The perils of partnership.

Partnership working is a key theme of social policy in the UK. Under New Labour there has been a greater recognition that many of the social issues we face are so complex that they require a co-ordinated response from a range of different people and agencies. This is not only true of verarching social problems such as rising crime, substance misuse and social exclusion, but also of particular service user groups (such as older people or those with mental health problems or learning difficulties) whose needs may span the boundaries of traditional services. To use the New Labour jargon, 'joined-up problems' require 'joined-up solutions'.