Multi-agency working

Best practice in multi-agency working

Multi-agency working is an extremely effective way to support children and families
with additional needs.

Joining services up
Multi-agency working can range from a group of practitioners deciding informally to work together to support a child or family, right through to a large scale venture like different services coming together in a Sure Start children's centre.

Different ways of organising children's services have been successfully developed around the country.  The important thing is that everyone who works with children improves how they work together.

But it is not just about changing how services are structured.  It's about changing the way we think, operating in a way that's much more about partnership and everyone working towards a shared goal.  These are long-term changes which affect everyone working at every level across children's services.

We need to continue to break down traditional barriers, and the bureaucracy that goes with them.

Multi-agency working structures
There are three main ways of structuring front-line multi-agency services:

1.  Multi-agency panel
Members remain with their agency but meet regularly to discuss children with additional needs who would benefit from multi-agency input.  Panel members might do case work or take a more strategic role.

Example:  Youth Inclusion and Support Panel (YISP)

2.  Multi-agency team
Members are seconded or recruited into the team with a leader and common purpose and goals.  They may still get supervision and training from their home agency, but have the opportunity to work with a range of different services.

Examples:  Behaviour and Education Support Teams (BESTs) and Youth Offending Teams (YOTs).

3.  Integrated service
Different services such as health and education are co-located to form a highly visible hub in the community.  Funded by the partner organisations and managed to ensure integrated working, they are often based in schools or early years settings.

Examples: Sure Start children's centres and extended schools

Find out more:
www.ecm.gov.uk/multiagencyworking