Holistic work approach
A holistic work approach is one in which the customer is served or cared for as a whole. The importance of adopting a holistic, flexible and multi-professional work approach is particularly important in multicultural customer work.
This working method is beneficial for all customers, and is of particular importance when working with vulnerable customers such as children, the elderly and those with a refugee background.
Customer needs may be complex, involving for example both physical and mental health and both social and legal aspects. Smooth cooperation between the different actors involved is therefore important.
Access to assistance may be hampered by:
- difficulties in current life situation
- traumatic experiences
- problems in understanding the information received
- difficulties in comprehending the Finnish service system
- the unfamiliarity of the services and attitudes towards services and authorities
Multi-professional contact work supports information flow and appropriate care
In multi-professional expert work, representatives of different professions work together for the same customer. The cooperation may be carried out within a particular work community or work organisation, or alternatively between organisations.
Effective cooperation reduces the workload for each professional, expands perspective on the customer's situation and promotes the customer's understanding of the services they have access to.
Fragmented services and unclear forms of cooperation between different sectors and professions may cause problems in the flow of information between professionals and in the provision of appropriate care to the customer.
- Cooperation can also be carried out between traditional care programmes or between official organisations and third sector organisations.
- It is important to agree on the division of labour, areas of responsibility, applicable confidentiality and secrecy obligations, and person in charge of coordinating the cooperation (for example, the immigration coordinator working in basic municipal services).
- Regional and local cooperation groups help to facilitate consultation and information flow.
- The transfer of information between professionals is important when the care provided is transferred within the service system from one operator to another as well as at moments of transition, such as when a child moves from day care to school.
- The importance of the flow of information is particularly heightened in situations where there is no common language between the customer and the professional.
Regular meetings with professionals working in immigrant services facilitate information flow and making agreement on different matters.
There is special legislation relating to confidentiality, and it is good to be familiar with this. The right of different authorities to receive the necessary information from another authority in order to arrange measures promoting the integration of refugees is defined in the laws on social and health administration and the promotion of integration.
We can ensure that customers are directed to services that meet their needs by:
- Ensuring compliance with the laws on confidentiality, flow of information and informing of customers (including professional confidentiality).
- Customers may be requested to provide written permission to share information with the authorities specified in the authorisation.
