How to Start a Freelance Writing Business and Work At Home (For Good)

Are you ready to join the ranks of other freelance writers and become a full-time freelance writer yourself? If so, then Im super excited for you as Ive been a freelance writer for a few years – and I have twins too! Freelance writing has given me the chance to be able to work at home as a mom and be with my twins. My twins actually dont know anything different than the life we have given them – a mom and dad that works at home (my husband works from home also!). Quitting your full-time job to become a freelance writer isnt impossible. I know many people who have done just that – and theyre now making a living from freelance writing. To get to that spot you need a plan, and this guide will help you form a solid plan so that you can prepare to work at home and quit your job for good. To Start Freelance Writing You Need to Think (and Dream) Big   We all have dreams. You know, the ones that you cant possibly believe will ever happen. Like being financially free†¦ Like making enough to buy that house youve always wanted†¦ Like being able to stay home and raise your children†¦ Those are the dreams I want you to think of when you start deciding you want to ditch the full-time job and work at home. Because when you work from home, you will have ups and downs, losses and wins and you need those dreams to anchor you and make you believe that writing for a living is entirely possible. As the first lesson BEFORE we get into the plan to quit your job for good, write down those dreams and aspirations. Why? Because the journey to becoming a full-time freelance writer can be a lot of work. Sometimes we all get discouraged and having your dreams on display will serve as daily reminders to keep you motivated and moving forward. I also hope this guide will give you that extra kick in the butt to take action and actually ditch your full-time job!   Free Course on Getting Paid to Write Online How I Became a Freelance Writer Ive been freelance writing part-time (and making a full-time income) while taking care of my twins for three years. I write for Huffington Post, OptinMonster, Blogging Wizard and more. I also ghostwrite  for many big name entrepreneurs and bloggers. I work hard and I stay true to my roots, which is blogging and writing – and I teach what I know. I LOVE writing and I love getting paid to write even more. I spend around five hours a day writing for my clients and for myself. The rest of the time I take care of my twins, have play dates, go to the park, and try to create home-cooked meals during the week! But, I didnt start out like this. After my maternity ended, I needed to find a way to contribute to our finances. I knew I didnt want to go back to my job in the school system, so I had to find a way to make money at home. Thats when my husband mentioned doing something online. I found out that many mom bloggers were offering services on the side and one of them was freelance writing. I started researching what is freelance writing and found that I can do that! And I did! Now, even though I wasnt working full-time before I decided to start a freelance writing business, I can still help you achieve your goal of quitting your job for good and working from home. Okay. So lets go through the steps to get to your final day at your job and to your first day of freelance writing. 1. Set a Date to Quit and Make It Real If you just figure youll quit your job once youre making a set amount of dollars per month, there isnt any real motivation to reach any of your goals. Life (or TV or Facebook or going out with friends) will always get in the way and what should realistically take months, could take years – or longer. Making the jump from full-time worker to a full-time freelance writer is a big move. Thats why you have to have a plan to make it happen. Most of the time, if you dont write it down, its like it never happened. To make your transition more tangible, set a timeframe of when you plan on going freelance. By doing this, it can help you stay accountable and motivated for when times are a bit rough. It may sound silly to set your job quitting date before you even have a single client, but its not. Set a goal, and work to achieve it. Thats how businesses are built. When making your timetable, make sure to consider not only your financial picture but also how youre going to leave your job. Are you going to make a clean break or – if its an option – transition gradually? A couple of things to take into account are: How will your expenses change once you quit your job? For example, you may save on gas and commuting, but you may spend more for health insurance. Is your company interested in retaining you as a part-time consultant? This can help the company transition and provide you with some guaranteed income while you navigate the solopreneur lifestyle. Thats why its important to start tracking your current budget and to start building your bootstrapping budget. To help you visualize this more and to make it more real, go ahead and grab the free timetable page, budget tracker page and the bootstrapping tracker sheet. Use these sheets to help you look at your budget to find a way to start living minimally to save up for this transition to self-employment. 