PWCS 06: Introductory awareness of working with others in health, social care and children’s and young people’s settings

PWCS 06 introduces working with others in health, social care and children’s and young people’s settings. It looks at why teamwork matters, what partnership working means, who partners might be, and what good (and not-so-good) ways of working together can look like. The links on this page take you through each learning outcome, while this introduction helps you connect them to real practice.

No one delivers care or support alone. Even when you work one-to-one, you are part of a wider team that shares information, plans support and keeps people safe. Working with others helps services run smoothly and improves outcomes for individuals. It can also reduce mistakes, because staff can check understanding, share concerns early, and support each other during busy or difficult moments.

This unit starts by asking why it is important to work with others. In practice, teamwork supports consistent routines, safe handovers, coordinated care plans and a better experience for the person receiving support. It also helps workers, because you are not carrying responsibility alone. When teams communicate well, problems are noticed earlier and resolved more effectively.

You will also outline ways of working together. This can include clear communication at handover, keeping accurate records, attending meetings, sharing observations, following agreed roles and responsibilities, and asking for help when you need it. Respect matters too. People work better together when they feel listened to and when everyone’s role is understood. That includes valuing support staff, volunteers, and family carers as partners in the wider picture.

PWCS 06 asks you to give examples of ways that work well when working with others. Examples often include listening, sharing information clearly, being reliable, keeping to agreed plans, and being willing to compromise when appropriate. It also includes using professional language, keeping confidentiality, and focusing on what is best for the individual rather than personal disagreements.

It also asks for examples of what does not work well. These might include poor handovers, gossip, blaming, refusing to share information, ignoring agreed procedures, or making assumptions instead of checking. In practice, these behaviours can lead to confusion, conflict and risk. Noticing unhelpful patterns early means teams can improve.

The second part of the unit introduces partnership working. Partnership working means different people and organisations working together to support an individual’s needs. In health and social care, partnerships might include care staff, nurses, GPs, therapists, social workers, safeguarding teams, and advocates. In children’s settings, partners might include parents and carers, teachers, SEND support, health visitors, school nurses, early help teams and social care. Good partnership working depends on clear communication, shared goals and respectful boundaries.

You will identify who partners might be and the benefits of partnership working. Benefits can include better joined-up support, more accurate understanding of needs, faster responses to concerns, and more consistent routines for the individual. It can also prevent gaps, such as a child’s needs being missed because information was not shared, or an adult not receiving support because agencies did not coordinate.

Here’s a practice example: in a nursery, a child is struggling with speech and language. Effective partnership might involve the key person sharing observations with parents, the SENCO coordinating support, and advice from a speech and language therapist. Everyone contributes, and the child benefits from consistent strategies. Another example: in adult social care, a person discharged from hospital may need home care, community nursing and physiotherapy. Good partnership means clear communication about medication, mobility and risks, so support is safe and consistent.

Partnership working also involves knowing your role and boundaries. You share relevant information through agreed systems and only with those who need to know. You do not take on decisions beyond your responsibility. If you are unsure, you ask a senior. This protects the individual and supports professional practice.

As you work through the links on this page, keep your answers grounded in everyday work: handovers, record keeping, meetings, and respectful communication. By the end of PWCS 06, you should be able to explain why working with others matters, describe good and poor ways of working together, outline what partnership working means, identify potential partners, and explain how partnership working benefits individuals and services.

1. Know how to work together with others

2. Understand partnership working in health, social care and children’s and young people’s settings

End of content

End of content