Explain Common Barriers to Integrated Working and Multi-Agency Working Essay Example
Explain common barriers to integrated working and multi-agency working and how these can be overcome. Common barriers that can be found in integrated and multi-agency working are that of poor communication or a lack of communication, misunderstanding of situations, inconsistent or inaccurate record keeping and also not following policies or procedures. Barriers such as the few I have just named can stop people from effectively communicating with one another, which can then cause distress and also could lead to certain harmful situation.
The ways in which a lack of communication can cause problems can be seen in the case of Victoria Climbie. As we know the systems that were involved such as social services and other agencies did not communicate with each other and so therefore tragically, Vic
...toria died in a gruesome way due to the fact there was a lack of information being passed on from one agency to another. Good aspects that have come out of this terrible situation though include ECM (Every Child Matters) and also the Children Act 2004.
Another way a barrier can be made is if practitioners do not follow certain policies and procedures. A way that this can cause problems is that it can put children in harmful and dangerous situation. A way that this can be overcome is to have regular safety checks by other professionals in this sector to ensure that the setting is safe and that staff members are following procedures, this will help to make sure children are not victims and are not in any risk.
Finally one last barrier that can be caused is a misunderstanding of informatio
that has been passed on. Even though the fact that the information has been passed on is good, you must always make sure what is being passed on is a clear indication of the situation and that it has been received clearly too. A way in which this barrier can be overcome is to always check with the person who is receiving the message that they understand clearly and that the information is correct.
Otherwise it can cause chaos within the agency and can also mean that certain situations cannot be solved correctly due to the fact there is a misunderstanding of the evaluation. In conclusion many barriers can be formed in lots of different situations however every barrier has a solution and can be overcome by evaluating the problem at hand and working together to solve it. Consequently this helps to create better agencies which can then effectively create better lives for children who may really need it.