2. Make Realistic Goals to Become a Freelance Writer Everyone chooses to quit their job and want to work from home for different reasons. After making a timetable of when you plan on leaving your job, figure out the big goals you want to achieve in that time frame. I call this your All-Star Goal team. There are two types of goals that make up the All-Star Goal team: SMART goals Stretch goal In my advanced freelance writing course Write Your Way to Your First $1k, I talk about setting SMART goals to help assess and measure the progress of your steps in your business plan. Its also a great way to keep yourself accountable since becoming a freelance writer means youll be your own boss and motivator to get the job done. SMART goals are smaller goals to get you to your end goal (for now its to work at home and become a freelance writer) quicker and more efficiently. For example, your goal might be this: I want to replace my day job income while having the freedom and flexibility of taking time off work whenever I want. With SMART goals you can break this big goal down and make it more likely to happen. SMART Goals (S)pecific – be as specific as possible on what you want to accomplish and how to do it. You can list requirements and tools you need to make it happen. (M)easurable – find a way to measure your goal (your timetable can help you measure your goals) and progress. (A)ttainable – look at the logical steps you need to take to accomplish your goal. (R)elevant – is it actually possible to work on your goals or is there something holding you back (school, child care, motivation)? Once you identify those blockers you can work on making your goals relevant. (T)ime-bound – how long will it take to work on this goal? When will I start? Stretch Goal A stretch goal is a goal that inspires you to think big, and it helps you stay focused on the bigger picture. For example, a stretch goal for you might be: I want to make $4,000/month from freelance writing. This goal has no time frame, but you can set a time frame if that helps motivate you to take action. When I started freelancing writing, my goals were simple. My husband was making enough income to support us as a family but I didnt want that burden to fall all on him. I enjoyed working and I knew I had to contribute to the finances now that we had twins. So my initial goal was to find a way to contribute to our finances and also stay home and raise my twins. My initial income goal – once I decided on freelance writing as my way to stay home with my twins – was to land at least one freelance writing job within four months or so. I was fortunate to hit that goal a full two months ahead of schedule! For you, I want you to take some time to figure out your SMART goals and your stretch goal. Write these goals down or share them on social media! Whatever it takes to keep you accountable! It changes but right now my goal is to build my freelance writing business and have the ability to work from anywhere so I can travel often. Im working on this goal by looking for more freelance work and writing as much as possible. — Gracie (@gracieawriter) February 3, 2018 3. Work on Your First 3 Freelance Writing Business Tasks You are a freelance writer in training.  You need to make sure this will work out before you make the biggest change of your life (potentially). When you quit your job, you suddenly become the boss – you are responsible to make the income, to market your business and to find the work. You are going to wear a lot of hats but, for many of us, thats the best feeling ever! Lets go over the preliminary tasks you need to do to ensure that when you make the switch, you are successful. 1. Conduct Market Research Do you even know if freelance writing is a viable option? Or, is the niche you want to write in (the topic you want to get paid to write about) is  even profitable? To find out start conducting market research before you make the leap into freelance writing.  This ensures you’ve risked nothing except your time. But, where do you look? Here are my two favorite places to find out if there is a need for writers: job boards and social media (Facebook groups). a) Job Boards First see what types of jobs there are. You can quickly see what online businesses are seeking for content jobs. Now, freelance writing job boards arent the only source for online gigs. There is: Cold pitching – you seek out brands and businesses and pitch your writing to them. This eliminates competition. Warm pitching – connecting with brands and businesses on social media and responding to their questions or commenting on their content. You get on their radar and over time they may seek you out for content writing. Networking – through online connections with other writers, friends, family or other businesses, you might land work that way. But, for the new freelance writer, freelance writing job boards are an easy and effective way to find a gig quickly. From there,  you want to see if the jobs are worth it. What are the rates for these freelance writing jobs? Depending on where you look, jobs vary from $20 for 1,000 words to $1 per word. b) Join Facebook Groups If you don’t already have a Facebook account, get one! You’ll need it for sure if you want to get writing clients. One of the best ways to decide if there’s a market out there for freelance writing gigs is to check Facebook groups where your potential clients hang out in. If you want to work with small businesses (the best group – in my opinion, since there’re a lot of small businesses online today) you might want to check out FB groups that attract entrepreneurs. For example, Pat Flynn – passive income guru – has a Facebook community filled with entrepreneurs and small businesses that need your content 🙂 2. Set Your Rate Now is a good time to start thinking about your rate. Your rate is fluid, which means you don’t have to keep it at one price point. You can jump up, stay the same or even lower your rate depending on certain circumstances (offering a discount for bulk content). To start thinking about this, go here to set your rate.   Once you plug in your numbers you get an hourly rate. As a freelance writer, I find it’s best to charge per project, based on how quickly you can research and write the content. $94 an hour can equate to around $100 per 1000 words (if you can write 1,000 quality words in an hour). For more help, here is a guide on how to set your freelance writing rate. 3. Fail Fast What if you take the leap into working from home, and three months down the road you find out there is no market for your service? Or, you find out the niche you are in – maybe its parenting, home decor or personal development – just isnt paying the bills? If you end up failing, the best thing you can do is fail fast. What does this mean? Accept that you need to change what youre doing and move on to the next thing.  