LOOKING FOR: ADULT FICTION / NON-FICTION Ciara McEllin is building her list as a Junior Agent at Watson Little. She reads widely across book club, upmarket and literary fiction. Within these areas, she is drawn to novels that examine family and relationship dynamics, sexuality, identity, and vulnerability. Ciara is keen to hear from writers who take a fresh approach to these themes, whether that be a new perspective on a traditional narrative or a focus on characters and voices that remain underrepresented: think Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday or Monkey Grip by Helen Garner. She will always want to read beautifully written novels with a strong sense of place, tangible characters and an essence that stays with you – living deep in your bones – long after you’ve finished reading. Recent reads Ciara has enjoyed include: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, Close to Home by Michael Magee, Siblings by Brigitte Reimann, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, The Idiot by Elif Batuman, Highway Blue by Ailsa McFarlane and My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley. At the moment Ciara is particularly eager to see: - Sexy, sensual and seductive stories that explore desire and sexual boundaries not often represented in literature such as Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej, Cleanness by Garth Greenwell and Mrs. S by K Patrick - An atmospheric and existential thriller in the vein of Intimacies by Katie Kitamura, In The Cut by Susanna Moore and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - An intoxicating coming of-age-tale that captures the aliveness, intelligence and wildness of girlhood like Brutes by Dizz Tate, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Girls by Emma Cline - Books that are joyful or brutal, particularly those that are both, similar to Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan - Stories exploring an Australia or Ireland that is rarely seen in literature for example A Loving, Faithful Animal by Josephine Rowe and Wild Houses by Colin Barrett In non-fiction, Ciara enjoys narrative, memoir and essay collections. She is interested in hearing from experts, academics, critics and journalists writing about society, culture and food, and excited by writers seeking to revise, reshape or revolutionise the conversation in their area of expertise. Some of her favourite non-fiction titles include How To Survive A Plague by David France, The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye, the Living Autobiography Series by Deborah Levy, Last Witnesses: Unchildlike Stories by Svetlana Alexievich, King Kong Theory by Virginie Despentes; and she particularly enjoys the work of M.F.K Fisher, Annie Ernaux, Natalia Ginsburg and Helen Garner. Ciara is not looking for Children’s, YA or Fantasy. Ciara would like you to submit a covering letter, 1 -2 page synopsis and the first 5,000 words of your completed manuscript in a single word document. (In addition to the paid sessions, Ciara is kindly offering one free session for low income/under-represented writers. Please email agent121@iaminprint.co.uk to apply, outlining your case for this option which is offered at the discretion of I Am In Print). By booking you understand you need to conduct an internet connection test with I Am In Print prior to the event. You also agree to email your material in one document to reach I Am In Print by the stated submission deadline and note that I Am In Print take no responsibility for the advice received during your agent meeting. The submission deadline is: Thursday 17th July 2025
Better Business Cases™ Foundation and Practitioner: In-House Training Using this best-practice approach will allow organizations to reduce unnecessary spending and improve the decision-making process which gives you a greater chance of securing necessary funding and support for initiatives. The goal of the combined foundation and practitioner course is to develop a candidate's ability to deliver a comprehensive business case through encouraging expanded knowledge to guide the practical application of theoretical foundations. Upon the completion of this course, a candidate will be able to start applying the model to a real business case development project. The outline presented in the course overview will be addressed in the first 2 days, with the Foundation exam conducted on the morning of Day 3. Then the topics will be revisited at a deeper level, for 2 more days, with the Practitioner exam conducted on the afternoon of Day 5. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Develop the lifecycle of a business case and establish the relationships between the five cases Apply the steps in the business case development framework, in order to support the production of a business case, using the Five Case Model, for a given scenario. Overview of Better Business Cases Alignment with the strategic planning process Importance of the Business Case using the Five Case Model Overview of the Five Case Model Purpose of the key stages in the development of a spending proposal Purpose of a Business Justification Case Business Case Development Process Purpose of project / programme assurance and assurance reviews Responsibility for producing the Business Case Determining the Strategic Context and Undertaking the Strategic Assessment Scoping the Scheme and Preparing the Strategic Outline Case Planning the Scheme and Preparing the Outline Business Case Procuring the Solution and Preparing the Full Business Case Implementation and monitoring Evaluation and feedback Making the Case for Change Agree on the strategic context Determine spending objectives, existing