Exploring the complex realities of inter-agency working: opportunities and risks
A group relations conference, 25 – 28 March 2024
About this conference
The conference is for anyone who works directly with adults, young people, children and families, or who manages or supervises this work.
‘Exploring the complex realities of inter-agency working: opportunities and risks’ is an applied, four-day group relations conference to explore the complexity of caring for the emotional and psychological wellbeing of adults, young people, children and their families within multi-disciplinary and inter-agency contexts.
How do we enhance the potential and effectiveness of individuals and subsystems in their contribution to the system as a whole? The conference will offer members spaces to take the opportunities and manage the risks involved in learning from others towards a collaborative whole. The individual changes when the group changes and the group changes when the individual changes.
Director: Carolyn Walker
Associate Director: Patrick Mandikate
Building Experience Group Director: Rajni Sharma
Conference Administrator: Maisam Datoo
Who is this conference for?
This conference is designed to address the learning needs of people working with the psychological needs of adults, young people, children and families in interagency settings. They may be working or training as health, education or social care professionals, as therapists or as supervisors or managers of this work.
Why attend this conference?
Group relations conferences offer an opportunity for experiential learning through participating in, and reflecting on, the various group events that take place each day. Members are invited to work together and with staff to explore how issues of authority, task, risk and boundaries, difference and diversity, can impact on the professional use of self.
This conference is an opportunity to better understand:
- What helps or hinders us to effectively take up our roles in our work settings?
- How do we exercise our authority and take up roles as leaders and followers?
- What facilitates collaboration and what forces may be working against it?
- How do conscious and unconscious processes influence our behaviour in groups?
- How do issues of diversity, hierarchy and power structures impact our behaviour?
- What tensions are involved in working with clients across multiple agencies?
- How do the dynamics of differing professional practices impact on authority?
Building Experience Group (BE Group):
This year, a Building Experience Group (BE Group) will be an integral part of the conference. It will offer an opportunity for those who have attended one or more group relations conferences, and who are keen to learn more about themselves in an organisational context. The BE Group will offer its members a chance to deepen and develop their group relations experience and to focus on what they would like to learn next. As a member of this group, you will have an extended timetable which will be discussed with you following your application. There will be a follow-up coaching session after the conference to think through your learning experience and where you may want to take it next.
Conference venue, dates and timings:
The conference will take place in person at: The Tavistock Centre, 120 Belsize Lane, London, NW3 5BA.
To maximise the conference learning for you and other attendees, we ask all members to commit to attending the whole of all four days:
- Monday 25 March: 9.00am to 5.30pm
- Tuesday 26 March: 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Wednesday 27 March: 9.30am to 5.30pm
- Thursday 28 March: 9.30am to 5.00pm
Please note: the deadline for applications for this conference will be Friday 8 March, or when all places are filled.
Conference fees:
- Internal Trust member: £560
- Building Experience Group member: £560
- Non-Trust member: £700