This means if plan A doesnt work, go to plan B or even plan C. It might mean you end up pivoting to something else that’s more profitable. You could enroll in a course or hire a coach or mentor to help take your business to the next level. This may give you more skills you can add to your list of services, diversifying your portfolio and ensuring more consistent work. Start looking online for freelance writing jobs and finding where your prospects might be on social media. Use this free worksheet to go through job boards, blog posts and social media platforms to see if this is a viable choice for you. 4. Try Freelance Writing As a Side Hustle Its time to get all your ducks in a row and try moonlighting as a freelance writer. What’s nice about side hustling is that if you end up failing, that’s okay because you can keep trying other strategies while still working full-time. This is the time where you can see if you can actually land a freelance writing job. You can see for yourself if you have it in you to actually be a freelance writer (because not everyone is cut out to be a freelancer). Lets go over what you need to do to have a successful side hustle as a freelance writer. 1. Find the Time This can be hard when you work all day, but if you want to change all that, you need to find the time to side hustle. Whether it’s in the wee hours of the morning before work, or the late hours after everyone is sleeping, find a time when you can be your most productive. When I started my freelance writing business I could only work on it when my twins were napping. There was no time when my twins were awake that I could devote 100% to my business. My twins needed changing, feeding, play time, and there was laundry, bottle prepping, pumping and more. So, nap time and when they went to sleep for the night were the only two times in a day that I could work on landing freelance writing jobs. This equated to around 5 hours a day (if I worked all night). Once you figure out the time (during your lunch break, on the weekends, before you work, etc..) you need to stick to it. Write it down and hold yourself accountable to that time! 2. Set Up a Website One of the best marketing tools you can have is a freelance writer website. Your website or blog will do most of the work for you. If you feel you dont have the tech to set this up, I have two options for you. I have a DIY tutorial with a video to show you how to initially start your website. I also have a step-by-step video course on setting up your entire website. When it comes to setting up your website, make sure you have these pages: About page – market your services on this page too. Services – lay out exactly what you will do with clients. Is it only blog posts or do you also do emails/press releases/eBooks? Portfolio – while you can house your portfolio on Contently, I like to have a page on my site dedicated to my sample writing. Contact page – list social media links, email, phone number, Skype ID, and have a contact form on this page. You might be thinking, do I really need a website to start freelance writing? Yes, and no. If you need some quick cash you dont, but if you truly want to make a living as a writer, then yes, you need a website. You may start initially with: A Facebook page Portfolio site LinkedIn profile And thats okay. This is a side hustle and you have to ensure if this is a viable option. But the funny thing is, if you dont use the right tools, you really wont know if what you are doing will be successful. So think about it! 3. Get a PayPal Account You want to get paid right? PayPal is a universal online payment system, and most businesses and solopreneurs use it. There is a small transaction fee of 2.9% so just chalk it up to doing business. Since you’ll be using your PayPal account for your side hustle, opt for a business account if you want, but it’s probably not necessary at first if you’re just freelancing it up. You’ll be able to send invoices to your clients and receive payments from your customers. 4. Track Your Projects I personally use Google Sheets and Trello to track my client work/income, and my blog posts. Whether it’s in your notebook or on Excel, find a system for you that works and that you can track: Earnings Expenses Invoices sent Editing process Payments 5. Create A Sample of Your Writing and Start Pitching Here is where it gets real. You need samples of your writing to impress potential clients. The best way is to guest post on other people’s sites. The next best thing is to create a post on LinkedIn  or Medium – a blogging platform. What should you write about as your first sample? Ideally, the freelance writing niche you want to get paid for. You decide on your niche by your experience and what you want to learn more about. I started freelance writing with choosing parenting and natural health as my main niche topics. Over time I was learning more about marketing my business and fell in love with that content. I then focussed on attracting digital marketing clients. So, its okay to let your niche reveal itself over time! This might be the best thing for you! 5. Start Saving So You Can Work At Home Now is the time to set a routine to incorporate freelance writing into your day. Try it out for a week or two and see if this is a possible plan for you. A hard fact to swallow is that many freelance writers fail within the first few years. The reason? Because they didnt plan this out! You are  Ã‚  forming a plan and system to ensure that when you decide to work at home, you will ultimately succeed. Now that you are finding your freelance writing groove, the next step is to start saving. And with that extra income youll receive from landing your first freelance writing job, you can start to build a cushion of savings for when you quit your job to pursue this full-time. How much should you save? According to  experts, the standard is to save three to six months worth of your income to account for any emergencies, slow periods of work and client attrition. For freelancers with obligations like a family or a mortgage, however, I recommend saving six to twelve months worth of expenses. Freelance writing can be a bit of a roller coaster (if you dont land recurring work) when youre first starting out and having those extra funds to help you invest in