Common use of Interagency Collaboration Clause in Contracts

Interagency Collaboration. Early proactive engagement of staff in HSE Divisions and the Child and Family Agency in the best interests of children and their families is a prerequisite for managing individual cases. Informal consultation for advice and direction in regard to specific expertise must be provided as appropriate by practitioners and colleagues in HSE Divisions and the Child and Family Agency. Where a practitioner has concerns or identifies a need for intervention from another Division or from the Child and Family Agency, she/he must liaise with the relevant practitioner and agree a process for engagement. In the event of specific issues such as High Court cases, HIQA inspections; Ombudsman recommendations, etc., the appropriate managers will act in collaboration to address the required service improvements. Experience identifies that most interagency issues can be resolved by this early engagement and it can also act as an early warning system which ensures that appropriate actions are taken. The emphasis here is on early engagement and requests for interagency discussions must be prioritised and a meeting arranged, if agreed to be appropriate, following discussion. Joint working is governed by the requirements of Children First. When issues of child welfare and protection arise, early engagement should be as immediate as the same working day where harm has occurred, or within one week where an emergency child protection plan is required or Court matters need to be addressed. The fundamental principle is that both organisations are committed to optimal engagement, in the best interests of the child, and the minimisation of avoidable pre-emption, by other parties regarding applications to the Court for direction. An interagency meeting can be called by any Division/ Child and Family Area to develop joint care plans and review processes. The process will include:  Identification and agreement as to the Lead Agency and key co-ordinating professional  Identification of treatment interventions that can be delivered  If there is a need which cannot be met, to advise line management  Where line management cannot resolve the issue e.g. due to lack of resources or some other impediment, the matter should be escalated to the next level in accordance with this protocol The Care Plan or an addendum thereto, should clearly show which Organisation/Division is dealing with each part of the intervention(s), the actual intervention/service being provided, resources, costs, and the funding Organisation/Division. This document then forms part of the clinical and general governance and performance management process.