501.4
Explain how to overcome barriers in partnership working
Within my work, there are some common barriers that are found. The main one that I recognise is the lack of communication, misunderstanding and inconsistency. As a manager, I would expect all information that is passed over to be clear, factual and precise. If this information is not what I expect then communication which is key within my work will give wrong impressions and show lack of professionalism. It can cause altercations and there for a potential situation will not be able to be resolved due to the misunderstanding. If I, as a manager send information to my staff team, I always like to ensure it understood correctly by asking them in person if they understand.
There are other ways to overcome such barriers, and as a manager here are some in try to influence on my staff team.
Face to face working such as meetings
Provide training (record and report writing)
To ensure all is aware of each other roles and responsibilities.
As a result of barriers there is always a solution by working together and ensuring everyone is working to provide better outcomes for the young people within my home.
3.3
Agree common objectives when working with other professionals within the boundaries of own role and responsibilities
Within Social care, I there are many professionals that come into just one young person and all professionals have their ways of working despite what I as a manager have in place for the young person. In Particular, there has been some conflict within the education side of my provision as the tutors and there managers felt that my staff should support the young people within the education. Unfortunately I did not agree with this as my staff are support workers and not an academic teacher. With the staff ratios being in place, the tutors were not able to teach more than one young person at a time which is why the shift staff had to help and support our young people with the education. Despite my staff team not agreeing with this or myself as a manager, the home and education both wanted the same outcome for the young people and that was for them to have an education. When it first started the teacher would only want one young person at a time and my staff would support the young person within the home in selected areas so the young people would always have access to staff. Before the young people would be starting education, the teachers would speak and go through what is expected from the young people and what needs to be done. Through no fault of anyone, as this information got passed on to my team and then my team passing it the young people, some information would get missed which led the young people to not complete their work properly. Eventually this caused some negative behaviours from the teachers to my staff which caused a divide in the partnership working.
A meeting was called between me as a manager, my manager and then the head teacher as it was agreed this way of working was not working appropriately and as planned. It was then agreed that the homes staff would not be working in this way but will continue to support the education staff. An agreed way for this was for staff and all young people to be taught in the education room with the teacher taking the lead and homes staff to observe and support if required. This become a success and all parties were happier the young people were doing their work properly and information was not being misconstrued or missed.
3.5 Deal constructively with any conflict that may arise with other professionals
Within my experience, education is a common area of conflict that arises within the care home. In a previous job, this was a massive issue as the head teacher would always get involved and try to do my job of managing my staff and the home. This has been a concern for a while and it has resulted in a lot of tension between education and the home. A lot of issues and concerns were taken to the registered provider. It had been identified that the head teacher wanted consequences within the home due to the young people misbehaving with in the school or if they were late into school, who then blamed the home for this. This would make my staff become upset with the head teacher who then demanded action to be taken against the home for this. This was agreed by the registered provider who demanded consequences to be placed. This then unsettled the young people in the home. A “ways of working” was made and taken to a meeting and it was agreed eventually where if the any behaviours within the school was dealt with in the school by monies being lost and if any issues arise in the home it would be dealt with accordingly and in line with our ways of working and polies and procedure. This has since been proven to be a better way of working with the young people not seeming to be confused as to why the home are giving consequences to their behaviours within the home.
4.1 Analyse the importance of working in partnership with others
“The primary purpose of partnership working is to improve the experiences and outcomes of the young people. This is achieved by minimising organisational barriers between different services. In addition, partnerships work by:
Delivering co-ordinated packages of services to individuals
Reducing the impact of organisational fragmentation
Bidding for, or gaining access to, new resources
Meeting a statutory requirement.
Partnership working is central to the care of the service users and brings together a variety of other services such as those in a voluntary sector. The DOH launched a voluntary sector strategic partner program in April 2009 to improve communication between the department and voluntary health and social care organisations. It enabled voluntary sector organisations to work in equal partnerships with the department of Health, NHS and social care for the benefit of the sector and has improved health and well-being outcomes. You may also be working other agencies within the wider multi-disciplinary team such as advocacy agency or other health care teams. Advantages of working closely with other organisations are that they may be able to offer advice on specific issues, for example. Disadvantages are that some may be affected by lack of funding which may make it difficult for the sector to fund its work”
Quoted from Level 5 Diploma I leadership for health and social care, second edition by Tina Tilmouth and Jan Qualington.
4.2 Develop procedures for effective working relationships with others
The best way for effective working is to ensure I, as a manager have a reputation of a trustworthy manager. I ensure this by always informing the local authorities/social worker of our planning’s around the young person and ask for their feedback or opinions where relevant. Currently I have been in contact with a local authority with regards to the plans of a young person in my home as we are planning on placing YP Z on an independence plan. This does entail a huge amount of work which has been proposed to the social worker who did ask for it to be changed in some respects with regards to mobile phones to be handed in on an evening due to suspicions around what they could get up to during the night. Within this process, a generic independence plan is made by myself which is tailored to the young person, which is then discussed in a team meeting so all staff are aware of expectations and the views. Keyworkers are then to take the plan and go through it with their key-child. Once this process has been done, it will be sent to the social worker for their opinions and then once all parties are in agreement it will be put in place and regular reviews of the independence plan in place will be sent to the social worker to keep them informed of any progress.
4.4 Evaluate procedures for working with others
To be an effective manager it is good practice to ensure I reflect on my own practice with partnership working. To do this, I use the S.W.O.T analysis. With this It shows how I evaluate working with multiple agencies
Strength – my strengths are that I am strong minded person, who is a good communicator and ensure the message is understood efficiently Weakness
Opportunity
Threats
