Inter-agency cooperation between services for children and families in Ireland: does it improve outcomes?
dc.contributor.author | McKeown, Kieran | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-09-11T09:08:57Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-09-11T09:08:57Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2012 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Kieran McKeown, (2012) "Inter-agency cooperation between services for children and families in Ireland: does it improve outcomes?", Journal of Children's Services, Vol. 7 Iss: 3, pp.191 - 200 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10147/242543 | |
dc.description | Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the processes and outcomes of a five-year initiative to develop inter-agency working between services for vulnerable 10- to 18-year-olds in a disadvantaged area of Dublin, Ireland. Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology included: review of documentation on 32 formal meetings of the network; 43 interviews with agency personnel involved in the network; in-depth review of nine randomly selected cases which had been treated according to the network's agreed protocol of inter-agency case management. Findings – The initiative created a vibrant inter-agency process in terms of developing and implementing an agreed protocol for inter-agency care planning. However, assessment of the outcomes for young people and their families showed that only a few made any improvement. Four reasons are suggested for this relatively modest result: the target group of 10- to 18-year-olds had experienced neglect and abuse over many years and this made it difficult to achieve positive outcomes for them; the quality and standard of work by some staff in some agencies was questionable; agencies did not seem to include inter-agency work in assessing their overall performance, or the performance of individual staff; and most agencies did not seem to have adopted an outcome-oriented, evidence-based approach to their work. Originality/value – The paper points out that an effective and inclusive inter-agency process is necessary but not enough for improving child outcomes; the sufficient condition for improved child outcomes is effective intra-agency processes to deliver high-quality services and a policy environment that supports and requires it. | en_GB |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | Emerald Group Publishing Limited | en_GB |
dc.subject | CHILD HEALTH | en_GB |
dc.subject | YOUNG PEOPLE | en_GB |
dc.subject | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | en_GB |
dc.title | Inter-agency cooperation between services for children and families in Ireland: does it improve outcomes? | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en |
dc.contributor.department | Social and Economic Research Consultant based in Dublin, Ireland | en_GB |