arrangements, and business needs Determine potential business scope and key service requirements Determine benefits, risks, constraints, and dependencies Exploring the Preferred Way Forward Agree on critical success factors Determine long list options and SWOT analysis Recommend a preferred way forward Determining Potential Value for Money Revisit the short list Prepare the economic appraisal for short-listed options Undertake benefits appraisal Undertake risk appraisal Select preferred option and undertake sensitivity analysis Preparing for the Potential Deal Determine the procurement strategy Determine service streams and required outputs Outline potential risk apportionment Outline potential payment mechanisms Ascertain contractual issues and accountancy treatment Ascertaining Affordability and Funding Requirement Prepare the financial model Prepare the financial appraisals Planning for Successful Delivery Plan programme / project management Plan change and contract management Plan benefits realization Plan risk management Plan programme / project assurance and post-project evaluation Procuring the Value for Money Solution Revisit the case for change Revisit the OBC options Detail procurement process and evaluation of best and final offers (BAFOs) Contracting for the Deal Set out the negotiated deal and contractual arrangements Set out the financial implications of the deal Ensuring Successful Delivery Finalize project management arrangements and plans Finalize change management arrangements and plans Finalize benefits realization arrangements and plans Finalize risk management arrangements and plans Finalize contract management arrangements and plans Finalize post-project evaluation arrangements and plans
Better Business Cases™ Foundation and Practitioner: Virtual In-House Training Using this best-practice approach will allow organizations to reduce unnecessary spending and improve the decision-making process which gives you a greater chance of securing necessary funding and support for initiatives. The goal of the combined foundation and practitioner course is to develop a candidate's ability to deliver a comprehensive business case through encouraging expanded knowledge to guide the practical application of theoretical foundations. Upon the completion of this course, a candidate will be able to start applying the model to a real business case development project. The outline presented in the course overview will be addressed in the first 2 days, with the Foundation exam conducted on the morning of Day 3. Then the topics will be revisited at a deeper level, for 2 more days, with the Practitioner exam conducted on the afternoon of Day 5. What you will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Develop the lifecycle of a business case and establish the relationships between the five cases Apply the steps in the business case development framework, in order to support the production of a business case, using the Five Case Model, for a given scenario. Overview of Better Business Cases Alignment with the strategic planning process Importance of the Business Case using the Five Case Model Overview of the Five Case Model Purpose of the key stages in the development of a spending proposal Purpose of a Business Justification Case Business Case Development Process Purpose of project / programme assurance and assurance reviews Responsibility for producing the Business Case Determining the Strategic Context and Undertaking the Strategic Assessment Scoping the Scheme and Preparing the Strategic Outline Case Planning the Scheme and Preparing the Outline Business Case Procuring the Solution and Preparing the Full Business Case Implementation and monitoring Evaluation and feedback Making the Case for Change Agree on the strategic context Determine spending objectives, existing arrangements, and business needs Determine potential business scope and key service requirements Determine benefits, risks, constraints, and dependencies Exploring the Preferred Way Forward Agree on critical success factors Determine long list options and SWOT analysis Recommend a preferred way forward Determining Potential Value for Money Revisit the short list Prepare the economic appraisal for short-listed options Undertake benefits appraisal Undertake risk appraisal Select preferred option and undertake sensitivity analysis Preparing for the Potential Deal Determine the procurement strategy Determine service streams and required outputs Outline potential risk apportionment Outline potential payment mechanisms Ascertain contractual issues and accountancy treatment Ascertaining Affordability and Funding Requirement Prepare the financial model Prepare the financial appraisals Planning for Successful Delivery Plan programme / project management Plan change and contract management Plan benefits realization Plan risk management Plan programme / project assurance and post-project evaluation Procuring the Value for Money Solution Revisit the case for change Revisit the OBC options Detail procurement process and evaluation of best and final offers (BAFOs) Contracting for the Deal Set out the negotiated deal and contractual arrangements Set out the financial implications of the deal Ensuring Successful Delivery Finalize project management arrangements and plans Finalize change management arrangements and plans Finalize benefits realization arrangements and plans Finalize risk management arrangements and plans Finalize contract management arrangements and plans Finalize post-project evaluation arrangements and plans
CRRUK equips professionals with the concepts, skills and tools to build conscious, intentional relationships, and to coach relationship systems of any size.
