Multiprofessional collaboration in Finnish schools

•The focus is on multiprofessional collaboration in Finnish student welfare services.•The welfare services are organised through multiprofessional teams in all schools.•In urban areas principals' satisfaction depends on the quality of the work.•In remote areas the regularity of student welfare work is more important.•The quality is emphasised first when the basic structures are at satisfactory level.

In Finland, a three-tiered support model was introduced in 2007, emphasising early intervention and preventative multiprofessional student welfare. Nationally representative principal data were used in analysing how the availability of student welfare personnel and the regularity of multiprofessional team meetings influence principals’ experiences about the functioning of multiprofessional collaboration in learning-related issues in different parts of Finland. The regularity of the student welfare team meetings increased principals’ satisfaction in multiprofessional collaboration especially in geographical areas with a limited availability of services. Reaching the goals of early intervention was explained by the reactivity of the multiprofessional team. It was concluded that principals’ expectations are influenced by the availability of services. The qualitative aspects of the work receive a greater emphasis first when the basic structures are at a satisfactory level.