your freelance writing biz – and to live off of – can really help you make a go out of this. So, for any money you earn from your new business, put it in a separate savings account. This will also influence your big goal of wanting to work at home and make the transition to freelance writer easier. For some ambitions writers who side hustle first, within three short months, they can replace their full-time income with freelance writing for good. So, it is entirely possible to have your freelance writing take off on the right foot and generate income for you. 6. Its Time To Make the Leap and Work At Home Are you pumped? Excited? The time has come to make the leap a reality. By this time youre now juggling your full-time work and your side hustle. The time you originally set to achieve your big goal is fast approaching. Before the time comes to hand in your resignation, here are a few things to make sure you have in order before cutting ties with your employer for good – and taking your side hustle to full-time status. 1. Secure Enough Online Writing Gigs Beforehand Are you making SMART goals? This can help you right now when you start planning your exit strategy. How many writing gigs do you need to feel safe enough to quit your job for good? Some gigs may only pay $100 per post and you are only writing 1 post a week for that client. This isnt enough to quit your job. You may need to pick up three more weekly content clients to feel safe enough to quit for good. Other projects are long term projects and can pay on a retainer. Freelance writer Amanda Emerson was able to quit your corporate job within 4-5 months with retainer clients. Youve saved enough income for slow periods, so now you need to look at whether or not the clients you have will allow you to cover your expenses – and then some – every month. When that time comes, you know with certainty that you can live comfortably from your freelance writing income alone, and can finally quit your job. 2. Have a Plan to Land More Freelance Writing Jobs Something you will learn quickly is that you always should be hustling even when you have enough work to live by. Because you never know if a client will suddenly stops emailing you for no reason at all, or instead of the three posts a month they may drop down to one post a month. It happens, and it has happened to me. Thats why you need to have a plan to land more freelance writing clients. Typically, you want to work on reducing or eliminating lower-paying clients as you start to replace them with higher-paying clients. This will free up some time and move you up the pay scale. Part of your plan to land more projects to to start building that online presence. This means having some social media profiles. The two best social media platforms to try are Twitter and LinkedIn. On these platforms you should be doing everything possible to get your name and services out there in front of potential clients. Some quick social media marketing tactics are: Share a brands blog post (a brand you want to write for) Respond to a brands tweet or LinkedIn post Tag a brand on a guest post of yours if you feel their audience would enjoy that content (and its relatable) 3. Make the Leap into Freelance Writing When youre ready, you can be confident that you can take that leap youve always wanted, and youll be able to start making a living from writing. Being a freelance writer has allowed me to stay home with my twins, take care of them and live the life that I want. I can go to the park during the day, or we can take a trip as a family to the lake and know that Im in charge of my potential. Are You Ready? I have laid out roughly a 6 week plan to say goodbye to that full-time job and say hello to freelance writing. Every persons journey is different, but I hope that this plan can help you figure out the critical steps to make this happen. And to ensure your success, I encourage to level up your plan by enrolling in Write Your Way to Your First $1k. Many students have made their first $1k and more within a few short weeks of taking my course! Now, its your turn! Are you ready? Tell me in the comments what your plan is to quit your job so you can work at home.

Understanding Polynomials in Algebra

Understanding Polynomials in Algebra Polynomials are algebraic expressions that include real numbers and variables. Division and square roots cannot be involved in the variables. The variables can only include addition, subtraction and multiplication. Polynomials contain more than one term. Polynomials are the sums of monomials. A monomial has one term: 5y or -8x2  or 3.A binomial has two terms: -3x2  2, or 9y - 2y2A trinomial has 3 terms: -3x2  2 3x, or 9y - 2y2  y The degree of the term is the exponent of the variable: 3x2  has a degree of 2.When the variable does not have an exponent - always understand that theres a 1 e.g.,  1x Example of Polynomial in a Equation x2  - 7x - 6   (Each part is a term and x2  is referred to as the leading term.) Term Numerical Coefficient x2-7x-6 1 -7 -6 8x2 3x -2 Polynomial 8x-3 7y -2 NOT a Polynomial The exponent is negative. 9x2 8x -2/3 NOT a Polynomial Cannot have division. 7xy Monomial Polynomials are usually written in decreasing order of terms. The largest term or the term with the highest exponent in the polynomial is usually written first. The first term in a polynomial is called a leading term. When a term contains an exponent, it tells you the degree of the term. Heres an example of a three term polynomial: 6x2  - 4xy 2xy - This three term polynomial has a leading term to the second degree. It is called a second degree polynomial and often referred to as a trinomial.9x5  - 2x 3x4  - 2  - This 4 term polynomial has a leading term to the fifth degree and a term to the fourth degree. It is called a fifth degree polynomial.3x3  - This is a one term algebraic expression which is actually referred to as a monomial. One thing you will do when solving polynomials is combine like terms. Like  terms: 6x 3x - 3x NOT  like terms: 6xy 2x - 4 The first two terms are like and they can be combined: 5x2  2x2  - 3 Thus: 10x4  - 3 Now youre ready to start adding polynomials.

