Working in Partnership in Health and Social Care: A Comprehensive Analysis

This paper explores the philosophy, models, legislation, and challenges of partnership working in the health and social care sector. It examines the impact of partnership on service users, professionals, and organizations, analyzing potential barriers and devising strategies for improvement. The paper delves into the importance of communication, information sharing, and consultation in fostering successful partnerships.

Working in partnership in Health and
Social Care

Introduction
In the industry of health and social care services sector, working as partner brings together two
different types of organizations to associate in order to gain benefit from making the most of
each other from capital budgeting, resource sharing, sharing of information, sharing of power
between each other and also to make profits. In partnership business the organizations working
must be capable of empowering and encouraging one another with sufficient coordination of
activities performed by both the organizations and cooperation. This enhances the partnering
organizations ability to crush and achieve the goals and the objectives set by them. The purpose
of collaborating with each other is to deliver effective and high quality services to the
community. In the sector of Health and Social Care services the organizations working as partner
might depend upon each other for economic, financial and social support. This interdependency
among the organizations helps them with coordination of activities, sharing of resources with
each other as well as information sharing for arriving and making important decisions.
Chapter 1
1.1 Explain the philosophy of working in partnership in health and social care
The philosophy behind working in partnership focuses on these elements (Gradinger et al.,
2015):
 Empowerment
 Ethical status of the individual
 Duty
 Common justice
 Independence and rights of the individual
 Independence of the individual
 Protection of individuals
Partnership occupies a major portion and unique role in health and social care. In any
organization, partnership aims at achieving:
 Efficiency

 Senseless pattern of services
 Distributing services equally among partners and reducing work stress
In health and social care, partnership not only includes collaboration among ward members or
board of Directors with the staffs but also includes several local authorities, private and
government aids (Cameron et al., 2014). The NHS plan embraces the property and value of
partnership. Partnership refers to working as an integrated whole. An organization’s reputation
depends on the role of partnership among its members.
In partnership, 4 elements perform the epic role, which are collaboration, co-operation,
integration and communication (Glasby and Dickinson, 2014). In any partnership, including a
group of people working together needs having a leader as the spokesperson. Partnership works
between leader and their ward members. The main philosophy behind partnership is the bond of
understanding. A clear understanding about the issue helps partners to collaborate and find
solution to the problem. From the beginning, if partners have a clear idea of what are the aspects,
a real change in the lives of the people is expected. Partnership, on the other hand intends to
respond to a vast range of crosscutting and critical social issues such as poverty and poor health.
In this particular sector, Government has also taken initiative to introduce LSPs to bring under
one shade the private, business, community and voluntary sectors. These include:
 Ensuring proper co-ordination and maintenance of the inputs
 Allocating various health and local government mechanisms
 Introducing local strategy for local and national priorities
Partnership in health and social care will also make a point that each mechanisms are operating
at its own level with efficiency. Partnership always includes strategy. Without strategy, no
partnership in any organization will work efficiently. Proper communication is very much
required for partnership to flourish. Different policies and working standards will hamper
partnership. This includes planning together and working together, which increases the work
efficiency. Partnership among members is reflected in health and social care, with its ward
members co-coordinating among each other. Partnership gives the chances of having different
opinion, different working styles, which has its negative and positive side. Differences of opinion
in partnership face multiple issues, which weakens the foundation of the organization. This array

includes political structures, different ways of regarding the need of patients and users,
responsibilities.
In partnership, different working style or difference of opinions causes hindrance. Partnership,
when working together ensures partners agreeing to same viewpoint, better policies and better
standards. Even development takes its flight when opinions are same. In health and social care,
when ward members have the same opinion, it increases the betterment opportunity in the health
care sector and among the patients. Partnership enables to carry out the work diligently and in a
better way. Time management occurs with the help of partnership working in alignments.
Different tasks performed by different member’s increases the value of partnership. Information
sharing among the members makes teamwork works efficiently. Each partner should be aware of
the other member duties. Job role gets distributed among ward members so that the patients get
the opportunities of better treatment.
1.2 Evaluate partnership relationship within health and social care services
‘Partnership relationship’ defines the bond among the members. Partnership relationship is
enlightened from the relationship between several private and local organizations (Dickinson and
O'Flynn, 2016). This relationship develops based on co-operation from the local authorities.
Partnership enables to have clarity in strategy. Relationship occupies a strong bond, when local
authorities, community sectors joins hand with government bodies. For improving the condition
of patient, in health and social care co-operation from other organization is very essential.
Partnership relationship includes the co-ordination among the authorities. All organizations
under one shade define a particular strategy. Within health and social care, partnership is very
much essential among ward members. Regarding the health and poor condition of the patients,
local organizations have to come forward for their rescue. The strength of the unity among the
partners influences the health of the patients indirectly. Partnership with local organizations
includes medical assistance, mechanisms, different ways of treating patients, time management
strategy.
Organizations provide not only medical assistance but also monetary help. For poor patients,
who are unable to carry forward with their treatment, NGOs come forward to assist them. This
help is defining as partnership relationship. Even in scenarios, where the condition of the patients

