Working in partnerships Flashcards
Why is partnership important?
It is important because it improves the lives of vulnerable adults and children, means service users don’t have to give same information to different health and social care workers, improves information sharing between professionals, improves the efficiency of the care system as a whole (joined up working).
It also coordinates the way in which care is provided, helps the service user feel that they are being treated as a whole person (holistic care), rather than as a series of unrelated medical issues, improves the planning and commissioning of care, so that health and social care services complement rather than disrupt each other.
What difficulties may you face in partnerships?
There are many problems within working in partnerships, such as failure to communicate information between services, for example between social workers and the police in cases where children are in danger, lack of co-ordination can also be a problem, in health and social care services , people may not receive the care that they need or experience duplication. There also may be delayed discharges from hospital, mainly of older people; for example when a patient can not leave hospital because there is no available support in the community. There also may be health and social care providers with different IT systems that cannot communicate with each other.
Cuts in funding that prevent effective partnership working.
What other partnerships are there, Families?
Working in partnerships in health and social care may include working with a service user’s informal carers, friends and family to plan, aid decision making and enable support with other service providers.
It is important to be willing to work different people, both professional and non-professionals, showing respect for all expertise and opinions, and accepting help when you need it. for example, if an family member may know a service user better than anyone else and may be in the best position to be their advocate, helping them express their needs and wishes.
