Young children shaping interprofessional practice in early years settings: Towards a conceptual framework for understanding experiences and participation

Abstract

Abstract The value of interprofessional service provision for children and families has had widespread support internationally. However, researchers have called for greater focus on service users' experiences to inform future development. Nonetheless, young children's experiences of such practice in early years settings are under researched. Drawing on findings from a study of interprofessional practice from the perspectives of five young children with additional needs, this article suggests a theoretical and methodological conceptual framework as a guide to understanding how children participate in and shape integrated service provision. The stance is framed by social practice theory, whereby our everyday practice draws on, challenges and is constrained by history, context and relationships. Shotter's ( 2008 ) work revealing meaning-making in conversational exchanges and Dreier's conceptualisation of trajectories of participation (2003, 2008) guided the analyses of digital video recordings of children's participation in interprofessional practice in early years settings. Findings showed young children shaping the nature of provision. The theoretical constructs and methods revealed the otherwise hidden dialogic nature of interprofessional practice, highlighting children's influence on elements of fine-grained expert practice. Careful attention to children's perspectives, revealed through analysis of their multimodal voices, contributes to settings' capacity for planning, modifying and evaluating effective integrated working.