A Unique Child: A-Z of inclusive practice - T is for Teamwork
Mary Dickins
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
By Mary Dickins, early years consultant (All Together Consultancy/London Met. University)
Successful inclusive practice requires effective teamwork in order to develop and flourish.
In order for teams to be successful, collaboration and co-operation will be vital. Team members need to share the same values and vision. Individual strengths must be valued and utilised, and members will need to listen to each other effectively. A well-motivated and dynamic team usually enjoys challenges and demonstrates a willingness to solve problems as they arise.
Government legislation and guidance, including the SEN Code of Practice and Every Child Matters, promote working across agencies in a proactive and 'seamless' manner, and so creating a wider team that is working in the best interests of the individual child. Against this backdrop the creation of an effective team calls for sensitive and creative management and leadership.
In many parts of the UK the 'Team around the child' (TAC) approach has gained acceptance as a way of co-ordinating early interventions for young children who have multiple or complex needs and need long-term practical intervention on a regular basis from a number of different practitioners.
Each TAC should have a multi-agency membership which brings together the key practitioners who support the child, regardless of who they work for. It should empower parents as well by offering them a full place in the team, and there should be a team leader with a very clearly defined and limited role who functions as the multi-agency key worker for the child and family.
A TAC can include teachers, therapists, early years practitioners, health visitors, nurses, social workers, portage workers, social workers and others. The first principle of effective teamwork is for teams to agree on a purpose, code of conduct, protocol and procedures, vision, values, roles and responsibilities, as early as possible. A team that has agreement on these issues can more easily ensure that its efforts are purposeful and that all members contribute effectively. Remember that T is also for 'talking'.
MORE INFORMATION
- http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=210551
- www.icwhatsnew.com/bulletin/index.htm
- www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/ monitoring-team-effectiveness-1196
- www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Leading-to-excellence
- www.gtce.org.uk/research/commissioned_research/pupil_learning/eleys_leadership/
- www.c4eo.org.uk/narrowingthegap/files/ntg_leadership_report.pdf
