Leaders of the professional bodies for teachers, nurses and social workers set out their views.
Putting the child at the centre - Sarah Thewlis
Sarah Thewlis is chief executive and registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The Nursing and Midwifery Council was set up in April 2002 to protect the public by ensuring that nurses and midwives provide high standards of care to their patients and clients. It replaced the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) and National Boards.
It has 660,000 registrants, of which about 20,000 are working overseas.
The NMC:
- maintains a register of qualified nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses
- sets standards and provides advice
- considers allegations of misconduct, lack of competence or unfitness to practice due to ill health.
It has 660,000 registrants, of which about 20,000 are working overseas.
For the public, often the professional barriers in children's services are highlighted by the cases that make headlines, says Sarah Thewlis. “But this joint statement is not just about preventing tragedies, it is about giving a better service to the child in every case.”
The joint statement is founded on the premise that professionals providing children's services are concerned with different areas of their lives, says Sarah, pointing out: “We all have different parts to play, but no one role is more important than the other. We must recognise that our professional lives are about putting the child at the centre.”
Workshops have helped to boost the three organisations' understanding of each other, enabling participants to share experiences of joint working and pinpoint where difficulties may lie. Of the issues that need to be addressed, the NMC particularly highlights confidentiality and accountability. “We need to ensure that these don't become barriers to better services for children,” says Sarah.
Seeing the statement as an important first step, now a key task for each of the three organisations is to ensure that it is properly disseminated to its membership. Says Sarah: “One of the ways we can work together is by making sure that every one of our members knows about this statement, with the aim that it becomes part of their working life.”
Realising ambitions - Lynne Berry
Lynne Berry is the chief executive of the General Social Care Council (GSCC). Established in October 2001, the GSCC is the regulator of standards for the social care workforce in England.
It has three main functions and these are to:
- establish codes of practice nfor sociial care workers and employers
- keep a register of more than 1.4 million social care workers in England
- regulate social work education and training.
It also sees its role as the champion of social care, helping to give it the recognition it deserves.
Lynne Berry welcomes the joint statement as a means of ensuring that the ambition of Every Child Matters– to place children at the heart of all the services designed for them – can be realised. “Through seminars organised to discuss Every Child Matters, we heard from many professionals in the field that they really wanted assistance in trying to bring together the skills and expertise they had,” says Lynne.
But, as the GSCC readily acknowledges, there are issues to be confronted. Social workers, nurses and teachers come from distinctive traditions, with diverse value bases and expectations. Difficulties may arise even in the way some words are used. “‘Urgent’ and ‘confidential’ have different meanings for different people,” explains Lynne. “We need to recognise the values which lie behind our use of these words.”
While the joint statement is not a substitute for a professional code, the GSCC believes it will have an influence when each professional body reconsiders its own code. “When we are talking about the expectations of our members in working with other professions, we will be able to turn to this statement to inform the review,” she says. The joint statement will help to achieve a greater understanding of the various professions' common objectives, although she is careful to point out that: “It is not about making them all the same.” Will service users notice any changes in the services they receive? “My hope is that they will see better and more timely communication between professionals, “ says Lynne.
Children specifically should see results from the common training, evaluation and use of resources, she adds. Looking ahead, the GSCC foresees a time when services users will be able to assess how well the professions are working together by using the statement as part of an evaluation. Ultimately Lynne defines her measure of success as: “When we are sitting down in a joint team meeting, and not only is there a different environment, but we are doing different things.”
What really matters - Carol Adams
Carol Adams is the chief executive of the GTC.
It may be written on a piece of paper, but for Carol Adams, the joint statement has a very concrete intention. “Its purpose is to give practical help to teachers and other professionals working together on the ground to deliver the demands of the children’s agenda,” she says. She anticipates that teachers will be able to use the statement in several ways. For example, it may help to inform schools' discussions when they are focussing on how to implement Every Child Matters. In addition, teachers who are taking part in local authority training or professional development will find it a valuable resource. “I also think it’s important to be able to demonstrate to parents and the community where your professional priorities lie – that is, in meeting the needs of the child,” says Carol.
For Carol, values are the starting point, underpinning how professionals will work together. “Unless you have shared values, it can be difficult to work cohesively,” she believes, adding: “If you're constantly reminded that outcomes for children are the priority, it helps people from different professional cultures and backgrounds to put any differences to one side.”
In common with her counterparts at the NMC and GSCC, Carol is aware of the challenges and has no wish to gloss over them. “While schools are hard pressed, other services have often been so stretched that they have only been able to deal with dire emergencies,” she says. “There has been the experience in education that it is difficult to get the help needed from other professional services. Clearly that needs to change. One of the biggest challenges is: will there be sufficient resources to have the professionals on the ground to meet needs?”
Traditionally, few individuals in schools have had responsibility for liaising with other professions, but now wider engagement is likely for increased numbers of teachers. Carol comments: “This calls for a greater understanding about the importance of interprofessional working on the part of teachers, even if they are not directly involved.” What will be the acid test of success? “Working together is really only a process,” says Carol. “What really matters is whether we can improve the educational and social outcomes for children and young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable.”
