MULTI-AGENCY WORKING ACROSS EDUCATION CHILD CARE AND HEALTH: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UK

Abstract

Mary Atkinson, Senior Research Officer with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), the UK's largest educational research organisation, explores some of the issues raised by research within the context of the current multi-agency climate in the UK. Significant recent policy developments in the UK, including the introduction of the government green paper 'Every Child Matters' and the move towards integrated children's services, are summarised and in-depth research into multi-agency working conducted by NFER is described. This study, conducted prior to recent policy developments, examined interagency collaboration amongst professionals from the education, social services and health sectors. The key factors for the success of multi-agency working and the associated challenges, as highlighted by interviewees in this study, are set out. A detailed discussion of the issues raised by interviewees ensues, together with pertinent developments in relation to the new policy agenda, focusing on the structures and processes the UK government has put in place to address some of these issues. In conclusion, questions are raised about the need to explore the reality of the impact of the recent policy changes to establish how far multi-agency working has moved on. It is suggested that impact on the professionals involved in delivering children's services, both at strategic and operational level, and the impact on the children, young people and families in receipt of services need to be examined.