Use of Social Media in Consumer Events in Kazakhstan Dissertation

Use of Social Media in Consumer Events in Kazakhstan - Dissertation Example The different social platforms present different functions which aid the users in deciding to use the applications. the existing discrepancies commonly result in the users being selective of the social media platforms based on the capability of the user to meet personal requirements (Kwon & Wen 2010). The significance of the information available on a social network remains critical to the capability of individuals deciding to use such form of media over others. The popularity of the social media platforms has continued with the increased availability and capacity to access from different devices. Facebook is estimated to the social media platform with many active users globally, who are estimated at 1.35 billion in 2014. While these are the global statistics, within different regions, the usage of these social media platforms remains different. The levels might be higher or lower based on the applicability of the platform and regulations existing within a region. The application of social media remains governed by different personal and social issues. Despite the popularity of the social media, the reasons behind the utilisation of any given platform remain different among various users. This is mainly because of the objectives people seek to achieve through the social media (Heinonen 2011). The reasons are relatively wide and range from socialisation, business to communication and political and other social reasons. Social media has continuously gained popularity and has surpassed the traditional forms of media.

Accounting theory practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Accounting theory practice - Essay Example This revised IAS 1 is applicable to all entities whether those are profit oriented or not- for profit entities. ‘Not- for profits entities in both the public and private sectors can apply this standard, however they may need to change the description used for particular line items within their financial statements and for the financial statements themselves. This standard applies to those entities that present consolidated financial statements and those that present financial statements as defined in IAS 27: Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements. It does not apply to the structure and contents of condensed interim financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS 34: Interim Financial Reporting.’ (Barry and Jermakowicz, page 22)2. In other words IAS 1 is applicable to all financial statements that cater general purpose needs. ‘General purpose financial statements are those intended to meet the needs of users who are not in a position to demand reports t ailored to meet their specific information needs. They include statements presented separately or those within another public document, such as annual report or prospectus.’(David Alexander and Simon Archer, 3.04)3 IAS 1 revised in September 2007, issued by International Accounting Standard Board (IASB), is the first of the series of expected revisions on the standard. While issuing the revised IAS 1, IASB (2007)4 stated in the press release that ‘the changes made are to require information in financial statements to be aggregated on the basis of shared characteristics and to introduce a statement of comprehensive income. This will enable the readers to analyze changes in a company’s equity resulting from transactions with owners (such as dividend and share purchase) separately from non- owner changes (such as transactions with third parties)’. This indicates that the basic objective of changes is to present each financial

Parade of Organisms and Cell Identification Assignment

Parade of Organisms and Cell Identification - Assignment Example The organism is formed within mycelium, which is a mass of threadlike structures called hyphae. The primordium develops into a round structure of interlocking hyphae called a button. The button, also referred to as an egg, expands with time and the universal veil ruptures to release the spores out. The growth of mushroom always occurs at night with a rapid expansion. This is made possible by fluids absorption in forming fruit bodies. Others add tissues or insert hyphae to fruit bodies by growing at the edges of the colony. The mushroom is edible and consumed by most people. The most interesting bit is that it is a low-calorie meal and can be eaten as raw or when cooked. The mushroom is rich in vitamins, source of essential minerals and low-fat content. Man, therefore, becomes the main predator of the organism and any other animal that consume the mushroom (Schafer, 2013). Additionally, the organism is used in fiber industry in dyeing of wool and fabrics to produce vivid and strong colors. The organisms also play an important role in the biological process of remediation. Filtration technologies where the organism is involved in lowering bacterial level in any contaminated water (Schafer, 2013). Also, the organism can be used in spurring plant growth by using the structure mycorrhizae that are soil rich nutrients. The organism extracts are widely used in the field of medicine for cardiovascular disorders and boosting of the immune system. The side effects are the harmful impact of the toxic mushrooms rendering it inedible. Moreover, the organism has the propensity effect of absorbing heavy metals that may include the radioactive ones emitting harmful rays. The difference between the bacterial cell from the plant and animal cells is that the bacterial cell is prokaryotic meaning there is no nucleus, unlike plant and animal cells that are eukaryotic, made up of cells. Animal cell lacks cell wall but present in plant cell and is

Oppression And Discrimination Of Looked After Children Social Work Essay

