Communities of Practice - Coursework Example

Communities of Practice Communities of Practice The belief that agencies and their practitioners will operate closely has been a constant debate in nearly every area of children’s services. This has spanned from closer strategic associations to presenting a range of practitioners together in highly integrated groups. In the last few years, there has been renewed interest on communities of practice and how they can enhance inter-professional learning (Collins & Foley, 2008). This paper explores how communities of practice have enhanced the concept of inter-professional learning especially in the area of childcare. A clear example of the rising demand for communities of practice has been in the area of disabled children and their families whose experience usually lies at the end of the continuum of associating with various agencies and practitioners. In the past days, families of disabled children could come into contact with up to ten agencies in any given year and had to attend up to twenty appointments at clinics. For children plagued with intricate health care needs, these numbers can be astounding, leading to a bewildering situation. Some experts have warned that the absolute number of professionals who may take part in supporting a disabled child in the community can usually lead to a lack of continuity and coordination thus leaving families into confusion over whom to contact concerning specific problems (Collins & Foley, 2008). It is apparent that numerous children with disabilities comprehend the need to consult a range of people and value the role they play into their welfare. However, their experience of disjointed services, the numbers of individuals involved and the absence of “child-centeredness’ presents a clear example of how the role of various practitioners need to be well coordinated. Ideally, the idea of communities of practice coming together is a critical step in the endeavour by the government to deliberate on how best to deal with children matters. The deliberation about the challenges for communities of practice working together to meet the set standards and to respond to the opinions of children and families mainly focuses on structures or issues of knowledge base, workplace and professional cultures, ethics as well as mind-sets. However, the manner in which different practitioners perceive children and construct their conceptions of childhood brings an additional layer to the equation. Naturally, the manner in which children’s services are formed largely depends on how childhood is constructed. For this reason, positioning children as ‘in need’ of things such as care, control, and education instead of concentrating on their evolving capacities can lead to a change in the current assembly of services (Foley & Rixon, 2014). There are obviously varied perspectives on what families and children need, what their abilities are and how their welfare can be enhanced. Despite this multiplicity of ideas, most professionals agree that all facets of children’s lives are inextricably connected. For this reason, there is need for the communities of practice to have the same perspective when it comes to addressing issues. Bringing various practitioners together brings the realization that a child is a complete person whose life cannot be split into various parts, with each part treated as a separate entity. A good example of this is the fact that the child’s social and emotional cannot in any way be delinked from his or her physical health (Foley & Rixon, 2014). One of the most interesting things on approaching children’s development in this manner is the connotation that the perspective of each practitioner on the lives of children is valid and all their contributions are potentially significant. The communities of practice also posit that no single profession has all the answers and no one viewpoint is ultimate. In turn, all the various sources of knowledge and practice have to be coordinated if the whole child is to be supported in an effective manner. This is usually the main challenge when it comes to working with children (Leverett & Foley, 2008). Ideally, the education and training of the communities of practice incorporates becoming acquainted with a varied body of theory and reinforcing knowledge gotten from one or more of the academic disciplines. A good example of this is the scenario where health visitors and early year’s workers would elevate child development theory to a higher extent as compared to other practitioners. On the other hand, social workers have a greater likelihood of having knowledge of theories concerning family relationships such as systems theory and may have a deeper understanding of sociological theory as compared to their colleagues in the children’s profession. Ideally, this knowledge and theory is without a doubt selective and partial as no single discipline guarantees an absolute or definitive comprehension of the complexity of children’s lives. It is therefore strength in itself that the interdisciplinary nature of work with kids and their families is one of its significant features (Leverett & Foley, 2008). In addition to this, at the level of practice, the adults working with children are stationed in or operate across a multitude of diverse settings. This include schools, health facilities, play settings, children’s centres, social work offices and community projects of all kinds. Since they are employed by diverse agencies or operate in a voluntary capacity, the issue of communication and coordination is effectively highlighted. Ideally, communities of practice bring in practitioners with diverse backgrounds, which make it critical for them to learn how to communicate effective for the better welfare of the child. In relation to communication, the practitioners not only know how to communicate amongst themselves but also with the children and families that are brought in their care (Foley & Rixon, 2014). Another way that interprofessional learning is enhanced by communities of practice is derived from the intricate nature of the health care sector. In reality, single professions or individual career people operating alone do not possess the necessary proficiency to respond in an adequate and effective manner to the intricacy of diverse user needs. When professionals work in harmony, the care that they offer to children becomes safe, seamless and holistic in nature and it is often of the required standard. In the absence of communities of practice, child caregivers would find it hard to function in a manner that is consistent with the children needs (Collins & Foley, 2008). Ideally, the concept of working in communities of practice makes the available services ideal for addressing the needs of children. This is because this concept demands an active participation and involvement in the process of planning, delivering, assessing and evaluation of the available service. All throughout the enactment process, the practice ensures that service users and carers remain involved to make sure that the services are consistent with the needs for whom they are developed. Even though they might be a difference in power position or status in the level of operation, every participant is treated as an equal player and as such, respect and integrity are maintained (Collins & Foley, 2008). In coming together to address a common issue, each profession acquires a wide comprehension of its own practice and the part that it can play to harmonize and support that of others. In the past, interprofessional learning has been identified by practitioners as one of the ways that they can advance their career without necessarily enrolling for advanced learning. Communities of practice is also an ideal way of increasing professional satisfaction among career people. This is attained mainly through the provision of support and guidance as well as the deliberation about the duties and tasks and in the provision of collaborative practice. Instead of merely competing to finalize a certain task, communities of practices demand that practitioners work hand in hand to attain a unified goal (Collins & Foley, 2008). Conclusion The concept of communities of practice has been a major focus of study among childcare providers. This has come out realization that the issue of childcare is a complex matter that cannot be solved by just one profession. The theory of communities of practice is an ideal way of enhancing interagency learning since practitioners realize that no single profession is capable of addressing children matters on its own and this realization leads to better communication among various practices. Ideally, the incorporation of service users and carers ensures that all the services that have been developed are ideal for the group to which it has been intended. In reality, communities of practice place their focus on community, knowledge and shared practice, which put together, enhances interprofessional learning. References Collins, J., & Foley, J. (2008). Promoting Children’s Wellbeing: Policy and Practice. University of Bristol: The Policy Press Foley, P., & Rixon, A. (2014). Changing Children’s Services: Working and Learning Together. University of Bristol: Policy Press Leverett, S., & Foley, P. (2008). Connecting with Children: Developing Working Relationships. University of Bristol: The Policy Press Read More