A correlation sensitivity analysis of non-life underwriting risk in solvency capital requirement estimation

This paper analyses the impact of using different correlation assumptions between lines of business when estimating the risk-based capital reserve, the Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR), under Solvency II regulations. A case study is presented and the SCR is calculated according to the Standard Model approach. Alternatively, the requirement is then calculated using an Internal Model based on a Monte Carlo simulation of the net underwriting result at a one-year horizon, with copulas being used to model the dependence between lines of business. To address the impact of these model assumptions on the SCR we conduct a sensitivity analysis. We examine changes in the correlation matrix between lines of business and address the choice of copulas. Drawing on aggregate historical data from the Spanish non-life insurance market between 2000 and 2009, we conclude that modifications of the correlation and dependence assumptions have a significant impact on SCR estimation.

Anàlisi de la reincidència en agressors de parella

L'estudi busca establir les xifres de reincidència dels agressors de parella condemnats a presó, en el seu historial i després de la seva posada en llibertat. Es pretén augmentar el coneixement sobre la violència contra la parella (VCP), sobre les tipologies d'agressors de parella i sobre l'efecte d'intervencions i variables personals. Es descriu el perfil delictiu de 100 subjectes avaluats des del 2008 i el seguiment, durant una mitjana de 15 mesos, de 40 casos posats en llibertat. Es valora la capacitat del B-SAFER (una escala breu derivada de la SARA) per classificar segons tipologies i per predir la reincidència. Els resultats indiquen que els agressors a presó són poc especialitzats (un 45% limita la seva activitat delictiva a la VCP). Un 47% és reincident penitenciari i el 41% presenta detenció prèvia per VCP. El B-SAFER mostra una capacitat elevada per classificar tipològicament els agressors (eficàcia diagnòstica del 79% amb una puntuació 13). Després de la seva excarceració, el 17,5% ha reincidit (un 15% en VCP) i el 66% ho ha fet en un termini inferior a l'any. L'eficàcia diagnòstica del B-SAFER és del 70% (sensibilitat del 100%). El 21% dels antisocials/patològics davant el 12,5% dels normalitzats ha reincidit, amb una sobrerepresentació del subtipus antisocial/patològic entre els reincidents (71%). Les variables amb major valor predictiu són la justificació de la violència, l'edat en el primer ingrés a presó i el tractament. Un 57% dels reincidents no havia rebut tractament, i es dóna un 9% de reincidència entre els tractats davant el 50% en els no tractats. Recidivism in intimate partner violence (IPV) The research analyzes the criminal profile (criminal career and changeability) of offenders in custody because of IPV, and their recidivism after release. The influence of treatment and profiles are analyzed, as well as the ability to predict the risk of recidivism by the B-SAFER. Análisis de la reincidencia en agresores de pareja Se analiza el perfil delictivo (carrera y versatilidad) de los agresores de pareja que se encuentran en prisión y la reincidencia que presentan después de la excarcelación. Se valora la influencia del tratamiento y de las tipologías, así como la posibilidad de predecir el riesgo de reincidencia mediante el B-SAFER.

Análisis de la reincidencia en agresores de pareja

Se analiza el perfil delictivo (carrera y versatilidad) de los agresores de pareja que se encuentran en prisión y la reincidencia que presentan después de la excarcelación. Se valora la influencia del tratamiento y de las tipologías, así como la posibilidad de predecir el riesgo de reincidencia mediante el B-SAFER. L'estudi busca establir les xifres de reincidència dels agressors de parella condemnats a presó, en el seu historial i després de la seva posada en llibertat. Es pretén augmentar el coneixement sobre la violència contra la parella (VCP), sobre les tipologies d'agressors de parella i sobre l'efecte d'intervencions i variables personals. Es descriu el perfil delictiu de 100 subjectes avaluats des del 2008 i el seguiment, durant una mitjana de 15 mesos, de 40 casos posats en llibertat. Es valora la capacitat del B-SAFER (una escala breu derivada de la SARA) per classificar segons tipologies i per predir la reincidència. Els resultats indiquen que els agressors a presó són poc especialitzats (un 45% limita la seva activitat delictiva a la VCP). Un 47% és reincident penitenciari i el 41% presenta detenció prèvia per VCP. El B-SAFER mostra una capacitat elevada per classificar tipològicament els agressors (eficàcia diagnòstica del 79% amb una puntuació 13). Després de la seva excarceració, el 17,5% ha reincidit (un 15% en VCP) i el 66% ho ha fet en un termini inferior a l'any. L'eficàcia diagnòstica del B-SAFER és del 70% (sensibilitat del 100%). El 21% dels antisocials/patològics davant el 12,5% dels normalitzats ha reincidit, amb una sobrerepresentació del subtipus antisocial/patològic entre els reincidents (71%). Les variables amb major valor predictiu són la justificació de la violència, l'edat en el primer ingrés a presó i el tractament. Un 57% dels reincidents no havia rebut tractament, i es dóna un 9% de reincidència entre els tractats davant el 50% en els no tractats. The research analyzes the criminal profile (criminal career and changeability) of offenders in custody because of IPV, and their recidivism after release. The influence of treatment and profiles are analyzed, as well as the ability to predict the risk of recidivism by the B-SAFER.

