races would find it harder to get a job as racism was still shown and no prominently accepted by everyone by promoting racism through the act now though people know it’s not accepted and will try there best the help ethic minorities get jobs and be accepted in social care settings. many lesbian and gay people would worried about asking the police for help in case they are treated unfairly as t hey felt as though they was not accepted in society and by services providers and users before this act came about. This initiative is influencing my local area by making establishments such as hospitals more aware of equality issues which is helping to make it better for staff and service user a few examples of this in recent newspaper articles are; Bury Council is one of Britain’s top gay-friendly employers The local authority was the top performing council in the North West and gained particular recognition in the latest Stonewall workplace equality report for its Dignity at Work policy. Stonewall stated that the council has â€Å"a robust commitment to fostering a workplace culture where all employees are treated with dignity and respect†. The council is now listed as number 54 in  Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list which showcases the progress being made in many workplaces towards full equality for Britain’s 1.7 million lesbian, gay and bisexual em ployees. This shows to me that governments initiative policies are helping make health and social care providers provide an overall better service, by not discriminating against anyone for their individual traits. This is just one example of how the equality act helps people to be treat to the best possible standard everyday by services, as well as being a promotion of an anti-discriminatory practice showing how by promoting equality it influences people in society and society’s work places to make a change. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/archive/2014/02/12/11006078.Bury_Council_is_one_of_Britain_s_top_gay_friendly_employers/ Another way to make sure the equality act is being followed and anti-discriminatory practices are being promoted throughout Britain is by in the work place higher members of staff enforcing the equity duty this is a law for public bodies telling them they must think about how they can make sure their work supports equality. For example, in their services, through their jobs, and through the money they spend. Public bodies already need to think about treating people of different races, disabled people, and men and women fairly and equally. But this becomes even more important when employing and treating patients, as everybody in this setting needs the best possible level of equal care to ensure they feel safe and valued. Equity duty for example would cover a woman/man who is on maternity leave, the government has a legislation which states that when a woman/man working in a health and social care setting is having a child they should still be paid for their time off so they can spend time with the baby and support their partner, this is an equity duty ensuring that whether you are a woman or man working for a service you get maternity or paternity leave paid and it will not hinder future job opportunities. The equality acts state work places should obey by these set of legislation; â€Å"Your rights during pregnancy: you have the right to health and safety protection for you and your baby. You have the right to reasonable paid time off for your antenatal care. You are protected against unfair treatment and unfair dismissal because of your pregnancy (The law says that it is sex discrimination to treat a woman less favourably on the grounds of her pregnancy or because she wants to take or has taken maternity