Managing Stress in Challenging Times: Virtual In-House Training This course looks at the symptoms and causes of stress and how these affect us emotionally, behaviorally, and physically. You will learn some simple stress-busting techniques that will have a positive influence on your beliefs and behaviors around stress. You will also have the opportunity to develop a personal action plan which will serve as an ongoing reference point for dealing with pressure in its many forms - home, family, social, and work. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recognize the symptoms and causes of stress Manage and reduce the effects of stress in your life with simple stress-busting techniques Create a simple personalized plan to manage stress and promote a healthier, happier, and more productive lifestyle Getting Started Foundation Concepts What is stress? Why stress matters Flight or fight response and role of hormones Work-Life Balance How to create balance and set boundaries Learning how to say 'no' Stress-Reduction Techniques Visualization and relaxation techniques Behaviors and beliefs Putting things in perspective Circle of influence (vs. circle of control) Slowing down Be Responsible and Kind to Yourself Basic human needs Honest communication Your responsibility to yourself and others Calming thoughts
Duration 3 Days 18 CPD hours This course is intended for This course is intended for security engineers, security architects, and information security professionals. Overview Identify security benefits and responsibilities of using the AWS Cloud Build secure application infrastructures Protect applications and data from common security threats Perform and automate security checks Configure authentication and permissions for applications and resources Monitor AWS resources and respond to incidents Capture and process logs Create and configure automated and repeatable deployments with tools such as AMIs and AWS CloudFormation This course demonstrates how to efficiently use AWS security services to stay secure in the AWS Cloud. The course focuses on the security practices that AWS recommends for enhancing the security of your data and systems in the cloud. The course highlights the security features of AWS key services including compute, storage, networking, and database services. You will also learn how to leverage AWS services and tools for automation, continuous monitoring and logging, and responding to security incidents. Prerequisites We recommend that attendees of this course have: Working knowledge of IT security practices and infrastructure concepts Familiarity with cloud computing concepts Completed AWS Security Essentials and Architecting on AWS courses 1 - Security on AWS Security in the AWS cloud AWS Shared Responsibility Model Incident response overview DevOps with Security Engineering 2 - Identifying Entry Points on AWS Identify the different ways to access the AWS platform Understanding IAM policies IAM Permissions Boundary IAM Access Analyzer Multi-factor authentication AWS CloudTrail 3 - Security Considerations: Web Application Environments Threats in a three-tier architecture Common threats: user access Common threats: data access AWS Trusted Advisor 4 - Application Security Amazon Machine Images Amazon Inspector AWS Systems Manager 5 - Data Security Data protection strategies Encryption on AWS Protecting data at rest with Amazon S3, Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB Protecting archived data with Amazon S3 Glacier Amazon S3 Access Analyzer Amazon S3 Access Points 6 - Securing Network Communications Amazon VPC security considerations Amazon VPC Traffic Mirroring Responding to compromised instances Elastic Load Balancing AWS Certificate Manager 7 - Monitoring and Collecting Logs on AWS Amazon CloudWatch and CloudWatch Logs AWS Config Amazon Macie Amazon VPC Flow Logs Amazon S3 Server Access Logs ELB Access Logs 8 - Processing Logs on AWS Amazon Kinesis Amazon Athena 9 - Security Considerations: Hybrid Environments AWS Site-to-Site and Client VPN connections AWS Direct Connect AWS Transit Gateway 10 - Out-Of-Region Protection Amazon Route 53 AWS WAF Amazon CloudFront AWS Shield AWS Firewall Manager DDoS mitigation on AWS 11 - Security Considerations: Serverless Environments Amazon Cognito Amazon API Gateway AWS Lambda 12 - Threat Detection and Investigation Amazon GuardDuty AWS Security Hub Amazon Detective 13 - Secrets Management on AWS AWS KMS AWS CloudHSM AWS Secrets Manager 14 - Automation and Security by Design AWS CloudFormation AWS Service Catalog 15 - Account Management and Provisioning on AWS AWS Organizations AWS Control Tower AWS SSO AWS Directory Service
We are data protection specialists and this is our flagship training programme for Data Protection Officers, Data Protection Managers, Compliance Managers or anyone with a responsibility for Data Protection. The Data Protection (GDPR) Practitioner Certificate is an internationally recognised qualification, endorsed by TQUK, which is regulated by Ofqual, a UK Government department. It equips current and aspiring data protection officers and data protection managers with knowledge and skills to undertake data protection compliance activities throughout an organisation. It is a valuable course for anybody with data protection compliance responsibilities. The course takes account of the latest developments in this fast moving subject, together with the latest guidance from the ICO and includes real life, practical examples throughout. There are two versions of the course (with the same content and same trainer). The courses priced at £1200 are run by Computer Law Training and lead to the TQUK endorsed certificate. The courses priced at £1440+VAT are run in collaboration with, and are booked through, the Law Society of Scotland and, on successful completion, lead to the TQUK endorsed certificate and a 'Certified Specialist' certification from the Law Society of Scotland. Suitability - Who should attend? The training programme for Data Protection Officers, Data Protection Managers, Compliance Managers, Corporate Governance Managers or anyone with a responsibility for Data Protection. The Data Protection (GDPR) Practitioner Certificate is ideal for you if you: Are already undertaking the role of Data Protection Officer Expect to be filling the post of Data Protection Officer in their current employment Are looking for employment as a Data Protection Officer Have, or expect to have, data protection responsibilities in their organisation Need to advise others on data protection compliance