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Links with Agencies

Background Information (Rationale for Project)

In line with the Green Paper and government policy, the whole point of delivering services through a multi-professional team approach is to ensure co-ordination and coherence between the professional teams involved so that children and schools are served well. In Walsall, this concept needs and has already extended in practice to include the wide range of other professionals who work with schools, including education, health, social, youth, community and leisure services. Links with local and national initiatives, such as the Neighbourhood Renewal are also been emphasised.

Team Champion: Tim German

Team Manager: Morag Quirk (Senior Behaviour Educational Psychologist)

Members: Steve Gibson (EOTAS Coordinator), Jo Goodall (School Improvement Adviser Foundation Stage), Pam Key (Advisory Teacher Autism), Coral Gardiner (Success Centre/Learning Mentor Strand Coordinator), Rebecca Wheeler (Educational Psychologist), Martin Atkins ( Head teacher Walsall Wood), Ian Hankinson (Head teacher Pinfold Street JMI)

Principles

 

The following principles underpin effective communication:

  • Equal opportunities and racial equality

    ;
  • Trust and Honesty;
  • Effective i.e. professional and personal, jargon free, accessible;
  • Creativity;
  • Maximise the current structure

    .

    • Key tasks for the Group

  • Ensure that there is consistency with Walsall Children's Services Communication Strategy.
  • Identify the teams and agencies with whom we are currently working.
  • Define the existing range and format of information; identify gaps and overlaps and dissemination pattern.
  • Gather information about the frequency of current information flow.
  • Communicate the function and access arrangements to SFTs through existing links but also addressing any gaps.

    • Our Task: To publish a strategy to ensure that SFTs and other agencies and teams know what one another are doing in order to provide services to our customers in a coherent and co-ordinated way.

    A Task in three parts:Define the teams/ agencies with whom we need to work. Define the range and format of information that we/they will need. Develop mechanisms/actions to enable SFTs and SFGs to link with others.

    Agreed Purpose: To ensure effective, efficient and coherent communication with other teams and agencies, building on existing good practice in order to raise attainment and promote positive behaviour and mental health for children and young people in Walsall.

    The Context: In line with the Green Paper and government policy, we need to deliver services through a multi-professional team approach to ensure co-ordination between the teams involved and to ensure that children, families and schools are served well. This will include Education, Health, Social, Youth, Community and Leisure Services.

    The Process: Involves building and sustaining a fully intergrated system that can sense, respond to the individual experience of the service user. Involves the development of a living, growing responsive network of collaborating professionals.

    Good Practice: Supportive and committed management. Flexible and innovative funding mechanisms. Systems for collecting, sharing and analysing data. Joint training. Strategies to encourage team commitment. Effective and appropriate communication.

    The Teams and Agencies: Walsall Children's Services, Community Groups/Partnerships, Walsall Council, Social Services, Police, Health.