Barriers to Effective Working
Efficient information recording and sharing are cornerstones of successful multi-agency work in children’s social services. Yet, a 2024 NSPCC Evidence Snapshot highlights a key challenge: agencies across the UK are still grappling with outdated tech systems that make these tasks unnecessarily difficult.
Over the past decade, research has consistently flagged the barriers professionals face; including high caseloads, fragmented communication, and unreliable IT systems.
These obstacles don’t just slow down daily operations - they can also affect the quality and consistency of support provided to vulnerable children and families.
Let’s unpack these barriers one by one…
Workload Pressures Limit Collaboration
Social workers and family assessment practitioners are under increasing pressure. Many teams are understaffed, while caseloads continue to rise. These demands leave little space for reflective practice or relationship-building, both of which are essential for effective multi-agency collaboration. Time constraints also make it hard for professionals to challenge inefficient systems or advocate for change, even when they know that better processes could improve outcomes.
Outdated IT Hampers Progress
Many services still rely on legacy systems that were never designed with current needs in mind. When families move between local authorities, key information is often delayed or lost altogether. This lack of integration can create gaps in knowledge that slow down assessments and delay the right support.
Fragmented Processes Across Local Authorities
Another persistent challenge is the lack of standardisation across agencies. Each local authority may have different ways of recording, interpreting, and sharing information, which adds confusion and can lead to inconsistent thresholds for intervention. In turn, this undermines the unified approach needed to safeguard children effectively.
Tackling Outdated Systems in Social Services
The founders of FamilyAxis, a software tool developed for family assessment centres, have seen these problems firsthand. Their work in residential settings revealed how outdated systems often pulled staff away from spending time with families.
Tasks like logging observations, updating safeguarding logs, or compiling reports were frequently time-consuming due to manual input and incompatible systems. Having to log information across various systems added to practitioners' workload and increased the risk of mistakes or missed details. This breakdown in communication often led to greater stress for families already navigating complex and challenging situations.
Drawing on these insights, the team set out to develop a tool aimed at improving efficiency and reducing these friction points - especially around information sharing and daily management.
Could Smarter IT Be the Solution?
FamilyAxis is designed specifically with residential family assessment services in mind. It brings together essential tools in one place: from logging safeguarding concerns to managing staff schedules and capturing daily observations.
Unlike older systems, its interface is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, even for staff with limited digital confidence. The software supports existing assessment frameworks and includes customisable templates to streamline documentation.
While it’s not a silver bullet, tools like this reflect a growing recognition that better systems can help to free up practitioner time and improve continuity of care - keeping the focus where it belongs: on children and families.
Looking Ahead
Modernising information systems isn’t just about convenience - it’s a safeguarding issue. For effective multi-agency working to thrive, professionals need tools that support, not hinder, collaboration.
By learning from those on the front lines and integrating digital solutions that reflect real-world challenges, social services can move closer to the joined-up, efficient practice that vulnerable children and families deserve.
Sources
- NSPCC Learning (2025). Effective multi-agency working and information sharing: Evidence Snapshot. Retrieved from https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/2025/effective-multi-agency-working-information-sharing-evidence-snapshot
- Community Care (2019). ‘We ended up using paper 15 times’: When social work systems get in the way. Retrieved from https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2019/06/07/ended-using-paper-15-times-social-work-systems-got-way/
- Gregory, S., & Rogowski, S. (2024). The impact of digitalisation on social work practice: a critical review. Journal of Social Work Practice, PubMed Central article
- Cook, L. L., Zschomler, D., Biggart, L., & Carder, S. (2021). The team as a secure base: Promoting resilience and competence in child and family social work. Children and Youth Services Review, 127, 106107. ScienceDirect article