Wish to be able to demonstrate verifiable practical skills and learning in this area. It is suitable for those working in: the public sector, the private sector and the third sector. In either case, it will teach participants essential data protection skills and in depth knowledge. Outcome / Qualification etc. Understand the importance of data protection legislation and compliance in the UK and beyond. Interpret key terminology of the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) in a practical context Understand the key obligations of the UK GDPR and DPA Create appropriate policies and procedures necessary for data protection compliance Carry out a data protection audit and gap analysis Develop an action plan to address a data protection gap analysis Respond appropriately to data protection issues arising in an organisation Carry out the duties of a data protection officer Undertake accountability and risk analysis activities Training Course Content Day 1 Data Protection – history and background GDPR Overview What, really, is personal data Purposes & Legal Bases Day 2 Consent Special Categories of Personal Data Data Subject Rights Transparency Requirements Data Processors and Controllers Information Security Obligations Breach Reporting and Recording Day 3 Restricted (International) Transfers Cloud Services Accountability The Personal Data Audit & Record of Processing The “Accountability Portfolio” Data Protection by Design & Default Data Protection Impact Assessments Privacy Enhancing Technologies Data Protection Officers Direct Marketing & Cookies Day 4 Data Protection Act 2018 HR Issues Risk Frameworks Data Protection Governance Day 5 Data Protection Audit Gap Analysis Action Plan Implementation The ICO and Enforcement Brexit and the future (crystal ball!) The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) Questions Course delivery details The course is delivered on Zoom. It lasts 5 days over 3 weeks, 9.30-16.30. The advertised start date is usually a Tuesday which is the first day of the course. The course normally continues on the Thursday of that week, Tuesday and Thursday the following week and one day in the third week: 24, 26, 31 January & 2, 7 February 2023 The one-hour test to obtain the certificate is online by arrangement in the week or two following the course. The trainer for the course is Tim Musson, who has a Master of Laws degree in IT and Telecoms Law, is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) and a Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT).
Managing Stress in Challenging Times: In-House Training This course looks at the symptoms and causes of stress and how these affect us emotionally, behaviorally, and physically. You will learn some simple stress-busting techniques that will have a positive influence on your beliefs and behaviors around stress. You will also have the opportunity to develop a personal action plan which will serve as an ongoing reference point for dealing with pressure in its many forms - home, family, social, and work. What You Will Learn At the end of this program, you will be able to: Recognize the symptoms and causes of stress Manage and reduce the effects of stress in your life with simple stress-busting techniques Create a simple personalized plan to manage stress and promote a healthier, happier, and more productive lifestyle Getting Started Foundation Concepts What is stress? Why stress matters Flight or fight response and role of hormones Work-Life Balance How to create balance and set boundaries Learning how to say 'no' Stress-Reduction Techniques Visualization and relaxation techniques Behaviors and beliefs Putting things in perspective Circle of influence (vs. circle of control) Slowing down Be Responsible and Kind to Yourself Basic human needs Honest communication Your responsibility to yourself and others Calming thoughts
Work Breakdown Structures: In-House Training It's amazing how often project managers begin the project planning process by making an outlined list of every task they believe will be required to complete a project and then proclaim they have created the work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project. The result is a list of hundreds, or even thousands of tasks, many of them having durations of a few days or a few hours. Essentially, what they have done is create a 'to do' list, which they then use as a 'checklist' to measure progress. This approach leads to, and even encourages, micromanagement of the resources working on the project without consideration of more critical aspects of project management such as: requirements management, risk management, procurement management, estimating, scheduling, executing, and controlling. Further, it makes it impossible to see the big picture, at levels of detail, in keeping with the needs of sponsors, clients, project and functional managers, team leaders, and project performers. Join us for this exciting program and learn how to use the WBS to make better-informed business decisions. What You Will Learn You will learn how to: Describe the need for a project WBS Describe the WBS role in the project Gain practical experience in the development, decomposition, and use of the WBS Determine the appropriate level of detail in the WBS. Explain how the WBS integrates with project requirements, risk, procurement, estimating, scheduling, and overall project execution. Provide the basic tools to enhance efficient re-use of key information in your future projects Foundation Concepts Key definitions History of the WBS Importance of the WBS Overall structure Terminology Other breakdown structures WBS tools WBS & Scope Project scope management processes Specification of the project objectives WBS design based on project deliverable WBS decomposition process and 'The 100% rule' Work Packages and Control Accounts WBS & Risk Risk management planning and WBS Risk identification to enhance the WBS Risk analysis and the WBS Risk responses and updating the WBS Implementing risk response and Monitoring risks and the WBS WBS & Estimating Use of WBS in the estimating process Components and work packages Sizing and algorithmic estimates WBS & Scheduling Component Scheduling - High-Level Milestones WBS activity decomposition WBS elements dependencies Work Package Level Schedules Responsibility assignment matrix WBS & Execution and Control Earned Value Management and tracking of work performance Progress reports, forecasts, and corrective and preventive actions used to manage work performance Necessary information to close out a project