1.3 Describe the functions of external agencies with whom your work setting or service interacts

This guide will help you answer 1.3 Describe the functions of external agencies with whom your work setting or service interacts.

In many childcare and young people’s settings, workers interact with outside organisations. These agencies give specialist support, advice, and resources to help meet the needs of children and their families. They can offer services that the setting itself may not provide, and they often work closely with staff to achieve the best outcomes for young people.

Each external agency has its own role. Understanding their functions helps workers communicate better and know when and how to seek help.

Health Services

Health services include doctors, health visitors, school nurses, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and mental health teams. These professionals focus on the physical and emotional wellbeing of children.

Functions of health services:

• Identifying and managing health problems
• Completing developmental checks
• Giving immunisations
• Advising on nutrition
• Supporting children with disabilities or long-term conditions
• Providing referrals to specialist medical care
• Offering mental health support and counselling

Health services often work with the setting to plan care for children who have medical conditions. This may involve creating care plans, training staff to administer medicine, or adapting routines so that a child can take part safely in activities.

Social Services

Social services protect children from harm and support families who are struggling. They assess family situations, offer help, and arrange interventions when needed.

Functions of social services:

• Investigating safeguarding concerns
• Carrying out child protection plans
• Providing family support workers
• Arranging foster care or adoption
• Giving practical help with housing or benefits
• Coordinating with other agencies in safeguarding cases

Staff in children’s settings often refer to social services when they see signs of neglect, abuse, or serious family difficulty. The social worker may then work with the setting to share information, attend meetings, and monitor the child’s progress.

Education Support Services

Education support services include educational psychologists, special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), and local authority inclusion teams. These agencies help children who have learning difficulties or other barriers to learning.

Functions of education support services:

• Assessing children’s learning needs
• Advising staff on strategies to support individual learning
• Recommending specialist resources
• Helping with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
• Training staff in inclusion and differentiation
• Monitoring progress of children with extra needs

They work closely with teachers and childcare practitioners, often visiting the setting to observe a child and suggest ways to support them. Their input can be key to helping a child achieve their full potential.

Police

The police can play a role in safeguarding, crime prevention, and community safety. While most contact is with specialist units like child protection officers, their role can be broader.

Functions of police involvement:

• Investigating offences involving children
• Offering talks and workshops on safety and law
• Helping in missing child cases
• Supporting multi-agency safeguarding teams
• Providing advice on online safety, bullying, and anti-social behaviour

Police often work with schools and youth centres to build trust and prevent issues before they become serious. They may also attend safeguarding meetings with other agencies.

CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

CAMHS provides specialist mental health care for children and young people. Referral is usually from a GP or school nurse, but sometimes directly from the setting.

Functions of CAMHS:

• Assessing emotional and behavioural problems
• Diagnosing conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD or autism
• Offering therapy sessions
• Providing medication management where needed
• Supporting families to manage mental health challenges
• Advising settings on how to meet a child’s emotional needs

CAMHS can work with the child’s setting to make adjustments to learning plans or routines, helping the child feel supported.

Speech and Language Therapy Services

Speech and language therapy focuses on communication development. The therapist supports children who struggle to speak, understand language, or use social communication.

Functions of speech and language therapy:

• Assessing a child’s speech or comprehension level
• Planning targeted activities to improve skills
• Training staff to support speech development
• Advising on use of visual aids or communication devices
• Offering therapy in group or individual sessions
• Supporting children with conditions affecting speech, such as hearing loss or autism

A speech therapist often visits the setting to work directly with the child and guide staff on strategies to use daily.

Charities and Voluntary Organisations

Charities support children and families in many ways. They may offer financial help, advocacy, counselling, or activity clubs.

Functions of charities and voluntary groups:

• Providing specialist advice for families of children with disabilities
• Offering emergency food or clothing
• Running parenting courses
• Organising play schemes and holiday activities
• Giving emotional support to parents
• Acting as advocates for children’s rights

Settings may refer families to charities or invite charity workers to deliver sessions for children, such as workshops on safety or wellbeing.

Youth Offending Teams

Youth offending teams (YOTs) work with young people who have committed a crime or are at risk of offending. They aim to reduce reoffending and help young people make positive choices.

Functions of youth offending teams:

• Supervising young offenders under court orders
• Providing mentoring and positive role models
• Helping with education and training
• Working with families to support change
• Involving young people in community work
• Offering counselling to tackle issues behind offending

YOTs may liaise with youth clubs, alternative education providers, and community leaders to arrange programmes suited to the young person’s needs.

Housing Services

Housing services help families facing homelessness or unsafe living conditions. The quality of a child’s housing can have a big effect on their health and development.

Functions of housing services:

• Finding emergency accommodation
• Supporting families to apply for social housing
• Addressing poor housing repairs and safety risks
• Advising on tenancy rights
• Working with other agencies to link housing with support services

Childcare workers may contact housing services if a family’s living situation is affecting the child’s welfare, such as overcrowding or damp.

Safeguarding Partnerships

In England, safeguarding partnerships link agencies to protect children. They usually involve local authorities, police, and health services working together.

Functions of safeguarding partnerships:

• Sharing information quickly between agencies
• Coordinating responses to child protection cases
• Holding strategy meetings on serious concerns
• Training staff in safeguarding duties
• Reviewing serious case incidents for learning

Settings may attend partnership meetings or contribute reports on the child’s needs and progress.

Family Support Services

Family support services give practical and emotional help to parents and carers. They aim to strengthen families and prevent problems escalating.

Functions of family support services:

• Offering parenting advice and strategies
• Running support groups and classes
• Helping parents access benefits and funding
• Giving emotional counselling for family conflict
• Providing home visits to model routines and play activities
• Linking families to specialist help like debt advice

Staff who notice a parent is struggling may make a referral to family support services.

Education Welfare Officers

Education welfare officers ensure children attend school regularly and deal with attendance problems.

Functions of education welfare officers:

• Investigating absenteeism
• Working with families to improve attendance
• Supporting children back into school after long absences
• Liaising between schools and social services
• Enforcing legal action where attendance does not improve

Settings might work with them if a child’s attendance pattern becomes irregular and impacts learning.

Partnership Working

External agencies rely on clear communication and cooperation with the setting. Workers need to share relevant information, keep records, and attend multi-agency meetings. The aim is for everyone involved to have the same understanding of the child’s needs and to plan support together.

Effective partnership working includes:

• Respecting confidentiality agreements
• Being clear when making referrals
• Following up on agreed actions
• Understanding the roles of each agency
• Keeping the child’s voice central to all plans

Final Thoughts

Working with external agencies is a normal part of supporting children and families. Each agency brings a different type of knowledge or resource, and together they can build a stronger support network. By understanding the functions of these agencies, you can make timely referrals and provide coordinated help.

When you know how each agency works, it becomes easier to recognise when their involvement would benefit a child. Good relationships, clear communication, and mutual respect between the setting and external agencies can lead to positive outcomes for children and young people. This joined-up approach ensures that no child is left without the support they need.