What is key working and who is a key worker?
Key working is defined by function, rather than by professional or practitioner groupings. Many different people in the children's workforce can be key workers because the skills, competencies and knowledge required to carry out the role apply regardless of professional background.
Care Coordination UK (CCNUK) are a key working charity, working closely with Early Support to promote key worker services. They suggest that a key worker is a source of support for the disabled child and the family and a link by which other services are accessed and used effectively. CCNUK define the role of a key worker as the identified named person (the single point of contact) who:-
- Provides information
- Identifies and assesses the needs of all family members
- Coordinates multi-professional involvement
- Provides emotional and practical support
- Assists families in their dealings with services and can act as an advocate, if required, to resolve issues and concerns.
CCNUK have developed key worker standards to support the development of high quality key worker practitioners. To find out more about these standards, click here.
The key worker approach is family centred and it includes identifying and addressing the needs of all family members. If you would like to know more about key working, its background and its relationship to policy and practice then there is a resource you can read that accompanies the Working in Partnership through Early Support training. It is called 'Best practice in key working: what do research and policy have to say?' It was developed in the English policy context, so not all of this applies to Wales. However, it is a useful resource to help you examine key working practice and research about what works. To download a copy, click here.
In terms of the Early Support materials - they provide a flexible, standard framework to help key workers do their job, working in partnership with parents and carers.
