Abstract

Partnerships in Social Care is a practical handbook for professionals engaged in planning strategic partnerships in health, social care and education services.

The author proposes that service providers consider five key questions when setting up new partnerships:

* Is this partnership necessary?

* What is its purpose?

* Who is involved?

* Where will it function?

* How will it work?

Fletcher discusses the common problems of building successful partnerships - such as conflicts of interest and allocation of funding and resources - and offers guidance and practical tips on dealing with them. Designed as a quick reference, the book allows readers to find advice relevant to their particular situation or gain an overview of the themes explored.

This accessible and concise professional handbook is highly recommended for practitioners, managers and politicians, as well as all professionals working in, or considering working in partnerships in health, social care, housing, children's services, education, community development, justice and local services.

It's a marvellously lucid and topical book, full of practical wisdom and insights. The author, Keith Fletcher, writes from many years' experience as a social work manager, inspector and consultant, which shows. It's also very easy to read and, at a little over 100 pages, contains absolutely no waffle…anyone working in children's services will find this book an invaluable reference.
Children Now
Keith Fletcher spent much of his final years working with`failing' authorities with problems caused by ineffective or non-existent collaboration arrangements. He helped them to identify strategies and build effective partnerships. He was formerly Deputy Chief Inspector in the Social Services Directorate, Wales, trained as a social worker and his professional background was in government social services. He previously wrote several books on children's, health and social services, including Negotiation for Health and Social Services Professionals, also published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
If you have ever worked in a partnership project with internal and external agencies, you will wish you had read this first. The charts are useful and aimed at practical situations that actually happen. The case studies show the processes required, without any value judgements or preconceived notions of what is right or wrong. The advice is sound and this book is a good introductory guide to the subject.
Community Care
This is a practical handbook, which offers advice and information on how to achieve more effective and efficient local services through setting up strategic partnerships in health, social care and education services. The book is readable and concise, and is recommended for leaders, managers and practitioners working in partnerships among health, social care, housing, justice and education services. The appendices are useful, and provide models of actual cases, early start reviews and developing a new project. This last appendix is an example of a leaflet developed for staff to assist them through a project. This book is helpful and offers a sound starting point for all those involved in developing partnership work in social care.
British Journal of Occupational Therapy
Consultant Fletcher focuses on establishing and maintaining close working relationships that result in collaboration in designing and delivering health, social care and education services. He shows how conflicts of interest and intent and limited resources often have agencies that should be working together instead at each others' throats, and shows how to turn these disadvantages as incentives for cooperation and mutual support.
Book News
This is a practical handbook offering advice on how to achieve better, more effective local services through setting up strategic partnerships in health, social care and education services.
New Literature in Old Age
The strengths of this book are addressing practical questions and providing guidance for planning and executing partnerships within social care setting. The work is written as a hand-book for an audience that is likely to have an interest in developing partnership based services, since it is aimed at professionals, politicians, service providers and commissioners, who will appreciate the book's practical and accessible format.
The Journal of Interprofessional Care