Oppression And Discrimination Of Looked After Children Social Work Essay This essay explores how the identity of Looked after children (hereafter LAC) contribute to oppression and discrimination in two specific areas of Education and Health. The essay will analyse the role of legislation and policy in combating or promoting discrimination and oppression. The history, societal attitudes, diversity, views of the children and theories underpinning LAC will also be discussed. Finally I will focus on the implications and relevance to social work practice. Cocker and Allain (2008) identify LAC and young people as children in the care of the local authority, through a Care Order made by a court or voluntary agreement with their parent(s) to accommodate them. They may be looked after in childrens home by foster carers, or other family members. All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are deemed LAC. For the purposes of clarity I will start by defining oppression, discrimination and stigma. Thompson (1997) identifies oppression as the disregarding of individuals or group of peoples rights resulting in inhuman or abusive treatment with dominance and power by one group over another. For Thompson (2006), discrimination refers to a process of unfair or unequal treatment of individuals or groups resulting in undermining the interests of people from a less powerful category within society. Goffman (1963) highlights that stigma is constructed through social interactions. The individual who is stigmatised is seen as below societal expectations. Similarly, Parker and Aggleton (2003) associate stigma with an instrument that maintains boundaries between those with power and the powerless. This causes social inequalities that formulate into social norms that promote power structures. Through such power, social inequalities are developed leading to creation of social norms. From the above definitions oppression, discrimination and stigma it can be deduced that the common elements are abuse of power and privilege resulting in inequalities and disadvantage. LAC are one of the less fortunate groups of people in society who experience such treatment because of their identity. The last three decades have experienced a huge overhaul and introduction of legislation and policies seeking to address the needs of children. The Childrens Act 1989 reformed Law relating to children and in particular set out the framework for the provision of support for children and families and for the protection of children in England and Wales. This was in line with the United Nations on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC 1989) which was the first legally binding International instrument to promote the rights of children throughout the world. (Burke and Parker 2007). The Quality Protects (1998), Children Leaving Care Act (2000), Adoption and Children Act (2002), the Choice Protects policy, the Childrens Act (2004), Every Child Matters (2004), Care Matters (Green and White Papers) and The Children and Young Persons Act (2008) are some of the initiatives and legislation introduced to reinforce safeguarding children, and also as responses to reports of abuse, neglect, harm and safeguar ding children in different institutions of residential care in the UK with the most publicised individual cases such as the deaths of Victoria Climbe (2000). It was revealed that Staff working with vulnerable children was not adequately trained, rigorously checked on recruitment, no support and vigilance towards diversity and openness. This led to Laming Report (2003) which revealed significant failings within individuals and organisations which were meant to be looking after children. The Childrens Act (2004) emerged to implement and address the recommendations. In 2009 Lord Laming was also asked by the government to provide an emergency progress report on issues surrounding safeguarding children following the death of Baby P in 2007. He reinforced his earlier findings on systematic and individual failures as the cause of the death of Baby P (Laming report 2009). Research has questioned the effectiveness of such initiatives in reducing discrimination of LAC. Examples of such research are : Children experience of the Children Act (1989), Discrimination Against Young People in Care (1998): Remember my message (1993), The Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care in England Project (2006), Barriers to change in the Social Care (2000), Bursting at the seams (2010) and the recent Panorama BBC programme on experiences of children leaving Care (5 October 2010). The UK is a multicultural society with diversity which policy makers and legislators need to acknowledge. Blaine (2007) views diversity as the presence of differences in society in relation to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class and sexual orientation. These differences are neither good nor bad; however some of the differences are associated with inequality and disadvantage. Social work practice is concerned with addressing these differences and disadvantages (Burke and Parker 2007). There is no exact figure for LAC but DfE Statistics (2010) reveal that there were about 64,400 LAC as at 31 March 2010 while the BBC Panorama ( 2010) mentioned around 70, 000 LAC as of 5 October meaning the number is increasing. The main reasons of being in care were abuse or neglect (52 per cent). There were 3,400 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) who were looked after at 31 March 2010. This is a decrease of 12 per cent from 2009. There is a decrease in the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) (DfES 2010). Hogg and Vaughan (2002) views identity as associated with the process an individual becomes who they are in the sense of personhood and others view of who they are. Furthermore a person has multiple identities which need to be seen as part of the whole individual as disregarding some aspects would be misleading and reductive of the individuals identity. Graham (2000) highlights that identities have different meanings and are not fixed but change over time as a result of environment, personal circumstances and outside influences. These influences will significantly affect the social experience and the self image of those defined, through, for example the experience of negative discrimination. All aspects of a childs identity need to be recognised and acknowledged regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or religion. By developing a positive identity children are motivated and their self esteem is enhanced for them to feel a sense of value, belonging and worth Blaine (2007). However Cocker and Allain (2008) argue that not all environments are positive in fostering this idea. When this occur the child becomes withdrawn and shy to open up and engage. Having a LAC identity endangers a child to be different, socially excluded, marginalised and denied equal opportunities in accessing services.