Interpersonal Power: A Review, Critique, and Research Agenda

Power is a fundamental force in social relationships and is pervasive throughout various types of interactions. Although research has shown that the possession of power can change the powerholder, the full extent of power's consequences on individuals' decision making capabilities and social interactions within organizations is not fully understood. The goal of this paper is to review, synthesize, and critique the literature on power with a focus on its organizational and managerial implications. Specifically, we propose a definition of power that takes into account its three defining characteristics-having the discretion and means to enforce one's will-and summarize the extant literature on how power influences individuals' thoughts, emotions, and actions both in terms of prosocial and antisocial outcomes. In addition, we highlight important moderators of power and describe ways in which it can be studied in a more rigorous manner by examining methodological issues and pitfalls with regard to its measurement and manipulation. We also provide future research directions to motivate and guide the study of power by management scholars. Our desire is to present a thorough and parsimonious account of power's influence on individuals within an organizational context, as well as provide a foundation that scholars can build upon as they continue to make consequential contributions to the study of power.

West Tyrone Area Plan 2019 Health Impact Assessment (2008)

IPH was commissioned by Western Investing for Health to conduct a HIA of the West Tyrone Area Plan 2019. Stage 1 of the HIA was submitted to the Department of the Environment, Planning Office in 2008 and part of this work involved developing a community profile. HIA seeks to inform the decision making process in favour of health by gathering evidence to identify the potential positive and negative health impacts of a proposal. A series of recommendations are then produced to maximize the positive health impacts and mitigate the potential negative health impacts of an identified proposal. West Tyrone Community A community profile provides an overview of the population structures and particular services in an identified area. This community profile provides an overview of West Tyrone and has been developed as part of a Health Impact Assessment which is currently being conducted on the West Tyrone Area Plan. This resource provides access to up-to-date information which community and voluntary groups in the West Tyrone area will find useful to support their work. Contact: Seamus Mullen, Public Health Agency Tel: +44 (0) 2871860086 Email: seamus.mullen@hscni.org

Screening for health impacts in Local Area Planning in Donegal County Council (2004)

In 2004 an interagency team consisting of members the North Western Health Board and Donegal County Council commissioned the IPH to conduct a HIA screening exercise on planning policy in Donegal. This involved an overview of literature, analysis of policy documents, contact with Planning Officers and observation of public consultation meetings. Following completion of the final report, the intention is to produce a user-friendly template to enable planners to incorporate a health dimension into their decision making.

Viatge al món de les flautes

Viatge al món de les flautes és un material didàctic dirigit a grups de nivell elemental de l’aula de flauta travessera que planteja una introducció a les músiques tradicionals d’arreu del món. Alhora conté una proposta de concert familiar. Els objectius generals del present treball són donar a conèixer la gran família de les flautes juntament amb el seu repertori i fer una recerca pedagògica a l’entorn d’aquest per aplicar-lo a l’aula. La metodologia ha partit d'un treball de camp sobre diverses flautes d’arreu del món, en base al qual s'ha elaborat el concert i diverses propostes didàctiques per treballar a l’aula. Aquest projecte pretén aportar un ventall de noves eines per utilitzar en la docència.

