Working in an integrated way

Since the election of New Labour in 1997 there has been a sustained output of policies, legislation and guidance to highlight the benefits of working in an integrated way (HM Government, 2004; Lloyd et al., 2003).Alongside this, service guidance documents and exemplars of good practice are produced that highlight the benefits that are achieved for service users, namely parents, children and young people, by adopting this style of service delivery.There is no doubt that integrated working can often bring benefits for service users but should this always be an unquestioned assumption? This chapter will outline the different ways that services and practitioners can work together and discuss the notion of the previously outlined question. To achieve the best outcomes for service providers and users requires consideration of a range of factors.These will be discussed and strategies, which can be utilised by services and practitioners to achieve effective working practices,discussed in the context of different services.