Month: March 2011

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Social worker jobs – an insight

If you are nearly at the end of your school career and have an interest in a job that involves helping people in your local community, then social work jobs could well be for you.  If you are wondering how to get a career in social services jobs, the following advice should help you get started.  In general terms, social worker jobs involve helping and advising people who are facing problems in their lives.

Clearly there are any number of difficulties people might face, and as a result, social work jobs can provide many different challenges.  The people you work with might need your help for all sorts of reasons, from long term illness to families under pressure.  Your job would involve helping people to take steps to become more independent and improve their lives, making the best possible use of the welfare system. You might be needed to help children and parents, older people, those with physical or learning disabilities or mental health problems, homeless people, or people with drug or alcohol issues.  A social worker would not generally work with all these types of people at once, though.  You would tend to specialise in a particular area.

Within this area, typical tasks might be to assess and review a service user’s situation, offer them information, counselling and advocacy, and taking part in team meetings, supervision and case conferences.  It is often necessary to liaise with other agencies such as healthcare and housing authorities, and sometimes giving evidence in court.

Social services jobs can be demanding, and as such require a specific type of person.  Good social workers generally show very good communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds and gain their trust, a practical and flexible approach to work, and patience in dealing with people.  To become a social worker you will need an honours degree or postgraduate degree in social work.  To get onto one of these courses you will probably require five GCSEs and at least two A levels.

If you think you have the personality and skills required for social worker jobs, then the next logical step is to start researching undergraduate courses and checking the admissions requirements.  Or, if you are unsure about applying for a course, you could try speaking to people in social work jobs for an insight.  As with most jobs, the best way to decide whether social services jobs might be right for you is to chat to somebody who does this kind of work.

Please visit http://www.sanctuarypersonnel.com/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.sanctuarypersonnel.com/

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Social work jobs: a growth sector

social work jobs comprise a large range of work throughout the care sector. Although there are certain characteristics and some training that you will need as standard, whatever the social services jobs you are applying for, depending on what you go for you could find yourself in very different areas – and with very different roles. Social worker jobs are fairly common, even in a time of recession and economic hardship, because there are always areas of need that are not dependent on – indeed, are only encouraged by – the poor state of the economy. Added to this the demographic changes that are happening on a grand scale, and it’s highly likely that the broad range of jobs available in this area will only continue to grow in the medium term, whatever the short-term expediencies of government spending. Thus social work is a promising area to try at if you are looking for a permanent change of career.

There has been some criticism of social services in recent years, for a number of reasons. The worst of these are the failings that have resulted in the high-profile deaths of children – mistakes that could have and should have been avoided. In recent weeks, however, there has at last been recognition that the burden of paperwork on social workers has grown to the point where it is seriously impacting their ability to do their jobs properly. It must be hoped that wider efficiencies in the health and care systems will be brought to social work too, allowing social workers to carry out the jobs that they have been trained to do, and, in most cases, are highly competent and driven to fulfil. The training process has also come under the spotlight recently, and so it is worth keeping an eye on new developments. However, there is no reason to believe that this will not continue to be a growth area, since the care needs of the nation can only increase. One of the major problems facing the UK is an aging population as the Baby Boom generation retires, and the burden this will place on the care system.

Thus social worker jobs are a promising area for those interested in the caring professions. Social services jobs are normally advertised widely by regular job agencies, and you will be able to get more specific information from one of the specialist social work jobs agencies around – the internet is usually a good place to start, since these companies are often national instead of regional or local, allowing them to collect a large number of vacancies and advertise them centrally.

Please visit http://www.socialworkandcarejobs.com/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.socialworkandcarejobs.com/

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Bacs software makes accounts a lot simpler

Bacs, or Bankers Automated Clearing System, has now been around since the late 1960s. It is the UK’s way of making electronic cash payments. Bacs payments mean that you can provide a business with your bank details – account number and sort code – and have money transferred directly into your account. This naturally has numerous advantages. Speed is one of them – bacs happens almost instantly in lots of cases (although this depends a lot on the banks in questions – some transfers between some banks can be extremely fast, whereas others can take three working days, which is the standard time advertised in the industry). In any case, even the three-day limit is probably as fast, in many cases, as paying in cash or a cheque and waiting for it to clear. Convenience is another benefit – it reduces trips to the bank, and therefore leaves more time for other things. Security is another obvious one; it prevents the need to have large quantities of money on the premises, which might be a particular problem on payday. In the past, this would have meant that the whole company’s payroll was present – a clear risk. bacs software can therefore be a huge advantage for modern companies.

If you operate a small business – or anything larger – you will likely benefit from incorporating such bacs software into your accounts procedures. Automating invoice payments greatly simplifies the monthly (or more regular) task, since everything can be automated to the desired degree. This means that you don’t have to do the job by hand. Even if you still use online banking, thereby avoiding the issues with writing lots of cheques or, worse, handing out physical cash, setting up and paying all the amounts can be a tedious process. It’s also likely to mean a lower degree of mistakes, and therefore less problem with duplicate payments, fraud and other issues than can eat away at your profit margin through poor accounting procedures.

