Multi-agency working

Multi-agency working is about different services, agencies and teams of professionals and other practitioners working together to provide services that fully meet the needs of children, young people and their parents or carers.

Schools are aware that some children’s families, including some refugee families, can have complex needs which may impact adversely on children’s health, well-being and learning. Schools are developing their role in responding to the wider needs of all children. Primary schools play an important role in helping refugee families establish themselves and integrate into local communities.

Schools are unable to respond to every type of problem a family might encounter but they are well-placed to identify potential difficulties and help them find the support they need. For refugee families, schools are a vital point of contact in a local community, and can successfully connect them to a range of other services such as health, housing and employment.

Many schools are now working with partners to provide services beyond the school day. The teachernet Extended schools information includes case studies and guidance. Local consultation will help schools agree with their partners what types of services they would like to offer their pupils, families or the community. Some key services are briefly described, but schools are encouraged to offer activities or programmes that reflect the needs of their local community.

Good practice

The holistic multi-agency approach to meeting the needs of children is an essential element of Every Child Matters: Change for Children. This means achieving better coordination of the work of agencies that traditionally have provided discrete services to meet different aspects of the needs of children, young people and their families. Refugee children and families will benefit from schools working effectively with local partners and services.

Develop the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge

The Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children's Workforce sets out the basic skills and knowledge needed by people (including volunteers) whose work brings them into regular contact with children, young people and families. It aims to enable multi-disciplinary teams to work together more effectively in the interests of the child. Key proficiencies include skills in multi-agency working and sharing information.

Guidance on good practice in multi-agency working is provided in the Common Core Prospectus.

Develop partnerships with outside agencies and services

Many schools have developed partnerships with agencies and services to ensure that the diverse needs of the local community, including those of refugee families, are addressed. For example some schools, through their extended school services, work in partnership with the local Citizens Advice Bureau and Law Centres and have set up advice surgeries for parents.

Signpost additional sources of help and support

This can ensure that school staff do not give advice in those areas where they lack information and expertise. It is, for example, an offence to provide advice on immigration matters unless one is registered with, or granted a certificate of exemption by, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The OISC website has an Adviser Finder search facility to locate immigration and asylum advisers in different parts of the country.

Build up knowledge of local services

Schools can build up their knowledge and understanding of the range of organisations that work with refugee children, families and communities. An awareness of what kinds of services exist locally means they can be effective in directing families towards them and can make information on local services available by:

• Creating attractive and well-maintained displays for parents with leaflets and posters about local services. Some refugees will find translated information particularly helpful. The Refugee Council provides a range of translated resources for refugees.
• Ensuring that refugee parents and communities can make use of the school’s ICT facilities
• Suggesting websites such as:

Multikulti and Refugee access which provide translated and culturally appropriate information on employment, health, housing, immigration and welfare benefits.

Health for asylum seekers and refugees portal (HARPWEB), Citizens Advice and Advice UK, which provide search facilities to locate local advice services.

The Mapping the UK project, being developed by the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR) provides information about asylum and refugee issues as they relate to specific cities and towns in the UK.

Compiling information on local services. Schools can assemble this information in a format that is accessible to staff, such as a ring binder which might include:

• The name of the service
• The service provided
• Contact details: address, telephone number, email, website
• Opening times Whether interpreters are provided and the method of referral.

A downloadable local services information template (.doc) may be helpful to schools wishing to assemble information on local services which work with refugees.

Evaluate extended school provision

By evaluating extended school services, schools can ensure there are opportunities for all parents and members of the local community to benefit. They can also consider whether more targeted services for refugee parents are appropriate.

Case studies

Partnership with an advice agency (.PDF)

Grange Primary School, in the London Borough of Southwark, developed a partnership with a local advice agency, the Multi-Lingual Community Rights Shop (MLCRS). The case study describes how the MLCRS provides advice sessions in the school, and how the partnership has enhanced the school’s reputation as a safe place where families can find support and advice.

The MultiKulti site refers to it at http://www.multikulti.org.uk/agencies/french/london/21186/

Bayswater Families Centre (.PDF)

Bayswater Families Centre offers an holistic range of services to refugee and homeless families living in bed and breakfast, hostel, or temporary accommodation in the North Westminster area. The case study outlines how the centre develops co-ordinated approaches in order to promote children’s well-being and address complex family needs. Strong links and partnerships have been built with many different services and agencies.

Joint working practices to support the integration of new arrivals (.PDF)

Specialist teachers and other staff within the City of Manchester’s Children’s Services are developing joint working-practices by examining how different specialisms can work together, agree joint targets and undertake regular monitoring and evaluation of outcomes. The case study describes how this has led to the East District New Arrivals Support Team (EDNAST) being established to meet the diverse needs of new arrivals. The team ensures that children’s needs are quickly assessed, their access to school is supported and schools are better able to support their integration.