Best Practice Guidance on Joint Working between the HSC and the Pharmaceutical Industry and other relevant organisations (PDF 260KB)

HSS (GEN) 1) 1/95 update. It is intended to replace the guidance previously provided by former HSSBs and Trusts to assist employers and staff in maintaining strict ethical standards in the conduct of HSC business, in this instance, with the pharmaceutical industry

Composition of fingermark residue: a qualitative and quantitative review

This article describes the composition of fingermark residue as being a complex system with numerous compounds coming from different sources and evolving over time from the initial composition (corresponding to the composition right after deposition) to the aged composition (corresponding to the evolution of the initial composition over time). This complex system will additionally vary due to effects of numerous influence factors grouped in five different classes: the donor characteristics, the deposition conditions, the substrate nature, the environmental conditions and the applied enhancement techniques. The initial and aged compositions as well as the influence factors are thus considered in this article to provide a qualitative and quantitative review of all compounds identified in fingermark residue up to now. The analytical techniques used to obtain these data are also enumerated. This review highlights the fact that despite the numerous analytical processes that have already been proposed and tested to elucidate fingermark composition, advanced knowledge is still missing. Thus, there is a real need to conduct future research on the composition of fingermark residue, focusing particularly on quantitative measurements, aging kinetics and effects of influence factors. The results of future research are particularly important for advances in fingermark enhancement and dating technique developments.

Planning and conducting focus group research with nurses.

Focus groups are increasingly popular in nursing research. However, proper care and attention are critical to their planning and conduct, particularly those involving nursing staff. This article uses data gleaned from prior research to address the complexities present in clinical settings when conducting focus groups with nurses. Applying their combined experiences of conducting studies with nursing staff, the authors present a data-derived approach to thorough preparation and successful implementation of focus group research, offering a unique contribution to the literature regarding this research strategy.

Teacher training in "multicultural" Sweden

This paper builds on the experience of the on-going, mainly ethnographic, research project called Teacher training in’ multicultural’ Sweden. Class, gender and ethnicity. In this multi-disciplinary project a number of scholars conduct research through participant observation in, and through the study and analysis of documents from, a number of teacher training colleges in Sweden. In this paper I will use empirical material gathered from two teacher training colleges to discuss this basic issue. One college is situated in a suburb outside Stockholm and it consciously portrays itself as a college for ‘multicultural’ students who will later teach in ‘multicultural’ suburbs. The other college is situated in a small town and although ‘multiculturalism’ is seen as important in the educational system students with mainly ‘Swedish’ background are recruited. In the first college ‘differences’ are lauded and students are encouraged to ponder upon and develop their ethnic profile. In the second ‘similarities’ are more taken for granted. I will argue, however, that within these colleges ‘differences’ and ’similarities’ are not only discussed but actually created against a backdrop of macro-constraints which are not much scrutinized within these colleges.

Incivisme a ciutat vella

La conducta cívica el que fa és mostrar el nostre respecte a les normes socials, ètiques i legals que consensuem i convenim com a societat envers el nostre comportament a la via pública i el nostre compromís en el procés de participació quotidià com a ciutadans en la construcció del benestar comú. Per tant, podem pensar que una manca de civisme el que ens està indicant d’entrada, és que hi ha una manca de respecte a les normes i de compromís ciutadà, i, donat el tema que ens ocupa, una manca de respecte envers allò que és públic ja sigui l’espai amb el seu mobiliari i disseny urbanístic, ja siguin la resta de ciutadans i ciutadanes que omplen de vida aquest espai públic i de convivència.

Statutory Equality Obligations - DHSSPS Annual Progress Reports (PDF 104KB)

Paragraph 3.21 of the Department’s Equality Scheme contains a commitment to conduct an annual review of progress made in implementing the arrangements specified in its equality scheme and in complying with statutory duties. This annual review report will be forwarded to the Equality Commission to assist it in compiling its own Annual Report, as required by sub paragraph 5(1) (b) of schedule 8 to the Act. The Department will also continue to liase with the Equality Commission with a view to ensuring that progress is maintained. åÊ åÊ

Survey Of Views And Perceptions Of Women Who Attended Symptomatic Breast Clinics

The Department of Health and Children, through the National Cancer Forum, requested the Women's Health Council to conduct research on the views and perceptions of women who attended symptomatic breast care clinics. The aim of this research was to identify how well the current service meets the needs of women, and whether it could be improved. Download the Report here