Bacs is fast and easy (SWIFT, a faster version, guarantees same-day payment, for a fee). Bacs payments have so many advantages that it’s useful for any business to explore bacs software as an option for paying invoices. In the 21st century, cheques and cash are less and less common payment methods, and the future of the cheque itself is becoming increasingly uncertain. Simplicity, security and reliability are three reasons to look into the system more closely, if you haven’t already.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.bottomline.co.uk/

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Phono stage will remove that hiss

A lot of people don’t grasp what a phono stage is for. After all, it’s easy to link up your old turntable to your modern sound system without a phono preamp, and play all of your old records like you used to 30 years ago. Except, of course, it’s not quite as good as it was back in the day. The sound quality isn’t as good. There’s crackle and background noise – before you even put the needle down on the record, which is a sure indication that something is wrong. It’s not that the record is old, or the turntable just has too many miles on it: it’s because you’re missing the phono amp which is specifically designed to interface the turntable with your hifi, providing the kind of signal it needs to give decent quality playback.

The signal that comes off a standard turntable is very low. That’s fine if your amp and speakers are built for that kind of signal level, as they would be if you were using ones you bought at the same time, that were always intended to be used with vinyl. But when you start mixing old and new, you run into difficulties. The turntable signal is too quiet. You can get around that to a certain extent by turning the volume on your hifi way up high, but that brings plenty of problems of its own. For starters, the louder it is, the more ‘noise’ you get: you are amplifying everything, including the sound that you need (i.e. the music signal from the record). That means that all the extraneous, unwanted noise gets amped up too – which you hear as hiss and static. That will be present even before you put the needle down and start playing the record, because it’s not a problem with either LP or deck. It’s a problem with your hifi, which was never made to play records.

The solution is to buy a phono preamp, also known as a phono stage. This changes the signal from your turntable, preparing it for the hifi, which can then treat it as it would a signal from a CD or modern input. Very few modern hifis have a built-in phono amp, since it’s now quite a rare and specialist thing, and an unnecessary expense for most sound systems. But if you’re into vinyl, then there’s no real substitute for one.

Please visit http://www.whestaudio.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.whestaudio.co.uk/

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Powerpoint presentations are not as intuitive as they seem

Powerpoint design is really simple. Thousands of people use it for sales presentations every day, and some do a reasonable job of it. powerpoint presentations are the industry standard for communicating information in a sales-type meeting, when you are wanting to convince the audience that you have the answer and product for them. Strong Powerpoint design, on the other hand – a presentation that does what you want it to and inspires and motivates rather than sends people to sleep – is a different and altogether trickier art.

Powerpoint is extremely versatile, and has a huge number of features – some of which will not even be apparent to the casual user. These can add real buzz to your presentations; on the other hand, poorly used they can detract badly from the message you are trying to get across, and act as a distraction. The best use of Powerpoint is as a support to what you are saying, not as competition, and definitely not as a replacement. It needs to function in such a way as to draw in the audience, rather than alienate them or give them an opportunity to switch off from listening to you. (Incidentally, the same goes of any handouts you send round – they need to complement your presentation rather than replace it. There is nothing worse, from the audience’s point of view, of receiving what is essentially the same presentation three times, in forms that hardly differ – once on a handout, once on the screen with Powerpoint, and once spoken by you.)

A little training in Powerpoint design can go a long way. Even if it’s just taking you through the basics and showing you how the main functions work – and how they should be used to maximum effect – then it can be worth a lot in sales later on. Say, for the sake of argument, that the training you receive from a professional organisation or individual makes the difference in a single instance, securing a deal through your superior sales presentations that you would otherwise have missed out on? That’s probably enough to pay for the training money, several times over, already. Previously, your lacklustre powerpoint presentations might have held you back; now, they are the missing piece you needed to make all the difference. That’s something that’s definitely worth thinking about next time you’re sitting through a tedious sales meeting with one of the worst examples in front of you.

Please visit http://www.eyefulpresentations.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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How cash genie can guide you through the VAT increase

As of the start of January this year, the standard rate of VAT is 20%, compared with the previous rate of 17.5%.  The following advice from Cash Genie aims to consider how this might  affect the average consumer or small business over, and possible ways to mitigate the effects of this fairly significant increase in tax.

The increase is pretty much unavoidable, as VAT is the tax you have to pay when you buy goods or services.  The majority of consumer items  have, therefore, become more expensive since January.  The exception to the rule is that items classed as ‘essential’ are VAT free.  These include food, children’s clothing, and newspapers and magazines.  Being aware that most goods will cost a bit  more will help you manage  the impact of this increase.  Average  spending might, therefore, increase, particularly in the month or two when everyone is getting used to the changes.  It is important to think about  how to ensure this does not have a negative effect on your budget.  For those who are struggling with the change,  it may also be worth remembering that companies like Cash Genie provide  short term payday loans which could help you cope with a change to your outgoings, by providing you with a cash advance which you can then repay when you receive your next paycheck.

VAT-registered businesses will have to consider  their pricing.  Retailers or service providers can decide whether to pass the VAT increase onto customers or clients, or absorb it themselves.  This decision will be dependent on whether customers and clients are likely to think of price as a major differentiator when choosing between your business and your competitors.  Therefore if your business is unique, or you are happy that you have a strong enough USP or differentiator, then it may not be necessary for you to absorb the increase yourself.  However, if you are the kind of business that tends to compete on the basis of price, you may need to give some careful thought about whether it will be damaging to allow your customers to face the price increase.

The VAT increase can also be difficult for staff, who have to deal with a swift change to prices they are used to.  It is worth devoting some time talking to them to make sure they understand not only the changes but also the reasons behind them, so they can explain them to any customers who may be unhappy.

With a little forward planning and effort, you may not need a Cash Genie loan to help you through the VAT increase.  But if you do need them, they’re always here.

Please visit http://www.cashgenie.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

http://www.cashgenie.co.uk/

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