So here is a picture of what multi agency team working can look like…

A million people all in their boxes within their boundaries working on their areas of expertise in isolation but coming together when a meeting is called however still working in boxes within their areas and still in isolation falling in their areas of responsibility. Rigidly separated due to authority and budgets.

Joining up methods of working are actually rare despite what we read in the glossy pamphlets and booklets that introduce yet another service. Treating a family holistically and a child overall extremely rare whilst we know our child is a whole and not Little parts.

Every referral into a service taking different waiting time durations and none working collaboratively. None really being accessed at the same time so joined up working becoming more of an empty statement.

Not the one stop shop we need … not the joined up sharing of information required. So we go to our tenth appointment with the tenth professional and discuss the whole history of our journey again. Only to be told it will take approx 5-6 months on a waiting list anyway. So we’ve lost a days pay and built up anxiety over the appointment for nothing really.

A child becomes parts certainly not a whole.

Can we not develop services to be realistic in meeting needs. To stop metaphorically slicing our children into bits where they are dealt with separately.

How do we want it look. Any ideas?