How are we developing more integrated working to support children, young people and families?
Integrated working is about our organisations working together in a co-ordinated way to make sure that we deliver joined-up services to children, young people and families. Our development work is made up of a number of key initiatives. These initiatives are inter-related - we are only able to achieve each of them by working on all of them.
We have a diagram to show the integrated services we are developing, and how they relate to each other. It is adapted from a DCSF (Department for Children Schools and Families) diagram.
All children, young people and families use universal services. This includes schools and primary health care services such as GPs, health visitors or midwives. Within universal services, we do preventative work, which is about providing children and young people with the skills that they need to cope with life.
Some children, young people or families may need additional support or advice to enable them to achieve their full potential. We offer different levels of additional support, depending on what children, young people and families need. There are:
- early intervention - this provides support for children, young people and families as soon as we realise they are experiencing difficulties, rather than waiting until situations get worse
- targeted working - this provides support to children, young people and families who may need more support over a period of time
- specialist support - this is for children and young people with complex needs, such as those with disabilities.
There is no clear dividing line between these levels of support and one child or young person may receive different levels of support. Integrated working is about making sure that all these support services are delivered in a co-ordinated way.
Why does integrated working matter?
Children, young people and families have told us that they want our organisations to work together more closely, and to provide services when and where they need them.
“I want to only have to tell our story once and to someone I know and trust” (mother)
“Getting to appointments is a nightmare. Don’t they realise we have to take time off work?” (parent)
“I think the Children’s Centre is good because it is everything under one roof and all you need to do is go…and you’ll just find out about everything else and you’ll keep going to the next stage and the next” (parent).
(from Joint Access Teams consultation 2008 and Children and Young People’s Plan 2009-2011 consultation)
Working in an integrated way means that families experience more effective services planned around their needs. It reduces the chances that our work will be duplicated. This means that families experience a more streamlined service and we make best use of our resources. In the current economic situation, funding for public sector services will be limited so it is important that we use it efficiently.
“This brings agencies together and makes provision of support so much quicker and easier” (Special Education Needs Coordinator, school).
“It’s great to know that there is somewhere I can always get help from colleagues in other agencies” (Connexions worker).
(from Joint Access Teams consultation 2008).
