Strengths and weaknesses of multi

agency working

Question• Why is it that the supposed strengths of multi agency working are

consistently identified as a major weakness in serious case reviews and inspections?

Multi agency working• ‘…considering that multi agency resolutions are considered a way of

achieving best results, this report shows how this approach can be disastrous’

Steve and Lynette Williams

‘…at no time did all relevant agencies meet together’‘…each agency/staff (need to) fully understand the opportunities and procedures for inter and multi-agency information sharing, including MAPPA’.‘risk is fully assessed by each agency in the context of their own agency role and perpsective…’

• What should be the strengths of Mappa and other multi agency arrangements?• What are the likely barriers to effective working?• How might these be overcome?

Risk assessment and management• Issues we might consider:• Consistency• Link to resources and skill distribution• Conflicts between needs and risk• Why is risk so pervasively negative?