Description:
Policy developments increasingly require public services to work across traditional professional boundaries. This volume draws together some Scottish case studies of collaborative activity, across ceducation, health and social work, which focus upon children, and considers issues emerging at the interface between policy and practice from the different professional perspectives.

* Inter-agency collaboration in context: the joining-up agenda, Bronwen Cohen
* A Model for Educational Change in East Renfrewshire, Jeannie Mackenzie
* Joint Working in South Ayrshire Early Years Forum, Douglas Hutchison
* Widening opportunities for disabled children in Stirling: a voluntary body initiative, Sue Dumbleton
* Developing integrated mental health services for children and young people in Moray, Chris Wiles
* Space for Growth. Ann Glaister and Bob Glaister

There is a growing literature on partnership in general: its forms, definitions, costs, benefits, contexts etc. And there is beginning to appear some evaluation of the policies in Scotland. But while policy is national, implementation is local, having to take account of local constraints and opportunities, and being implemented by individual practitioners.

The intention of this volume is to convey a sense of the experience of what is happening on the ground and to illustrate the impact at operational/practitioner level. It will appeal to policy makers and students of new partnerships for the development of services for children.

Ann Glaister (formerly Brechin) was a clinical psychologist working with children and families before joining The Open University's Faculty of Health and Social Care in 1978. Bob served as Dean of the School of Education from 1990-1998 and led the development of the Open University's Chartered Teacher programme before retiring at the end of 2004.