Page 118 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 118
uld be made to inform and educate school personnel about the impor-
tance of these variables in the ESL process (Angelucci et al., 2014).
Recommendations for the future
On one hand, there are recommendations stemming from lessons of mul-
ti-professional teams in the health, social and education sectors. On the
other, multi-professional teams at the school/local level (either specifically
tackling ESL or within another framework, but contributing to a lower lev-
el of ESL) have already been established in many EU member states, Thus,
although there is very limited research evidence examining these teams or
alliances, some lessons can still be learnt.
The most noteworthy and overriding recommendation from the so-
cial, health and education sectors is to ensure the provision of team train-
ing (for members as well as the coordinator). This would help address any
ethical dilemmas that may arise from different professionals working to-
gether (e.g. maintaining student/family privacy and confidentiality) as well
as develop respect for the potentially different professional and organisa-
tional values often found among professionals (to prevent conflicts) and to
help develop constructive communication (i.e. interaction patterns). Some
of these barriers can also be overcome when practitioners in the local com-
munity have the opportunity to meet regularly over several years to share
issues emerging from their practice. Successful multi-professional working
develops, in geographical terms, in relatively small areas over longer pe-
riods (Glenny & Roaf, 2008). In addition, procedures such as quality im-
provement can support successful team cooperation. In the long run, in-
ter-professional education for professionals working in and around schools
(e.g. developing team competencies, leadership for becoming future in-
ter-professional team members) should become the norm.
Issues facing multi-professional teams in schools include sufficient
funding, time and resources as well as the need to clarify roles and respon-
sibilities. Thus, allowing multi-professionals time to function as part of the
team (and not to view their team cooperation as being just another new
task on the existing list of tasks – to avoid work overload), to designate
enough and the right type of professionals as well as to provide adequate
training is needed. Continuous attention to minimising the amount of bu-
reaucracy related to the teams’ functioning is important. The issue of lo-
cation (whether the school is the right place for service delivery) as well as
118
tance of these variables in the ESL process (Angelucci et al., 2014).
Recommendations for the future
On one hand, there are recommendations stemming from lessons of mul-
ti-professional teams in the health, social and education sectors. On the
other, multi-professional teams at the school/local level (either specifically
tackling ESL or within another framework, but contributing to a lower lev-
el of ESL) have already been established in many EU member states, Thus,
although there is very limited research evidence examining these teams or
alliances, some lessons can still be learnt.
The most noteworthy and overriding recommendation from the so-
cial, health and education sectors is to ensure the provision of team train-
ing (for members as well as the coordinator). This would help address any
ethical dilemmas that may arise from different professionals working to-
gether (e.g. maintaining student/family privacy and confidentiality) as well
as develop respect for the potentially different professional and organisa-
tional values often found among professionals (to prevent conflicts) and to
help develop constructive communication (i.e. interaction patterns). Some
of these barriers can also be overcome when practitioners in the local com-
munity have the opportunity to meet regularly over several years to share
issues emerging from their practice. Successful multi-professional working
develops, in geographical terms, in relatively small areas over longer pe-
riods (Glenny & Roaf, 2008). In addition, procedures such as quality im-
provement can support successful team cooperation. In the long run, in-
ter-professional education for professionals working in and around schools
(e.g. developing team competencies, leadership for becoming future in-
ter-professional team members) should become the norm.
Issues facing multi-professional teams in schools include sufficient
funding, time and resources as well as the need to clarify roles and respon-
sibilities. Thus, allowing multi-professionals time to function as part of the
team (and not to view their team cooperation as being just another new
task on the existing list of tasks – to avoid work overload), to designate
enough and the right type of professionals as well as to provide adequate
training is needed. Continuous attention to minimising the amount of bu-
reaucracy related to the teams’ functioning is important. The issue of lo-
cation (whether the school is the right place for service delivery) as well as
118
