Effective multi-agency working and collaboration

By working together, the team will enable children to make maximum progress.

Assessment may include:

• Parents and family


• Paediatrician


• Educational Psychologist


• Specialist Teachers for Learning Support, Hearing, Vision, Sensory Impairment, Autism/Complex Communication Difficulties


• Clinical Psychologist


• Speech and Language Therapist


• Physiotherapist


• Occupational Therapist and others....     

In addition to parents, one or more of these people may be involved, helping to gain an understanding of children’s communication strengths and needs, and how speech and language can be developed.

They can also provide information, advice, guidance and training.

Development may include:

• Parents and family


• Childminder


• Early Years setting staff such as playgroup leaders, nursery nurses and  play/nursery assistants


• School staff such as teachers, teaching assistants and lunchtime supervisors


• Connexions staff


• Before & after school care


• and others.......

These are the people in contact with the child every day. They apply their knowledge of how to be good communication partners, and how to provide a good communication environment. They are the ones actively developing the child’s speech and language.

They can share ideas about what does and what does not work for individual children.

Support may include:

• Speech and language therapist


• Educational psychologist


• Physiotherapist


• Occupational therapist


• Health visitor


• Specialist teachers for Learning Support, Hearing, Vision, Sensory Impairment and Complex communication/Autism


• and others.....

These people with specialist knowledge and skills support the people in daily contact with the child. They try to remove barriers to achievement, agree strategies, provide training and identify, and sometimes provide, resources

(from: Worcestershire County Council & Worcestershire Primary Care Trust (2008) "Worcestershire Good Practice Guidelines")

Examples of good joint working practice

© Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire PCT 2011.