Page 110 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 110
become the norm. Lessons drawn from multi-professional teams in
schools show the issue of sufficient funding, time and resources (to
avoid work overload) is crucial as is clarifying the roles and respon-
sibilities. Continuous attention to minimise the amount of bureau-
cracy related to teams’ functioning is important. Moreover, the issue
of using the school as the place for delivery of the service and institu-
tional resistance to external teams working on-site in schools should
be discussed.
One study shows that most European countries have established a
multi-agency partnership ESL practice made up of multi-profes-
sional teams. Based on limited studies, it is recommended that team
members discuss their ways of approaching ESL prevention (e.g. like
preventing absenteeism only or focusing on any education, health or
social difficulties) and their understanding of ESL (e.g. does it stem
from the student’s lack of investment or inadequate teaching, learn-
ing, parental involvement). Another important issue is the need to
develop educational alliances on multiple levels, including teachers
(to create bonds with teachers).
The recommendations concerning ESL multi-professional teams
that are presented here bring together lessons from diverse settings
and are also very closely aligned with scientific findings from the lit-
erature on small teams. Yet going beyond these recommendations
and putting them into practice may pose a challenge.
Key words: early school leaving, multi-professional teams, coopera-
tion, health care, social care, education
Introduction
Establishing multi-disciplinary1 or multi-professional teamwork is one way
of addressing complex cross-cutting social issues as members of a range
1 There is wealth of research and publications on the topic of multi-professional, in-
ter-professional, cross-professional, multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary in re-
lation to cooperation, collaboration, partnership, practice, work, communication
coming from a range of fields, e.g. aviation (e.g. Thomas, Sherwood & Helmreich,
2003), health-care/medicine (e.g. Leathgard, 1994; Daly, 2004), social care (e.g.
Frost, 2011), education (e.g. Downes, 2011; Edwards & Downes, 2013; Markle, Splett,
Maras, & Weston, 2014). There are issues of defining the meaning and wide array
of alternative terminology is used and debated, that can be concept-based (e.g. in-
ter-disciplinary, multi-professional, holistic), process-based (e.g. teamwork, part-
nership, collaboration, cooperation, liaison, alliances) or agency-based (inter-agen-
cy, inter-sectoral). For example, there is an on-going debate on differences between
110
schools show the issue of sufficient funding, time and resources (to
avoid work overload) is crucial as is clarifying the roles and respon-
sibilities. Continuous attention to minimise the amount of bureau-
cracy related to teams’ functioning is important. Moreover, the issue
of using the school as the place for delivery of the service and institu-
tional resistance to external teams working on-site in schools should
be discussed.
One study shows that most European countries have established a
multi-agency partnership ESL practice made up of multi-profes-
sional teams. Based on limited studies, it is recommended that team
members discuss their ways of approaching ESL prevention (e.g. like
preventing absenteeism only or focusing on any education, health or
social difficulties) and their understanding of ESL (e.g. does it stem
from the student’s lack of investment or inadequate teaching, learn-
ing, parental involvement). Another important issue is the need to
develop educational alliances on multiple levels, including teachers
(to create bonds with teachers).
The recommendations concerning ESL multi-professional teams
that are presented here bring together lessons from diverse settings
and are also very closely aligned with scientific findings from the lit-
erature on small teams. Yet going beyond these recommendations
and putting them into practice may pose a challenge.
Key words: early school leaving, multi-professional teams, coopera-
tion, health care, social care, education
Introduction
Establishing multi-disciplinary1 or multi-professional teamwork is one way
of addressing complex cross-cutting social issues as members of a range
1 There is wealth of research and publications on the topic of multi-professional, in-
ter-professional, cross-professional, multi-disciplinary, trans-disciplinary in re-
lation to cooperation, collaboration, partnership, practice, work, communication
coming from a range of fields, e.g. aviation (e.g. Thomas, Sherwood & Helmreich,
2003), health-care/medicine (e.g. Leathgard, 1994; Daly, 2004), social care (e.g.
Frost, 2011), education (e.g. Downes, 2011; Edwards & Downes, 2013; Markle, Splett,
Maras, & Weston, 2014). There are issues of defining the meaning and wide array
of alternative terminology is used and debated, that can be concept-based (e.g. in-
ter-disciplinary, multi-professional, holistic), process-based (e.g. teamwork, part-
nership, collaboration, cooperation, liaison, alliances) or agency-based (inter-agen-
cy, inter-sectoral). For example, there is an on-going debate on differences between
110
