Dimensions of interprofessional practice - Essay Example

Interprofessional work in this instance refers to people with distinct disciplinary training within the health service working together for a common purpose, as they make different, complementary contributions to patient-focused care (Farrell, 1992). Modernising Social Services detailed service failings in social care and set out an agenda that was intended to bring services up to the standards required. The paper emphasised the need to improve protection and services for children alongside improvement of workforce standards, partnership working and improvement of delivery and efficiency of service (Slack, 1999).

The NHS Plan detailed the government’s plan for investment and reform that was intended to lead to staff working differently with more decision-making located in local health and care communities (Wistow, 2001). Professions in the health and care environment have different approaches to provision of care. There are often differences in cultures, values or in focus of service provision that make it difficult to make progress in partnership until enough common understanding and agreement has been established.

Social workers expect to engage in interagency working as a normal activity when they collaborate with others to achieve objectives for service users. Furthermore, authors in this area also note that team-working in some areas of care, may it be in palliative, intensive, or critical care (Youngblut, 1994), as it provides mutual support in what can be emotionally draining work as well as promoting enhanced clinical standards by facilitating exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience. At the point of delivery, services have to be combined and individualised; and if needs are to be met adequately, it is crucial that people working together at this level relate well with each other.

A structural approach to collaborative problems must therefore be paralleled by a relational approach - that is,