Childhood and youth studies

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‘THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEARTH OF EVIDENCE TOSUPPORT THE NOTION THAT MULTI-AGENCY WORKINGIN PRACTICE BRINGS ABOUT ACTUAL BENEFITS FORCHILDREN AND FAMILIES’. WORKING TOGETHER FORCHILDREN. TMA 06. P:I: T6062691. 17

/09/2010.

 The aim of this assignment is to discuss that ‘

there appears to be a dearth of evidence to support the notion that multi-agency working in practice brings about actual benefits for children and families’.

Firstly it will be necessary to give a brief background about multi-agency working and that of its importance forpractitoners’ to collaborate and work as a team to benefit children and families. Isthis new way of working actually benefiting anyone (children and families); and if so, are there any positive outcomes? It is also important to seek and examine if multi-agency work is achieving a real change for children and to reach theirpotential. Lastly this assignment will look at the research paper by ProfessorEdwards, in how multi-agency work brings about change when variousprofessionals collaborate together to work together for children and families.Also government policies that of 

‘Every Child Matters (2003: Green paper)

willalso be considered in terms of multi-agency work. Cases such as that of Baby P(2008) and Victoria Climbie (2002) will identify the key findings of what wentwrong. It will then be necessary to turn to the agencies (professionals’) that wereinvolved and how things could have been done differently to protect Victoria andBaby P.What do we mean by multi-agency work? First of all, one can define this as

‘teamwork’,

where all professional from various agencies that work for children andfamilies work and collaborate together to promote a better service for them. Multiagency working is only beneficial if there is good communication and goodmanagement amongst staff and knowing what to do and having up to dateknowledge (Lead Professionals, Every Child Matters, and Activity 14.5). Neelam

11

‘THERE APPEARS TO BE A DEARTH OF EVIDENCE TOSUPPORT THE NOTION THAT MULTI-AGENCY WORKINGIN PRACTICE BRINGS ABOUT ACTUAL BENEFITS FORCHILDREN AND FAMILIES’. WORKING TOGETHER FORCHILDREN. TMA 06. P:I: T6062691. 17

/09/2010.

 Jaganal, and Education Psychologist (KE312, Audio Clip, activity 14.4) found thatas her role has changed working a team; there is the need for further specialtraining (delivering training to schools) and looking to work with speechtherapists. On the other hand; Paul Dumbleton, Manager of plus Project,emphasises how important it is to support the child and work with other agenciesand to make a success of team work is to create a good strong partnershipwithout

‘power relationships’.

Multi-agency work is also to identify gaps withinservices, advocating and connecting up to services relevant to them. When wetalk about professionals; we are referring to doctors, nurses, teachers, police,social workers and the list goes on for people that engage will children on a dailybasis or who are involved with children, young people (youth) and families.According to Professor Edwards (2004), she highlights the importance of practitioners and children’s services to closely collaborate and work with otherprofessionals, and that multi-agency is not a

‘partnership working’.

ProfessorEdwards also stresses that , although the new professional in new systems is thebiggest change and challenge; ‘it is important, however, for professionals that thelearning is a matter of enhancing one’s existing expertise and working withothers, rather than losing it and turning into the de-skilled all-purpose multi-agency practitioner. All those work with children and families also have sharedaims and a common purpose and we need to provide a high quality responsiveand a flexible service to ensure that families and children’s needs are being met.United Nations of the Convention on the Rights of Children (UNICEF; 1991),emphasises that children have a right to childhood, a right to be educated, a rightto be healthy, a right to be treated fairly, no matter what background, race, sexor religion one belongs to and that to be heard by adults. One can argue are suchrights being given to children and in what ways? Does multi-agency actually