Speech by Mr. Micheál Martin TD – Meeting The Challenges Of Cultural Diversity In The Irish Healthcare Sector

It gives me great pleasure to accept the invitation to address this conference on “Meeting the Challenges of Cultural Diversity in the Irish Healthcare Sector” which is being organised by the Irish Health Services Management Institute in partnership with the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism. The conference provides an important opportunity to develop our knowledge and understanding of the issues surrounding cultural diversity in the health sector from the twin perspectives of patients and staff. Cultural diversity has over recent years become an increasingly visible aspect of Irish society bringing with it both opportunities and challenges. It holds out great possibilities for the enrichment of all who live in Ireland but it also challenges us to adapt creatively to the changes required to realise this potential and to ensure that the experience is a positive one for all concerned but particularly for those in the minority ethnic groups. In the last number of years in particular, the focus has tended to be on people coming to this country either as refugees, asylum seekers or economic migrants. Government figures estimate that as many as 340,000 immigrants are expected in the next six years. However ethnic and cultural diversity are not new phenomena in Ireland. Travellers have a long history as an indigenous minority group in Ireland with a strong culture and identity of their own. The changing experience and dynamics of their relationship with the wider society and its institutions over time can, I think, provide some valuable lessons for us as we seek to address the more numerous and complex issues of cultural diversity which have arisen for us in the last decade. Turning more specifically to the health sector which is the focus of this conference, culture and identity have particular relevance to health service policy and provision in that The first requirement is that we in the health service acknowledge cultural diversity and the differences in behaviours and in the less obvious areas of values and beliefs that this often implies. Only by acknowledging these differences in a respectful way and informing ourselves of them can we address them. Our equality legislation – The Employment Equality Act, 1998 and the Equal Status Act, 2000 – prohibits discrimination on nine grounds including race and membership of the Traveller community. The Equal Status Act prohibits discrimination on an individual basis in relation to the nine grounds while for groups it provides for the promotion of equality of opportunity. The Act applies to the provision of services including health services. I will speak first about cultural diversity in relation to the patient. In this respect it is worth mentioning that the recognition of cultural diversity and appropriate responses to it were issues which were strongly emphasised in the public consultation process which we held earlier this year in the context of developing National Anti-Poverty targets for the health sector and also our new national health strategy. Awareness and sensitivity training for staff is a key requirement for adapting to a culturally diverse patient population. The focus of this training should be the development of the knowledge and skills to provide services sensitive to cultural diversity. Such training can often be most effectively delivered in partnership with members of the minority groups themselves. I am aware that the Traveller community, for example, is involved in in-service training for health care workers. I am also aware that the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism has been involved in training with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. We need to have more such initiatives. A step beyond the sensitivity training for existing staff is the training of members of the minority communities themselves as workers in our health services. Again the Traveller community has set an example in this area with its Primary Health Care Project for Travellers. The Primary Health Care for Travellers Project was established in 1994 as a joint partnership initiative with the Eastern Health Board and Pavee Point, with ongoing technical assistance being provided from the Department of Community Health and General Practice, Trinity College, Dublin. This project was the first of its kind in the country and has facilitated The project included a training course which concentrated on skills development, capacity building and the empowerment of Travellers. This confidence and skill allowed the Community Health Workers to go out and conduct a baseline survey to identify and articulate Travellers’ health needs. This was the first time that Travellers were involved in this process; in the past their needs were assumed. The results of the survey were fed back to the community and they prioritised their needs and suggested changes to the health services which would facilitate their access and utilisation. Ongoing monitoring and data collection demonstrates a big improvement in levels of satisfaction and uptake and ulitisation of health services by Travellers in the pilot area. This Primary Health Care for Travellers initiative is being replicated in three other areas around the country and funding has been approved for a further 9 new projects. This pilot project was the recipient of a WHO 50th anniversary commemorative award in 1998. The project is developing as a model of good practice which could inspire further initiatives of this type for other minority groups. Access to information has been identified in numerous consultative processes as a key factor in enabling people to take a proactive approach to managing their own health and that of their families and in facilitating their access to health services. Honouring our commitment to equity in these areas requires that information is provided in culturally appropriate formats. The National Health Promotion Strategy 2000-2005, for example, recognises that