Through taking a case study of suitable complexity from practice the student should demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills in working with others to achieve and manage change. 3000 words

Structure in Details;

Introduction

• The aim of this assignment is to discuss the role of change and the impact of multi-agency working within the child protection process in Wales. Three different levels of change will be considered which are ……..

• This will be achieved through using a case of suitable complexity (see appendix 1) from the author’s area of practice, a health and social care team in South Wales

• Statement on the type of change management theory you’re going to use to analyse your case.

• Consider how recent policies both in Wales and the wider UK have impacted on professional working and how an increase in partnership working has effected how practitioners work with families and their children.

• Outline the differences between strategic and operational partnership working.

Main body

• Summary on case study reviews and the issues about multiagency working

• Lord Laming (2003)

• Laming (2009) and Peter Connolly

• The legislation……. Children Act (2004)

• All Wales Child Protection Procedures etc

• Literature (journal articles) on multi agency working in children services

• Analyse the case study using varieties of literatures you’ve found. E.g. ‘Children services received a referral from Becky & John’s school. The head teacher informed the social worker that Becky & John had told them that they hadn’t been given any food yesterday and that Zara and Tom had locked themselves in their bedroom. This is one example of the 48,544 child protection referrals received in Wales during 2010 (National Statistics for Wales, 2010) that results in around 2730 children’s names being placed on the Child Protection register in Wales (Data Unit Wales, 2010). 32% of these referrals were from families previously known to children’s services (NSW, 2010). This could demonstrate that change for some families is difficult to maintain and is often easy for old behaviours to reoccur (Westbrook et al, 2007).’

• The word partnership is utilised extensively in legislation and guidance (student included a number of references as examples of where this statement was a true reflection)

• What does the research say about multiagency working and the issues within your complex case study?

• Evaluate the process of establishing trust and agreement on aims and objectives of working together.

• What are the benefits of working together?

• What are the strategic and operational principles of partnership working?

• What are the long and short term benefits of partnership working

Conclusion

• ‘In conclusion the author aimed to introduce discussion around multi-agency working through considering the case study of family XY’

• So what did you consider? Legislation? Policy, research? What themes were there?

• What positives did you find? What negative issues did you find?

• Was there any specific outcome?

Recommendations

• Professionals should learn from their mistakes (references)

• Create open and effective lines of communication with their colleagues from other agencies (references)

• Is there anything else that could be recommended from the child’s perspective from the family perspective?

References- Guide of 60 in total. They should include journal articles (mostly), legislation, policy, books/chapters and occasionally a web sites (works without in-text references will note be accepted)

• Appendix 1 – the complex case study you have used

• You can include other appendices if they are relevant.

Please ensure you include the following:

? Explain the differences between strategic and operational partnerships [e.g. introduction]

? Explain the key principles for establishing effective partnership working at strategic and operational levels [e.g. introduction]

? Explain how effective partnerships can be formed between stakeholders with a shared interest [e.g. introduction and main body]

? Analyse prospective partner interests and expectations for your organisation[e.g. main body]

? Assess the long and short term benefits to be gained from effective partnership working in your organisation [e.g. main body]

? Explain how barriers to effective partnership working might be overcome[e.g. main body]

? Evaluate the process for establishing trust and agreement on the partnership’s aims and objectives [e.g. main body]

? Evaluate monitoring and review processes and procedures for the achievement of agreed goals and objectives of an effective partnership working arrangement [e.g. main body]

? You should ensure that you attend the assignment workshops in order to gain supervision about this element of the assignment.