(Assessing Children in Need 2000). As such social workers need to adopt and work with a culturally sensitive approach and apply the balancing act to enhance the resilience concept. (Masten 1994 cited in Daniel et al 2002). Burke and Parker (2007) highlight that the social work context and the involvement of a social worker in a childs life apply and identify the child as different. From my experience in social care practice I agree with Burke and Parker when they note that the bureaucratic and comprehensive paperwork, regular review and educational meetings, visits, contact arrangements and procedures and guidelines are associated with the LAC; these are not experienced by most children in normal life settings. However this argument is dismissed by Garret (2003) cited in Burke and Parker (2007) when he affirms that paperwork and bureaucratic procedures are essential tools for a social worker to use in helping them identify and address important developmental needs of the child but should however encourage more one- to -one contact with the child rather than spending time on paperwork. Because of their identity a LAC they are disadvantaged and discriminated against at school and in matters related to Education. They most likely risk being expelled from School due to behaviour (DfE 2010).Statistics show that a third of LAC obtains a GCSE and a further fifth obtain fewer than five GCSEs. Although these figures are lower than a few years ago, they are still much higher than for children as a whole: more than half not obtaining five or more GCSEs compared to less than one in ten children as a whole (DfE 2010) The Social Exclusion Unit (2003) published a document A Better Education for Children in Care, (Thompson and Thompson 2003) which highlighted five reasons for the low attainment levels ranging from instability caused by insecure placements, bullying, lack of support and encouragement at home, time out of school due to expulsion, support and encouragement and emotional, mental or physical health. Schofield and Beek (2009) suggest that parents and people at home where the child lives need to be supportive and encouraging to the child learning success. School environment should promote learning that develops a child holistically to facilitate the self discovery method and accepting themselves as they interact with other children. They also note that this is not always the case as children are disrupted of continuity in settling and making friends if placement breaks down. Sometimes bullying at school results in low self esteem. Although most local authorities have put in place a number of inter disciplinary services looking at the physical, mental well being of children discrepancies still exist. However in Jackson and McParlin (2006) in their article The education of children in care professionals are seen to be making assumptions and jumping into conclusions ending up giving labels and long prescribed long term solutions to short term problems unnecessarily. This is associate d with neglect and discrimination. More training and awareness of diversity, anti discriminatory practices and individualised person centred approach should be reinforced (Every Child Matters 2004). Morgan (2010) argues that the problem of poor school performance in LAC lies in the care and education system not in the children. He argues that the care and education systems do not address pre care experiences of the childs low attainment and also fail to address the aftermath or the impact of separation when children are removed from their families. The child may be suffering from undiagnosed post traumatic stress which can erupt in any confined environment such as school classrooms. He also contends that teachers have no knowledge of the childs history. Teacher training does not equip teachers with knowledge of the care system and on addressing behaviour from LAC. Jackson et al (2005) cited in Morgan (2010) carried out a research with students in Higher education who had a care background over a five-year period. The respondents experienced a high level of trauma, abuse and neglect but were placed in foster homes that were supportive and valued education. The findings revealed that foster families who support education and celebrate the childs achievements are more likely to compensate to some level of the pre care experiences and promote higher attainment in education. It is important to place children in placements which are supportive to the childs success in education, foster resilience and offer a safe place to grow and achieve. To support childrens wellbeing the government has put in place the Children and Young Persons Act (2008) with a commitment to promote the wellbeing of children and those who are involved in their care. Children and Young Persons Act (2008). Dunnett et al (2006) acknowledged the initiatives by Government such as the improvement of health of LAC as important and the proposed Care Planning for LAC and Care Leavers to be implemented April 2011. However according to research a number of health deficits still prevailed such as ill health, poor diagnosis, and dental neglect, neglect of routine immunisation screening, poor diagnosis, limited attention to chronic ill health and limited attention to mental health problems. A study carried out by Loughborough University for the Department of Health (2006) revealed inconsistencies and concerns on consultation and treatment. Also studies revealed that teenagers in care found it difficult to discuss sex education due to fear, lack of privacy and trust. They wanted a significant trustworthy person to confide in. As such most of their health needs are overlooked and not met as they are labelled, stereotyped and marginalised. Axford (2008) in her article exploring social exclusion noted this difficulty as more prevalent among children from Black Ethnic Minority background who face a cultural, language and racism within organisations that are meant to support and look after them especially asylum seekers. In the article LAC experiences of the Children Act (1989) highlighted that there are continuing myths about the Act which are still disadvantaging LAC. The children still feel they are not fully aware of their rights under the Act as they face day to day regulations and successive barriers. Children still feel they do not receive what the law says they should. A typical example was in socialising with restrictions on risk assessments for overnight stays by teenagers in care. This has brought a sense of discrimination and marginalisation as it is for normal teenagers to do overnight stays. Prout (2000) cited in Glenny and Roaf (2008) further picked up another conflict and tension among within government departments and targets when he mentions that control and self realisation are both present in legislation and policy but in tension. On one camp there is the idea of viewing children as individuals with a capacity for self realisation within a safe societal environment while in the other camp there is the idea of viewing children as vulnerable and requiring control, regulation and surveillance. One example is the Youth Matters Four Challenges to help teenagers achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes. ( DfES 2005) Social workers need to listen, engage and work in partnership with looked after children. In a research by Holland (2010) exploring the Ethics of Care as being marginalised, not being implemented and recognised, it was evidenced that lasting relationships are disrupted