Unit 2.5, 3.1 & 3.2 Explain barriers to partnership working and how to overcome these.

Barriers to partnership working can be many. The lack of trust of professionals by parents can be a factor. Also, incorrectly trained staff can pose many problems, including inconsistency between staff members. Another factor is incomplete or incorrect information being supplied.
Ways in which to overcome these barriers are listed below: * Honest and open communication * Accept the challenges each other faces * Acknowledge each other’s expertise * Provide accessible information (jargon free etc.) * Consider the family’s other commitments when arranging meetings and adjust the time, date and venue accordingly * Respect individual family differences (e.g. culture) * Include family carers/relatives in training * Keep communication channels open, even if you disagree

By improving partnership working you can achieve greater equality, mutual respect and better satisfaction. It will also be a more efficient use of everybody’s time. You can create a positive, empowering and supportive relationship with everyone working together towards the same goals. Most importantly you can achieve better outcomes for the child.

Unit 2.5, 3.4 Explain the potential tension between maintaining confidentiality and the need to disclose information:

- When Poor practice is identified

With regards to poor practice, it is imperative that you disclose information to your manager, or if this is not possible, to a DSL. It may be a worry that relationships between colleagues will suffer, however poor practice needs to be addressed. The information should be disclosed in a private and confidential setting within your practice.

- Where a child is at risk

In this case, the safety and well-being of the child is paramount. It is our duty to protect the child and keep them safe, so breaking confidentiality is justified. It is important to disclose information to the DSL. Sometimes it is a good idea to gather more information and watch the child, unless of course there is significant risk, which requires immediate reporting to the DSL.
Parents will have a copy of the Child Protection policy which states that information will be disclosed if the child is thought to be at harm. This gives us the right to report any kind of abuse to the Safeguarding leaders with or without the parents consent.

- When it is suspected that a crime has been / may be commited

When a crime has been alleged, suspected or commited by a parent / carer, depending on which type of crime has been committed, depends on how we as practitioners handle it.
It depends on how serious the crime is as to whether to break the trust between parents and staff. If there is risk of violence to the child, then obviously confidentiality can be broken to ensure that the child is not at risk of significant injury and is safe and protected. It is our job that the child is kept safe from harm. If the crime does not pose a risk to the chid, such as DVD piracy, then a blind eye should be turned, in order to maintain trust as trust is paramount to good relationships. This crime would be none of our business and we should respect our confidentiality and policy and procedure.