Multi-agency working: behaviour and education support teams

This case study describes the multi-agency model established to support 18 schools in Sunderland. It brings together practitioners from a range of agencies into two co-located teams who deliver preventive and early intervention services for 5-13 year-olds. The teams work to promote the emotional well-being of all pupils, with a remit to provide targeted support to those with emotional, behavioural or attendance problems and those who are at risk of developing such problems.

The case study shows how the teams were established and how they operate. It describes how people were brought into the teams on secondment, stressing the importance of developing a common vision, while helping people to take up their roles to achieve that vision. It gives an overview of the services provided, management and steering arrangements, the challenges they faced and the solutions they identified.