Joining up working

Terms for models of co-professional working are at times used interchangeably in policy documents, but definitions for ‘named types’ do exist. A classification framework is outlined, and discussed. The models that may be used are influenced by the structures within which staff work and the ease with which co-professional contact can be made. Integrated services will require to make decisions about the models they intend to foster, but resource limits will play a part. Options are discussed with reference to speech and language therapists and teachers working together, which provides a long-established and well-researched example, and the practical need for ‘good enough’ models of co-working is stressed.