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The text below is taken from the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the children's workforce. You can also download a PDF version of the document.
Multi-agency working means different services, agencies, teams of professionals and other staff working together to provide services that meet the needs of children, young people, and their parents or carers.
To work successfully on a multi-agency basis it is important to be clear about one's role, and to be aware of the roles of other professionals. It is also crucial to be confident about one's standards and targets, and respectful of those that apply to other services; actively seeking and respecting other people's knowledge and input to deliver the best outcomes for children and young people. These behaviours should apply across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Skills
Communication and teamwork
- Communicate effectively with other practitioners and professionals by listening to and ensuring that you are being listened to.
- Appreciate that others may not have the same understanding of professional terms and may interpret abbreviations such as acronyms differently.
- Provide timely, appropriate, succinct information to enable practitioners to deliver support to the children or young people, parents or carers.
- Record, summarise, share and relay information, using ICT skills where necessary.
- Work in a team context, forging and sustaining relationships across agencies and respecting the contribution of others that work with children, young people and families.
- Share experiences through formal and informal exchanges, and work with adults who are parents or carers.
Assertiveness
- Be proactive, initiate necessary action and be able to put forward your judgements.
- Have the confidence to challenge situations by looking beyond your immediate role and asking considered questions.
- Present facts and judgements objectively.
- Identify possible sources of support within the working environment.
- Judge when you should provide the support yourself and when you should refer the situation to another practitioner or professional.
Knowledge
Your role and remit
- Know your main job and responsibilities within your working environment.
- Understand the value and expertise you bring to a team and that is brought by your colleagues.
Know how to make queries
- Know your role within different group situations and how you contribute to the overall group process, understanding the value of sharing how to approach your role with other professionals.
- Develop skills and knowledge with training from experts, to minimise the need for referral to specialist services; enabling continuity for families, children or young people while enhancing your own skills and knowledge.
- Have a general knowledge and understanding of the range of organisations and individuals working with children, young people and those caring for them; and be aware of the roles and responsibilities of other professionals.
Procedures and working methods
- Know what to do in given cases, for example for referrals or raising concerns.
- Know what the triggers are for reporting incidents or unexpected behaviour.
- Know how to work within your own and other organisational values, beliefs and cultures.
- Know what to do when there are insufficient responses from other organisations or agencies, while maintaining a focus on what is in the child or young person's best interests.
- Understand the way that partner services operate procedures, objectives, roles and relationships, in order to work effectively alongside them.
- Know about the Common Assessment Framework for Children and Young People (CAF) and, where appropriate, how to use it.
The law policies and procedures
- Know about the existence of key laws relating to children and young people and where to obtain further information.
- Know about employers' safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures, and how these apply in wider working environments.
Associated documents
Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children's Workforce
Download the contents of this page:
as a Word Document
Last updated on 04/10/2009
