Abstract
The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children's services. A raft of change followed with processes designed to make joint working easier, and models and theories to support the development of integrated work. This paper explores the links between key concepts and practice. A practitioner action research approach is taken using an autoethnographic account kept over six months. The research question was, to what extent is this group collaborating? When the architecture of practice was revealed, differences between espoused and real practice could be seen. Whilst understanding and displaying the outward signs of an effective multi professional group, the individuals did not trust one another. This was exhibited by covert interprofessional issues. As a result, collaborative inertia was achieved. This realisation prompted them to participate in further developmental and participative action research. The paper concludes that trust and relational agency are central to effective leadership of multi professional teams.
Highlights
The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children’s services
Ellis and Bochner [31] refer to autoethnography as “action research for the individual”, and so I have framed my diary as an autoethnographic account that is subjective, emotive and full of researcher influence [31]
The doings were clouded with interpersonal issues and inertia as people were not truly engaged, did not truly trust one another and did not feel able to contribute
Summary
The 2004 Children Act in the UK saw the introduction of integrated working in children’s services. Whilst understanding and displaying the outward signs of an effective multi professional group, the individuals did not trust one another. This realisation prompted them to participate in further developmental and participative action research. Policy mandated that a range of services integrated and ‘worked together’ across professional boundaries This created complexity as professionals endeavoured to work together in new ways and there were practical and personal difficulties with the arrangements. There are two million workers in the children’s workforce [1] trained in 60 separate professions that constitute the thirteen sectors of the ‘children’s workforce’ in the UK They are organised into numerous integrated settings involving the public, private and third sectors. The aim of integrated working was to ensure that no children fell through the gaps between services, and to reduce
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