Role of Inter-Professional Practice in Contemporary Social Work - Essay Example

An Examination of the Role of Inter-Professional Practice In Contemporary Social Work Table of Contents Section 3 A)Importance of Effective Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice in Social Work 3 B)Key Factors for the Development of an Effective Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice 6 Section 2 9 Practical Example 9 References 11 Section 1 A) Importance of Effective Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice in Social Work The conception of an effective inter-professional collaborative practice in social work is described as a procedure that encompasses decision-making as well as communication, facilitating a synergistic persuasion of grouped skills and knowledge. The fundamental constituents of inter-professional collaboration are coordination, liability, communication, mutual trust and respect, teamwork, sovereignty and assertiveness. In the paradigm of social work, it is the collaboration or partnership that enables to construct an inter-professional team which is designed in such a way so that they can attain their expected common objectives (Bridges & et. al., 2011). An effectual inter-professional collaborative practice in healthcare system in social work generally takes place when health workers, belonging to diverse professional backgrounds, work collaboratively with the families, patients as well as the communities for the purpose of offering superior quality care to the patients (Collin & et. al., n.d.). There are certain imperative facets of an effective inter-professional collaboration or collaborative practice that include open communication, equality of available resources and the subsistence of autonomy where a poor form of inter-professional collaborative practice can impose adverse impacts upon the quality of care rendered to the patients through social work (Royal College of Nursing, 2007). One of the important skills required in inter-professional collaborative practice to enhance the quality care for the patients is Inter-Professional Education (IPE). IPE is typically described as the students or the members engaged with several professions, either linked with social or healthcare backgrounds. This particular inter-professional collaborative practice facilitates effectual collaboration among the health workers and enhances health outcomes through their shared information or skills (AAMC, 2011). It has been apparently observed in this context that IPE offers a capability to share effective skills as well as dynamic knowledge between different professionals and facilitates better understanding regarding shared values. It also enhances respect amid different professionals’ in terms of responsibilities associated with healthcare (Bridges & et. al., 2011). An effective inter-professional collaborative practice is typically regarded as one of the indispensable constituents of a better social work practice. In this context, it can be stated that the social or healthcare workers should remain much confident in building effective communication with other professionals with the motive of attaining desired outcomes in their respective fields of operations (Thomas & Baron, 2012). After acquiring a brief idea, it can be stated that effective inter-professional collaboration is quite important in social work due to various reasons. The prime objective of a strong inter-professional collaborative practice is to deliver the users of the health systems with enhanced as well as quality health results. According to the present day context, it has been viewed that certain critical aspects such as the composite nature of the individuals associated with social work and unstructured arrangements of various social as well as healthcare services have made the system more complicated for its users. In order to mitigate this problem, the introduction as well as the development of an effective inter-professional collaborative practice is necessary to deliver a more comprehensive mechanism, by reducing the complexities associated with social work systems. Inter-professional collaborative practice also offers the social workers with dynamic services that aim to greatly comply with their health or social care delivery process requirements owing to which the concept can be regarded as quite vital. From an overall perspective, it can be stated that inter-professional collaborative practice is quite vital for resolving any sort of composite social or healthcare requirements identified in the social work deliverance process (Mickan & et. al., 2010). The importance of an effectual inter-professional collaborative practice has gained momentum due to enormous transformations in terms of demographics in relation to the healthcare industry. Stating precisely, the several benefits of an inter-professional collaboration practice in health as well as social care systems include enhanced outcomes in terms of both patients’ satisfaction and professionals’ satisfaction, efficient utilization of valuable resources and decrease in the complexities of the patients relating to healthcare (Tremblay & et. al., 2010). Apart from delivering quality services to the social as well as healthcare users, inter-professional collaborative practice also supports the projects that are aimed at improving the capacity, quality as well as the administration of clinical education particularly. Inter-professional