there exists within our society many groups with different requirements which need to be identified and accommodated when planning and implementing health promotion interventions. These groups include Travellers, refugees and asylum seekers, people with intellectual, physical or sensory disability and the gay and lesbian community. The Strategy acknowledges the challenge involved in being sensitive to the potential differences in patterns of poor health among these different groups. The Strategic aim is to promote the physical, mental and social well-being of individuals from these groups. The objective of the Strategy on these issues are: While our long term aim may be to mainstream responses so that our health services is truly multicultural, we must recognise the need at this point in time for very specific focused responses particularly for groups with poor health status such as Travellers and also for refugees and asylum seekers. In the case of refugees and asylum seekers examples of targeted services are screening for communicable diseases – offered on a voluntary basis – and psychological support services for those who have suffered trauma before coming here. The two approaches of targeting and mainstreaming are not mutually exclusive. A combination of both is required at this point in time but the balance between them must be kept under constant review in the light of changing needs. A major requirement if we are to meet the challenge of cultural diversity is an appropriate data and research base. I think it is important that we build up our information and research data base in partnership with the minority groups themselves. We must establish what the health needs of diverse groups are; we must monitor uptake of services and how well we are responding to needs and we must monitor outcomes and health status. We must also examine the impact of the policies in other sectors on the health of minority groups. The National Health Information Strategy, currently being developed, and the recently published National Strategy for Health Research – Making Knowledge Work for Health provide important frameworks within which we can improve our data and research base. A culturally diverse health sector workforce – challenges and opportunities The Irish health service can benefit greatly from successful international recruitment. There has been a strong non-national representation amongst the medical profession for more than 30 years. More recently there have been significant increases in other categories of health service workers from overseas. The Department recognises the enormous value that overseas recruitment brings over a wide range of services and supports the development of effective and appropriate recruitment strategies in partnership with health service employers. These changes have made cultural diversity an important issue for all health service organisations. Diversity in the workplace is primarily about creating a culture that seeks, respects, values and harnesses difference. This includes all the differences that when added together make each person unique. So instead of the focus being on particular groups, diversity is about all of us. Change is not about helping “them” to join “us” but about critically looking at “us” and rooting out all aspects of our culture that inappropriately exclude people and prevent us from being inclusive in the way we relate to employees, potential employees and clients of the health service. International recruitment benefits consumers, Irish employees and the overseas personnel alike. Regardless of whether they are employed by the health service, members of minority groups will be clients of our service and consequently we need to be flexible in order to accommodate different cultural needs. For staff, we recognise that coming from other cultures can be a difficult transition. Consequently health service employers have made strong efforts to assist them during this period. Many organisations provide induction courses, religious facilities (such as prayer rooms) and help in finding suitable accommodation. The Health Service Employers Agency (HSEA) is developing an equal opportunities/diversity strategy and action plans as well as training programmes to support their implementation, to ensure that all health service employment policies and practices promote the equality/diversity agenda to continue the development of a culturally diverse health service. The management of this new environment is extremely important for the health service as it offers an opportunity to go beyond set legal requirements and to strive for an acceptance and nurturing of cultural differences. Workforce cultural diversity affords us the opportunity to learn from the working practices and perspectives of others by allowing personnel to present their ideas and experience through teamwork, partnership structures and other appropriate fora, leading to further improvement in the services we provide. It is important to ensure that both personnel units and line managers communicate directly with their staff and demonstrate by their actions that they intend to create an inclusive work place which doesn´t demand that minority staff fit. Contented, valued employees who feel that there is a place for them in the organisation will deliver a high quality health service. Your conference here today has two laudable aims – to heighten awareness and assist health care staff to work effectively with their colleagues from different cultural backgrounds and to gain a greater understanding of the diverse needs of patients from minority ethnic backgrounds. There is a synergy in these aims and in the tasks to which they give rise in the management of our health service. The creative adaptations required for one have the potential to feed into the other. I would like to commend both organisations which are hosting this conference for their initiative in making this event happen, particularly at this time – Racism in the Workplace Week. I look forward very much to hearing the outcome of your deliberations. Thank you.