Interdisciplinary teamwork

Abstract

Since the 1970s, human services delivery in the UK has been based on the ‘community team’ as a structure to organize the activities of professionals. In a range of specialist services, teams have been used to attempt to weld together professionals from different backgrounds into a cohesive formation. In different specialities, the same template has been copied to join health, social services and education staff in a common framework. Moreover, the mode has been translated into new settings without substantial modification. Despite the absence of a theoretical base, the multidisciplinary ‘team’ structure has survived intact without challenge.