collaborative practice assists the projects concerning clinical education by enlarging the system capability for generating greater placement opportunities for the students, constructing an advanced system of placement information and suitably implementing technology-based learning for the students (American Speech-Language-Hearing Education, 2013). The role played by inter-professional collaboration practices in social work to minimise the difficulties faced by the patients provides evidence suggesting that such practices are quite significant in healthcare settings. In this connection, an effectual inter-professional collaboration or collaborative practice has been recognised to provide numerous benefits to the patients by introducing inclusive healthcare-based programs concerning faster healing, better maintenance of health and less discomfort to the patients among others (Hellquist & et. al., 2012). B) Key Factors for the Development of an Effective Inter-Professional Collaborative Practice There are numerous factors that are indispensable towards the advancement as well as the success of an effective inter-professional collaboration or collaborative practice. Some of these major factors include administrative support, active cooperation of experienced as well as committed healthcare professionals collaborated from diverse professional as well as social backgrounds and inter-professional programmatic infrastructure. In relation to administrative support, the harmonisation of inter-professional experiences may necessitate considerable alterations while designing effective healthcare programs in order to comply with the requirements of the patients. In this context, the concerned authorities must remain quite supportive. Again, with regard to active cooperation of the experienced as well as committed healthcare professionals, effective inter-professional collaborative practice can be developed in order to provide quality services to the users in a clinical setting. Additionally, inter-professional programmatic infrastructure can be observed to facilitate proper allocation of valuable resources required for delivering quality services to the users of social care. In this regard, managerial support is necessary to build effective infrastructures such as scheduling rooms, confirming the accessibility of different healthcare professionals and most importantly, identifying as well as allocating substitutes as and when required. Contextually, there may remain certain critical barriers while developing effectual inter-professional collaboration or collaborative practice in a social care setting. These barriers can be effectively mitigated with persistence as well as with the commitment made by the various healthcare professionals while complying with the requirements of the users through inter-professional collaborative practice. Thus, on the basis of the above discussion, it can be stated that extensive certain degree of commitment from various healthcare professionals belonging to diverse backgrounds is required for the development as well as the success of an effectual inter-professional collaborative practice. It is in this context that working efficiently with diversity can also be regarded as one of the important factors for developing inter-professional collaboration (Bridges & et. al., 2011). The other important aspects that contribute in developing effectual inter-professional collaborative practice are change management, allocation of available resources, incessant improvement in quality, developed working environment and role of community stakeholders. Furthermore, the paradigm of change management contributes in developing inter-professional collaboration by providing significant benefits to the patients, different healthcare oriented providers and the organisations by assisting it to implement a well-planned transition based management strategic alliance. In order to make the strategies relating to change management successful as well as sustainable, cultural shifts along with value shifts requires to be addressed efficiently. To be precise, proper allocation of available resources can assist in advancing inter-professional collaborative practices with the effective utilisation of different programs and coordinating with various health or social care professionals. Hence, proper allocation of valuable resources plays a vital role to enhance the deliverance of quality health as well as social care to the patients. The aspect of incessant quality improvement might help towards progressing inter-professional collaborative practice by providing the opportunity for a diverse group of healthcare professionals to participate in hospital-based committees as well as inter-professional practice initiatives. Quality work environment may also support in developing inter-professional collaborative practices by facilitating healthcare professionals along with other involved parties in social-care or healthcare settings to perform their respective operational functions safely. Furthermore, it can effectively contribute towards delivering better opportunity for professional development to the social workers. Finally, precisely defining the role of community stakeholders might help in practicing inter-professional collaborative strategies in social work by forming effectual communication as well as strong interrelation with every member s involved in delivering quality care to the