Working in partnership with others
Identify the features of effective partnership working
The main features of effective partnership working are comprehensive communication (written and
oral); mutual trust, respect and co-operation; as well as helping to identify clear objectives, realistic
expectations, shared purpose/vision and the promotion of the contribution of colleagues and other
professionals.
Explain the importance of partnership working with colleagues, other professionals and others
Effective partnership working is important no matter who we work in partnership with, this may be
the individuals we support and their family, friends, advocates; colleagues from our own workplace
such as other ASCW, Seniors, Managers, admin staff; other professionals such as District Nurses,
Doctors, Pharmacists, Therapists as well as possibly members of the pubic.
Improved outcomes for individuals accessing services is the most important aspect of partnership
working, as this is/should be the main goal of working in partnership.
Effective partnership working also builds mutual trust, respect and co-operation; as this must be
built over time. Partnership working leads to promotion of the communication cycle, again building
more effective communication over time.
By working in partnership we can also ensure the reduced duplication of tasks and services, by
sharing responsibilities and utilising relevant expertise in a logical and constructive manner.
Partnership working naturally leads to the sharing of skills/knowledge which cannot happen in
isolation.
Analyse how partnership working delivers better outcomes
Partnership working delivers better outcomes in a number of ways, primarily by providing a coordinated approach to service delivery centred on the individuals needs. Partnership working also
assists the dissemination of good practice / skills and knowledge which would not happen in
isolation (also reduces professional isolation).
Partnership working also reduces barriers to communication, such as the individual having to tell
several professionals the same information, with partnership working those professionals can share
this information to promote the delivery of flexible services centred on the individuals needs; as well
as pooling their respective resources and expertise.
In short, if everyone involved in an individuals care and support can work well in partnership, with a
shared vision/goal, it will lead to improved quality of service delivery / improved outcomes for the
individual.
Explain how to overcome barriers to partnership working
Before detailing methods of overcoming obvious and previously identified barriers to partnership
working - it is important to note that the first step to overcoming barriers is to identify a barrier
when it arises; then put in place systems, processes and practices to overcome these; but we must
have the awareness and reflective practices to assist us in identifying any new barriers.
Barriers which have been previously identified - structural barriers caused by the way roles and
responsibilities are spread within and across different agencies; procedural barriers caused by
differences in planning etc. within different agencies; professional barriers due to differences in
ideologies, values and professional interests and perceived threats due to status, autonomy and
legitimacy.
Methods for overcoming barriers previously identified – Improving communication through
meetings, documentation, policies etc. communication also has its own barriers so open,
transparent and clear communication is paramount; clarifying job roles and responsibilities as well
as recognition of the contribution of others can also reduce professionals feeling as though their role
is threatened and status overlooked; agreeing joint protocols, aims, goals and objectives can help
reduce inter-agency barriers; informal meetings, networking and team building activities can build
trust, respect and cooperation which can also help to break down barriers.
Explain own role and responsibilities in working with colleagues.
In my own role when working with colleagues - I must maintain a professional approach; uphold and
exemplify sector as well as organisational principles and values; encourage and support sharing of
concerns, comments, praise and pertinent information; complete my own tasks efficiently to enable
effective partnership working.
Clear communication which follows best practice and policies is a large part of my role, this involves
negotiation, compromise, being open and honest, being professional and positive; all with the
individuals we support at the centre of planning.
Recording and reporting is also an important responsibility, when dealing with staff supervisions,
appraisals, spot-checks and all other forms of communication and correspondence: evidencing our
practices in line with guidance and policies, as well as ensuring colleagues can reference our
interactions when necessary.
Evaluate own working relationship with colleagues.
Formal and informal feedback from colleagues is the primary method of evaluating my own working
relationship with colleagues; as well as this, self-appraisal / reflective practices can help me to
evaluate and improve my working relationships with colleagues.
Achieving aims / objectives is another method of evaluating my own relationship with colleagues, if
we are achieving positive outcomes / high levels of care this can indicate good partnership working.
To-date the feedback I have received is positive, and our aims & objectives have also been met;
through self-evaluation I do feel I could be more ‘serious’ / ‘direct’ when dealing with underperforming staff members.
Explain own role and responsibilities in working with other professionals
In my own role when working with other professionals – I must maintain a professional approach;
uphold sector principles and values; share information in a timely manner following agreed
procedures; respect the skills, roles and responsibilities of other professionals as well as
understanding the limitations of my own role; I must have the confidence to challenge where
appropriate but also state my own judgements assertively; I must agree, work to and initiate
common goals, objectives and actions; again I must always use clear, open and transparent
communication which avoids the use of jargon/acronyms.
Evaluate procedures for working with other professionals
Current procedures for working with other professionals include secure email communication with
the local authority; phone calls with social workers, doctors, pharmacists; ‘hand-over sheets’ with
district nurses, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists; occasionally meetings are
required for best interest decisions, end of life planning etc.
We have had positive feedback from other professionals regarding our professionalism, clear and
consistent communication and quality of care.
In short, if it’s not broken there is no need to fix it; our current procedures for working with other
professionals have been leading to the desired outcomes for all stakeholders.
Analyse the importance of working in partnership with others
As an adult social care worker we must work in partnership with a broad range of
people/professionals - individuals we support, their friends, family and advocates; healthcare
professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, occupational therapists, speech and language
therapists; social workers; advocates, volunteers etc.
By working in partnership with the individuals we support and their support networks, we can
ensure that their views, needs, wishes and preferences are taken into account and put to the
forefront during the planning stage, helping to ensure person-centred care which meets the
individuals needs. It can also help to ensure that as much information as possible regarding the
individual can be included in care plans etc.
By working in partnership with other professionals we can ensure that the right people with the right
expertise and experience are utilised to achieve the best outcomes for the individuals we support, as
our own role has its limitations and active participation from other professionals means the right
support is delivered at the right time.
Not working well in partnership with others / poor communication / not involving the right people at
the right time, can have serious consequences for the individual; possibly leading to inadequate care
and support, or in more serious instances harm occurring. It can lead to important information being
missed, wasting resources, increased chance of errors etc.
Evaluate procedures for working with others
Working with others involves effective communication and collaboration; as part of this there are a
number of steps ( a procedure) to doing this effectively –
First and foremost is communicating effectively, respecting confidentiality and building trust and
respect.
As part of this I must be aware of my own and others strengths, weaknesses, skills, knowledge and
experience in order to plan effectively.
Working with others will involve working effectively as a team, sharing goals and objectives and
disseminating information. All team members must be involved and listened to as everyone should
be able to have an input.
As with all partnership working, when working with others conflict may arise; constructive conflict
which leads to improvements and better outcomes for the individuals we support must be
encouraged, whereas non-effective confrontation based upon negative attitude and which is not
aimed at the improvement of service delivery must be challenged and reduced.
When working with others it is important to keep records of interactions so that these can be looked
back upon, evaluated, and any lessons learned can be implemented well.
Feedback from others is also another important procedure as this helps us to gather quantifyable
data; which can be used to learn lessons and improve in the future.