health and social care at local, regional engineering and ICT, including in cloud and national level, though, there are computing and open learning. These downsides such as the time taken highlighted – as did a presentation the in facilitating this arrangement and previous day by a Nobel Prize Winner the complex cross-organisation and on STEM cell science – the huge impact cross-professional communication of some of these transformational involved. In these humanitarian scientific terms, inspirational developments on not management only education, but “In terms of and leadership also the general wellin the workplace being of humankind. transferring is identified as Relatively few scientific necessary if interof the papers professional working were focused innovation into is to occur. However, on the impact in higher education, the main corollary of humanitarian terms of innovative advances inter-professional the social scientific research conducted is in the social sciences, education needs that educators need although a number of contributors did to be theoretically to do more to foster inter-professional touch on subjects oriented, practice education in the such as history curricula to prepare and law, as well based, pivoted professional groups as educational on service user to engage in technologies. It was integrative practice. for this reason that engagement, In terms of my own paper, which centred on on-line transferring scientific is summarised here, innovation into higher was pivoted on techniques, case education, recent a particular form study focused and studies suggest that of social scientific inter-professional innovation and based on mixed education can most its transfer into methods.” usefully facilitate intereducation, namely, professional working that of interby being theoretically professional working oriented, practice in health and social based, pivoted on care. This area, in service user engagement, centred on onits various forms, has been increasingly line techniques, case study focused and researched and positively evaluated by based on mixed methods. More detailed social scientists in the UK, not least for questions about the translation into its potential to provide a personalised higher education, though, remain to be and co-ordinated user focus and more addressed through careful longitudinal cost-effective services increasing the research and evaluation. At what stage, work satisfaction of the professionals for example, should inter-professional concerned. education begin – at undergraduate or While an inter-professional approach post-registration level? How extensive may counter the frequently silo-based does it need to be and what form culture of professional groups in 26
should it take? Wider questions exist too concerning the framework of policy regulation that best encourages inter-professional education and practice for humanitarian ends. In facilitating further developments, educators in health and social care must fulfil the formal requirements of professional bodies, commissioners and the directives of the European Union. Here the Council for the Advancement of Inter-Professional Education has been a prime mover in inter-professional working. This body in fact, jointly with the World Health Organisation, recently issued a report supporting interprofessional education positively to change the face of collaborative practice between professional groups on an international stage.