users. Notably, this communication as well as the association will be essential in attaining seamless care for the patients (HPHA, 2010). Section 2 Practical Example The case of Victoria Climbie can be related with determining the role of inter-professional practice in contemporary social work and advancement of inter-professional collaboration. With regard to the case, it can be observed that Victoria Climbie was a joyful, smiling as well as passionate child who was brought up in her country. However, in later days, she was observed to fall victim of an inconceivable brutality. As revealed in the case study, Victoria was experiencing abuse and negligence from her carers named Kouao and Manning which led to various health problems suffered by her. Gradually, due to abusive behaviour and negligence, the Victoria’s health was certainly deteriorating owing to which she was admitted in a hospital with high fever. Tragically, Victoria’s suffering led her to death which can be refereed as equivalent to murder. In this respect, Victoria’s death can be regarded as one of the horrific cases concerning child abuse as well as negligence. According to the case, Victoria was a black child who was murdered by two of her black carers named Kouao and Manning. The involvement of Manning and Kouao in the death of Victoria reflected the significance or criticality of working with diversity or racism towards the development of inter-professional collaborative practices in social work. In this similar context, various evidences relating to the case suggested that one of the results of an exclusive focus upon work culture with black children as well as their families is that it leaves the ethnic minority in different dangerous or cruelty driven situations. This practical example can be illustrated concerning inter-professional collaborative practice in social work, i.e. working with diversity (Laming, 2003). Cultural norms as well as behavioural models within the circumstance of working with diversity can significantly vary between the families and the communities eventually leading towards discrimination, abuse along with negligence. According to the case, the perception of Afro-Caribbean behaviour can be identified in Victoria’s case. This particular conception of Afro-Caribbean behaviour relating to the case of Victoria illustrates that the variation in broad assortment of cultures as well as behavioural attitudes, bears the risk of causing generalisations and potentially neglecting the reasons for satisfying the basic requirements of a child. After acquiring a brief idea about the conception of Afro-Caribbean behaviour in respect to working with social diversity, it can be stated that the focus might have been shifted from the essential requirements of Victoria due to mislaid suppositions regarding her cultural circumstances. In relation to examine the role of inter-professional practice in contemporary social work relating to the case of Victoria, it can further be affirmed that the fundamental prerequisite is to keep the children safe and protect them from any cultural obligations which segregates them from the society. In this regard, every child residing in any country should be entitled to be provided with equal protection law, irrespective of his or her cultural background as well as religion (Laming, 2003). References American Speech-Language-Hearing Education, 2013.Interprofessional Education. Academic. [Online] Available at: http://www.asha.org/academic/questions/Interprofessional-Education/ [Accessed January 29, 2013]. Bridges, D. R. & et. al., 2011. Interprofessional Collaboration: Three Best Practice Models Of Interprofessional Education. Medical Education Online, Vol. 16. Collin, K. & et. al., No Date. Interprofessional Collaboration during Ward Rounds in an Emergency and Infection Department. Events. [Online] Available at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/meu/events/pll11-docs/Collin.pdf [Accessed March 10, 2013]. Hellquist, K. & et. al., 2012. Collaborative Practice Benefits Patients: An Examination of Interprofessional Approaches to Diabetes Care. Health and Interprofessional Practice, Vol. 1, Iss. 2, pp. 1-8. HPHA, 2010. Supportive Factors. HPHA Interprofessional Practice Model. [Online] Available at: http://www.hpha.ca/doc.aspx?id=289 [Accessed January 29, 2013]. Laming, L., 2003. Working With Diversity. The Victoria Climbe Enquiry. Mickan, S. & et. al., 2010. Collaborative Practice in a Global Health Context: Common Royal College of Nursing, 2007. The Impact and Effectiveness of Inter-Professional Education in Primary Care: An RCN Literature Review. Assets. [Online] Available at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/78718/003091.pdf [Accessed March 10, 2013]. Themes from Developed and Developing Countries. Journal of Interpersonal Care, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. 492-502. Thomas, J. & Baron, S., 2012. Terminology. Curriculum Guide – Interprofessional and Inter-Agency Collaboration. [Online] Available at: http://www.collegeofsocialwork.org/uploadedFiles/TheCollege/Media_centre/CG_IPIAC_1Oct2012_proofed_FINAL.pdf [Accessed January 29, 2013]. Tremblay, D. & et. al., 2010. Background. Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Within Cancer Teams: Translating Evidence Into Action. A Mixed Methods Study Protocol. [Online] Available at: http://www.implementationscience.com/content/5/1/53 [Accessed January 29, 2013]. Read More