is ignored police authority has an upper hand. Evaluation of partnership relationship is possible
with the help of strategy. Incident reported to the police authority helps the patients in a legal
way. Local partnership develops with the help of local organization joining hands. For any
patient, care is the most important job role performed. This job is executed with the help of the
partnership with various organizations.
Coming to a very logical discussion, any organization or services cannot perform with sole help.
Cooperation is required as the base of the relationship. Relationship enhances through the means
of communication and integration. Communication enables doors to open up for building
strategy (Cameron et al., 2014). Effective communication acts as a tool in the organization. In
few cases, as seen that patient’s voice is unheard. Lack of communication is a negative strategy
of partnership relationship. Communication and collaboration goes hand in hand in forming
partnership relationship. Collaboration makes the world a better place. Partnership forecast as a
positive relationship in terms of decision-making. Professionalism and time management is best
practices=d through positive relationship in partners. Partnership enables to know each other
capability and power and this helps in decision-making. If any of the members is weak in any
sector, other partner should lend hand for developing partnership. Group work helps to cover up
the weakness of the organization. Difference of opinions hampers the relationship. Depending on
the situation, a team needs to work. This teamwork is the second name for partnership
relationship. Any organization, even health and social care faces challenges. Meeting with
challenges requires partnership.
Positive bonding among the team members strengthens the bond in the organization. In any field,
especially in health and social care, social factors face the main challenge. Social factors include
poverty, unsustainable condition and ignorance. Ignorance of the patients is the main hinder in
terms of partnership. Patients, who are unable to attend the bathroom, have to be attended in
time. Time management is possible, when positive relationship develops among team members.
For any organizations, the partnership refers to doctors, caretaking staffs, transport, security, top
management, vendors, patients, finance team (Brett et al., 2014). Integration of the health and
social care follows a channel. Integration channel includes relative autonomy, co-ordination,
joint appointments, enhanced partnership and structural integration. Ward members form

partnership to enhance and improve the condition of the patients. The team members know the
loopholes of the organization and can take care of developing it.
TASK 2
2.1 Analyse models of partnership working across the health and social care sector.
For many decades, Health and Social Care has struggled to establish different aspects of
partnership working. The challenge was not just to make an instant and sustainable progress, but
also to make new ventures that would help them to deal bigger aspects of society and mankind
well-being (Cameron et al., 2014).
Initially, as a result of emphasis on partnership working, an array of new joint working has begun
to create an operational level, including many partnership investment plans, partnership
assessments of older people and development of partnership rehab schemes. The common theme
is that organizations work together as an integrated system although they remain as distinct
organisations. The first structure was to create a framework to focus on mental health care,
coronary heart diseases and services of older people. Joint partnerships focus on joining local
and governmental with regard to solve issues related to continuing and community care services,
and advancement in health and social care.
Unified and co-ordination is pivotal for individual care services by treating them as an individual
and recognized at different personalities, interests and medical care requirements. The workers
need determination to work with patient, their families , hospitals and other organisations to
deliver best healthcare. The aim of unified assessment procedures is to ensure more efficient
joint working, and to prevent patients from being serially assessed and asked to provide same
information to different other agencies. Hybrid and coalition models work with the aim of
joining public, private and social sectors. Their goal is to maintain a strong social presence and
provide services which private organisations are unwilling to provide and they depend on
entrepreneurship for their funding. Their challenge is to provide better citizen services and wider
economic benefits to society.

At strategic level, the institutions share information and plan together about the use of resources.
The operational requirements further have the expectations of a single point of access, shared
information systems and extensive training across health and social care staff. Real progress will
only be achieved if there is clarity about goals and missions for users of services. The strategies
target the needs of the users at the core. In addition to this, the government has taken the
responsibility to bring different agencies, institutions and organisations under a single umbrella.
The implications of this partnership are still far from clear.
2.2 Review current legislation and organisational practices and policies for partnership
working in health and social care.
The various legislation and organisational practices and policies for partnership in NHS are:
 NHS Reorganization Act 1973
 Health Act 1999
 National Health Service Act 2006
 The New NHS Act
 Heath and Social Care Act 2012
 Disabled Persons Act 1986
 NHS and Community Care Act 1990
 Health and Social Care Act 2001
 NHS Acts 2006
 National Assistance Act 1948
Legislation forms the legal norms that need to follow in any organization. These acts altogether
improve the duty to promote and safeguard the integrated care. As a result, this will increase the
quality of services and outcomes. In the case of NHS Foundation, it needs to consider working
together with local authorities and agencies to ensure protection of patients. The legislation acts
include the rights that patients, public and elderly citizens are entitled. But, in NHS, all these
were not practiced and followed which led to the widespread failure of the whole system under
the Health Act; the citizens should receive right care and support. The citizens that were unable