by placements as children often acknowledged their links to their past and significant people in their lives. This highlights the importance of their individual pathway in promoting their wellbeing and interpersonal relationships and future achievements. Clarke (2010) emphasises the need to sustain and promote lasting care relationships with formal carers and social workers to avoid the consequences of loss, neglect and worthlessness by listening to their story, exploring and putting their needs and choices first. Oliver et al (2006)s Briefing Paper Advocacy for LAC unveiled that research has highlighted that there were some ambivalence within professionals as to what extent children must be involved in decision making to matters concerning their care as well as resource barriers. To overcome these constraints Winter (2009) suggested regular contact, feedback, advocacy and pu tting the needs of the child first need to be priority as children value being listened to and having their wishes fulfilled by active participation in matters concerning their wellbeing. In a consultation exercise with young persons leaving care as part of my coursework, they highlighted that sometimes they did not receive any satisfactory feedback from social workers when they need it. Also they mentioned that there was a lot of bureaucracy such as reviews or educational meetings which made them feel treated differently. Social work regular visits at school made them feel stigmatised. The respondents felt they wanted to be treated as normal children not service users. Barriers to Change in the Social Care (2000), a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, supports that there should be a human rights approach in working with LAC. Glenny and Roaf (2008) suggested early Intervention is essential to support children and families before problems either from within the family or as a result of external factors, which have an impact on both the child and family. Statutory and voluntary organisations have an obligation to work in partnership for the success of early intervention agenda. Teamwork will establish protocols which will help to ensure early indications of being at risk of social exclusion are addressed and receive proper attention. McLeod (1998) highlighted the need to acknowledge Child development which enable children accept and discover themselves through stages and exposure to promote self awareness, confidence, self esteem and positive attitudes. McLeod highlighted Freuds psycho-analysis theory (1859-1939), Ericksons psycho-social development theory (1950) and Bowlbys attachment theory (1969). This view is shared in the literature review by Hunt (2003) cited in Ritchie (2005) which highlights that although there is no concrete evidence of kinship care over non kin foster care there are indications that chances are the former promotes the childs wellbeing and welfare than the latter. It is important for social workers to be aware of child developmental needs and how valuable family ties are. Schofield and Beek, (2005) cited in Shaw (2010) affirms that past relationships with family and professionals has an impact on the childs wellbeing and ability to cope with life on their own. Active parenting focusing o n the childs needs and positive engagement with the child will help and promote skills to deal with difficult situations in life. Social workers need to promote resilience to empower children to face challenges and deal with their past and future (Daniel and Wassell 2002) . Bates et al (1997) suggests that assessment framework should foster identity and acknowledge diversity in order to promote a childs perception of themselves and their environment. Social workers need to employ anti-discriminatory practice with opportunities and resources for self discovery through interaction (Assessment for Children in need Practice 2000). The Children and Young Persons Act (2008) also emphasises its commitment to promote a childs well being and the people involved in the care of the child. This essay discussed a particular aspect of discrimination and oppression among LAC and extent to which legislation, policy, practice and services relevant to social work exacerbate or assist in overcoming negative experiences of LAC. Although there has been notable initiatives in addressing the needs of LAC for the past ten years a lot still has to be done in terms of societal attitudes, resources and safeguarding. To achieve the every child matters outcomes all the stakeholders need to work together by putting the needs and act in the best interest of the child. By listening and engaging with LAC practitioners will be able to improve Childrens quality of life. Anti discriminatory practice, empowerment, diversity and equal opportunities practices are part of the answer.

John Locke :: Empiricists, Empiricism

Intrigued by the notions of inalienable rights, John Locke became known as a 17th century English philosopher of the enlightenment. Born on August 29,1632, Locke possessed a good deal of influence because of his connection with England and the United States. John Locke had a plethora of Philosophical theories. I will further elaborate on the idea of Locke’s thoughts on inalienable rights.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One might first begin with addressing the question of what are Inalienable rights? To this I answer that they are those natural rights belonging to individuals by virtue of their humanity. Locke’s focus is primarily based upon the ideas of freedom and equality as a whole. He believes that citizens should naturally possess the right to life liberty and happiness, which is portrayed in the constitution of the United States. These inalienable rights or natural rights have derived from the law of nature. The law of nature is a state that relies purely on the law of God, which is also known as moral law. This law gave people the natural right to life, liberty, and happiness without question. In addition, Locke believed that people also possess the basic right of self-defense if under attack. However, Locke’s key aspect of his theories was the basic idea of equality. He said that nobody has the right to rule and that consent is critical because it’s based on the premises that all people are equal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Locke is very much known as a political philosopher in today’s modern society. Because much of Locke’s philosophy centered on subjects such as natural rights and knowledge, he has in-turn shaped American politics in such a way that it has never been the same. Locke has challenged many theories have to do with inalienable rights as a part of natural law; therefore he had much to do with the involvement in the evolution of the American Government.