Hi, I tend to take a overview of this and understand multi-agency working as simply a statement of working together with multiple or a number of other organisations external, and alongside the service that you/I offer.
Multi-agency working & you from cwdc,and integrated to mean how it all works in practice.
The documents on the links below show top down type formations that you may recognise or find yourself part of when you work with a quantity of other organisations in an integrated day to day way.
http://www.education.gov.uk/children...egratedworking
and
http://www.education.gov.uk/children...agency-working
Knowing how you're a front line service provider and a key figure in the ability to support the children in your care and the families/carers that you have contact with enables you to see how important your position is in helping to deliver the vast amount of services that you are likely to find on offer around you, locally, nationally and internationally if access is available.
Integrated working is a term that looks at the cogs of how working together happens, who is involved, how you keep in touch, when that happens, where you meet, for what purpose, the type of services that you source, that you find are provided, requested, that you join maybe and those you choose or are asked to retain, how this is recorded through your paperwork, verbally or electronically ..
Quote:
Integrated working is where everyone supporting children, young people and families works together effectively to put them at the centre, meet their needs and improve their lives.
Source page 4 Multi-agency working
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EG. you may work with, or within a multi-agency approach that sees you liasing with other minding networks, a local NCMA branch maybe, as a client of your local children's centre / community hub, the local authority's safeguarding team, police, speech, language, physiotherapy, behavioural support or training providers, health visitor, GP, dentist, optrician, schools, preschools, toddler groups that each provide their own service and resources that you use for different reasons, at different times or maybe that you are aware of although feel you're not currently an active part of or yet need the help of.
This is all information and experience that you gather daily that has the potential to inform others of the support you have the capacity to provide your children, parents & carers meeting their individual needs in appropriate, timely ways.
This page of WestBerkshire.gov.uk shows how childminders in the area are naturally included, made part of the whole multi-agency approach offered by their LA
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=21216
Hth xx
am i going mad
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