to move were not provided support. They were not given the medicines and were left completely
unattended. Immense gap in communication between the staff and the managers lead to poor
performance and no regard for the welfare of patients.
Under the National and Service act, the local authorities and state authorities have the
responsibility of safeguarding the interest and concerns of patients’ and their families. But in
NHS none of them were aware of the citizens’ plight. Everyone was in shock about the
prevailing situation in NHS Foundation. The number of staff was inadequate to deliver the guard
and support to need and vulnerable people. The authorities were weak and was not listening the
problems of the patients. No correction was done by the senior clinical representatives in the
local organisations and the whole task of attending the interests of citizens was left unknown.
There was no existence of proper mechanism to handle complains of people admitted in the
hospital. Under the NHS and Community Care act, patients and their families are entitled to
receive financial support and funding. The senior representatives were responsible for checking
the quality of care provided to patients, but the skilled inspectors conducted the painstaking
investigation, to bring the actual situation to limelight. The training and professional
representatives lacked the professionalism, they were reluctant to take action urgently to protect
patients. At every level, there was lack of communication and an ability to take immediate
action, in short the public were not given sufficient care and betrayed from their fundamental
rights. The blame for this whole situation cannot be put on a single policy or department of NHS
Foundation or even a group of individuals. It was a culture in the institution to focus more on the
business of the system rather than the wellbeing of patients and maintenance of public trust. The
service so valued and respected in the country and internationally is in danger of losing public
trust unless the root of poor practice is removed wherever it is found.
2.3 Explain how differences in working practices and policies affect collaborative working.
Increasingly there is more push for better partnerships so that people can fit aptly within their
agencies responsibilities. An important fact is that collaborative working is needed rather than
institutional design. Collaboration in Health and Social care sector refers to the ability of
working together in cohesive way (Pollard, 2008). Clarity in respective areas of work and
accountability is required from the starting. For multi-disciplinary and jointly managed teams to

work viably and effectively, the policy makers and practitioners need better communication
strategies. In Healthcare sector, working collaboratively involves is difficult as it involves
complex organisational system and practitioners. Although collaboration is very useful, but
agencies have to face a lot of differences such as political structures, accountability systems,
professional backgrounds and the various norms and practices that are involved inside each
institution. Other limitations that stop agencies to achieve collaboration are difficulty in sharing
of information between professionals and agencies and the preservation of confidentiality. Many
times difference in points of views and plans play a hindrance in the successful collaboration of
institutions. Collaborative working takes lot of time and commitment to develop, which increases
high workload and responsibilities on senior professionals. There are certain boundaries which
all organisations need to face while working collaboratively. With increased service user
participation, there is an overlap in dimensions found in inter-agency and inter- professional
collaboration (Petch et al., 2013).
3.1 Evaluate possible outcomes of partnership working for users of services, professionals
and organizations
Working in partnership looks like quite easy from the external sight. But when the organization
collaborate with each other in reality, it becomes really difficult to do the job by coordinating
and cooperating with each other. Maintenance of various kinds of policies and also to match with
the policies of the partner organization or firms and institution they have collaborated with is not
so easy to maintain. Partnership working provides beneficial way for an organization to grow
fast in the sector of health and social care services. There are various kinds of advantages and
disadvantages, merits and demerits, positive and negative outcomes that are to be handled by the
organization associated(Glasby, 2014). Various kinds of level that have impact and are affected
by the health and social care organizations.
1. Service users: This part consists of the people who use the services provided and delivered by
the health and the social care service providers or have used these services previously and have
been involved in the process of development and planning of the services that are delivered by
the health and social care service providers. In partnership, if any member of the council or the

