Exploring identities and cultures in inter-professional education and collaborative professional practice

Abstract

Although the concept of multi-agency working has been pursued and adopted as the most appropriate way to improve childcare provision and health workforces in recent years, both in the UK and more globally, research suggests that participation in such work can be problematic. This article examines current developments in inter-professional education and collaborative professional practice. Drawing on desk research across the fields of Education, Health and Social Care, it applies a critical lens to re-examine inter-professional working using well-established concepts of profession, identity, culture, career, and training/work transitions. The article uses theoretical hooks to look for similarities and differences in the promotion of inter-professionality across the Education, Health and Social Care sectors, alongside those which occur within each. It looks towards a re-invigoration of knowledge creation and application through research. This is viewed as especially urgent in times of fragmentation, transformation, and arguably, disintegration, in the services its professional and academic educators and workers seek to serve.

Keywords:

• inter-professional education
• profession
• career
• identity
• culture

Acknowledgements

The desk research upon which this paper is based was funded by Oxford Brookes University and the research team included the following colleagues: Liz Westcott, Ann Ewens, Gail Lansdown, Netta Lloyd Jones, Sharon Vitali, Judith Bell and Sharon Mickan (Health and Social Care, Oxford Brookes University); Georgina Glenny and Linet Arthur (Education, Oxford Brookes University). We gratefully acknowledge their support. Interpretations and errors remain our own.