Multiprofessional communication : making systems work for children

"... a positive addition to the practice literature for managers and professionals. Senior managers should definitely read this before they start a further round of re-organization!" Journal of Interprofessional Care What are the features of successful multiprofessional work? How can schools, local authorities and individual fieldworkers work effectively to achieve the best possible outcomes for the children and families with whom they are working? How can the Every Child Matters policy agenda be implemented successfully? This book examines a series of case studies of multiprofessional work, in order to understand what works and why. In the successful case studies, the fieldworkers were able to reflect on the organisational contexts in which they were operating. This was achieved through a carefully managed series of feedback loops, which ensured that good quality information was shared at all levels. With an effective communication system in place they could resolve difficulties and evolve new ways of working together to improve their joint practice. The book draws on complexity theory to provide the analytical tools for exploring and developing the communication systems that underpin effective multiprofessional practice. Both accessible and practical, it argues that the effectiveness of work with children, young people and their families is crucially dependent on the quality of their relationships with fieldworkers - communication is key. Multiprofessional Communication is important reading for students on courses with a focus on multiprofessional working, as well as practitioners and policy makers in Education, Health and Social Care.