Collaboration in multi-agency teams : a case study in child protection

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and successes in multi-agency team collaboration concerning child protection in the United Kingdom. Six team members of the core group of the child protection conference were interviewed. A qualitative research process was performed using an instrumental case study strategy as an in-depth exploration and description of a single case. The results indicated a support for collaborative teamwork in spite of the presence of many challenges. These results are of interest because they address and outline challenges in multi-agency teams and also suggest how team collaboration can be improved for the benefit of children and their families in multi-agency working.