The relationship between poor interprofessional working and child tragedies has been made apparent by numerous inquiries into child deaths. In seeking to address the well documented problems of professional communication, cooperation and collaboration; transformation in the structure (Children's Trusts) and delivery of services (integrated teams) for children and young people was initiated under the UK New Labour government (DfES, 2004). Focused on early interventions to meet the additional needs of children, the Common Assessment Framework brings together professionally and vocationally qualified practitioners from statutory, public and voluntary agencies. This research charts the origins and evolution of interprofessional practice in the context of children and young people highlighting historically important cases. Key developments in the legislative, social and cultural contexts and the effects of their interactions are scrutinised to aid further understanding of present day structures and practice. Semi-structured interview data was analysed to generate themes at individual and practitioner group level. Utilisation of the qualitative methodology Interpretative Phenomenological Analyses supported identification of three super-ordinate themes: Roles, Identities and Relationships, Change and Adaptation and Conflict and Contradictions. Theoretical connections with the literature on identity are explored providing insight into objectives, learning and new forms of practice. Drawing on ideas from Cultural Historical Activity Theory the implications for policy and practice are assessed. The thesis answers the call for the greater application of theory to interprofessional working (IPW) and education (IPE) contexts. Furthermore the research prioritises the perspective of the practitioner generating greater understanding of what it means to work collaboratively. Research findings pertain to the double binds experienced by practitioners which impeded collaboration but also generated unexpected innovations in practice and the identification of different practice orientations amongst professionally and vocationally qualified practitioners. The research concludes by asserting that partnership and child centred practice are being distorted by a performance culture.