Keeping the child in mind in multi-professional working: Valuing the viewpoints of children and their parents

Abstract

This survey-based research explores data from a diverse range of 54 professionals involved in collaborative team working to support children with specific needs. The survey investigated the individual's perception of their own role, and the interactions within the team. The survey collected some quantitative data, such as age and length of time in role, to explore correlations, but it also asked open-ended questions, providing a wealth of qualitative data. While we have focused on relationship dynamics between professionals in previous work, in this article we revisit the data with a specific focus on the positionality and voice of the child and their parents within multi-professional teams. In doing so we find that professionals frequently forget that the child themselves is entitled to a say in the decisions made about them and that the concept of the parent as an expert on their own child is rarely recognised in practice. There is also evidence that the challenging emotions that many parents struggle with during multi-professional working can easily be misread as reluctance or disinterest. All of these findings highlight a need for professionals to take a far more reflective approach to their collaborative work with colleagues, families and children.