Russell House Publishing Ltd

this handbook brings together guidance and tools to assist both the self-development and the work of training professionals involved in any inter-agency context. These may include; adult safeguarding, children in need, early years, child protection, young minds, youth offending, adult mental health, adult offending and others.

Some of the tools can also be used by supervisors and managers in their inter-agency work, or by anyone considering employing and inter-agency trainer.

Using the example of Local Safeguarding Children Boards, it will help ensure that inter-agency training happens, is of good quality and enhances inter-agency communication and co-operation. Practical in focus, with underlying theory offered where useful, the tools can be adapted for different circumstances and disciplines. Extensively tried and tested, it offers:

• practical tools, exercises and checklists for use at each stage of the training cycle - from planning to evaluation
  
• strategies for when you encounter obstacles
  
• an opportunity to appraise, affirm and develop trainers' own skills and knowledge
  
• inspiration to try something new and different
  

Carefully focused on the specific complexities of inter-agency work that influence how training can be run and managed, it is designed for use where there are:

• diverse and multiple agencies, stakeholders, structures and contexts
  
• a wide range of perspectives and cultures
  
• an endemic presence of stereotypes and prejudices
  
• various traditions and structures of power
  
• diversity of language and understandings> diversity of working traditions
  
• a wide range of roles and responsibilities
  

Much of the material has been used to work with the additional complexities of using front line practitioners as volunteers to delivery training, and of involving vulnerable service users to help bring the training to life.