community becomes a part of the organization it becomes easier to modify and implement
changes that must be made or done in order to provide and deliver high quality and effective
services to the other users of the services provided by health and social care. Thus, an
organization can be noticed and observed deeply and there opens a way to change the areas that
needs to be improved. Apart from this, the management skills can be enhanced with innovative
and creative ideas with proper implementation of ideas to get effective outcome (Rummery,
2009).
2. Professionals: This part of the health and social care service organizations deals with doctors,
nurses, ward boys and other staffs of the organization engaged with the maintenance of the
quality management and the services provided by the organization. Partnership provides the
doorway to the professionals to expand their work and provide beneficiary services which helps
them in the gaining a secure future. Partnership in a healthcare organization the management of
these professionals is maintained in a qualitative and quantitative way and thus can create better
impact to the people who are outside the organization. If an organization does not face any lack
in the labor power it becomes easier for an organization to perform better. Sometimes, even
partnership can affect a professional adversely, if the company whose outsource professionals
possesses different policies this can be a great problem for them to work with.
3. Organization: The main and the foremost benefit that an organization possesses because of
having a partnership is to accelerate and distribute skills and labor, which affects the
organization in a long run. It also helps the organization grow its impact on the community. It
becomes easier for an organization to achieve its goal as the work and skill gets distributed
equally among various partners. The future objectives can be planned in advance and can be
achieved with proper management. If an organization lacks funding, even that can be solved by
raising funds from different sectors working within the organization(Fujimoto et al., 2017).
Partnership helps an organization in various ways and affects and organization adversely. There
can be delay in decision making because of long director paneling that can affect the
organization and even the person seeking needs from the organization.

3.2 Analyze the potential barriers to partnership working in health and social care services
Involved in partnership provides scope for health and social care to expand its market in the
community or the specific sector and to face huge barriers. Sometimes these barriers can be the
key to the downfall of the organization. Partnership can even lead to a large scale corruption and
can create turbulence in the economy. It can also lead to a negative impact of an organization to
the community (Brett et al, 2014). Partnership can also affect an organization in various ways,
those are discussed below :
1. Informed decision-making: A person who wants to avail medical emergency from a
healthcare might not get the best facility because of the decision making structure of the
organization. There can be clash in the policies of different sectors within the organization that in
result can affect the treatment of a person. There might not be a proper information flow to all
the levels of administration thus making delay in taking decisions and making policies (Moore et
al., 2017).
2. Inter agency conflict: There can be clash within the agencies outsourcing professionals. The
people from two different organizations may belong from two different classes of different
culture and mentality, as a result creating internal conflict and chaos, which on other hand
negatively affects the reputation and the quality of the central organization, they are working for;
creating a negative impression to the community, they belong. The quality of the service
provided by the central organization also gets affected adversely creating misconception about
the organization to the other partners of the central organization (Virkki, 2015).
3. Liability: In a long chain partnership business like health and social care centre if there is any
dispute in the management process it becomes hard to find who is actually liable for that dispute.
Partners of the central organization may feel that they are just partners and may lack skills and
knowledge leading to poor quality work.
3.3 devise strategies to improve outcomes for partnership working in health and social care
services
Planning of strategies is must to enhance the outcomes and results for working in health and
social care services as a partner. Both the collaborating organization has to look after many key
factors to get the best outcome. Some of the strategies are mentioned below:

Communication
It is the most important part when it comes into play for working in partnership. If the
communication between two organizations is clear the problems faced by the organization are
easily overcome, proper communication among the organization leads to good decision making
which helps the organization to provide with effective and high quality services to the customers
(Yorkston et al., 2016).
Information sharing
Once the communication between two organizations is clear and understandable next, comes the
section of sharing information among each other to maintain the policies and match the policies
of one another to regulate each other with information regularly (Florence et al., 2011). Sharing
of information is required to know the demands of the customers in order to arrive to decision
and to provide the service users with efficient and high quality services.
Consulting
It is the most significant part used in strategy planning. Before arriving to a particular decision
for the welfare of the people of the society and the medical needs of the patients, the most
important thing for both the collaborating organization is to consult with each other regarding the
specific product or the service they are going to launch or provide. Consulting with each other
reduces the chances of conflicts and chaos within the organization working as partner (Byrne,
1976).

Conclusion
Thus, from the above research and assessment it is to be concluded that when two or more
organization are collaborating with each other they have to look after many key factors in order
to achieve their goals by making the most out of each other and on the other hand they have to
also provide high quality services to the community or the society. The organizations looking to
collaborate in the industry of health and social care services must understand the partnership
relationship and philosophies in health and social care services which consists of the
philosophies of working as a partner in the sector of health and social care service provider. The
organization also needs to understand the partnership relationships and evaluate them and also to
evaluate the outcome of the partnership with working for the private companies, agents,
government firms and other users. The organizations have to develop various kinds of strategies
and techniques in order to achieve the targeted goals and the objectives set by the organizations
at the time of collaboration.

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