M
SH
Multi-Agency
Support Hub
Background and context
• Ensuring children and families receive help at
the most appropriate level of need
• The Process: It is not until the full picture of
that person is known that the harm, or
potential harm, can be identified
• Effective sharing of information is essential
for effective identification, assessment and
service provision
The Multi-Agency Support Hub
(MASH)
• London MASH Project is an ambitious pan-London
programme
• strategic partnership of local government, health,
police, probation and the GLA
• improved response to notifications relating to
concerns about a child/young person’s welfare and
safety
• implementation of MASH is in every London Borough
• for further info: http://www.londonscb.gov.uk/mash/
What does MASH look like?
The MASH is:
• a multi-agency team of professionals from core agencies
(i.e. Children’s Social Care, Police, Health, Education,
Probation, Housing and Youth Services)
• who continue to be employed by their individual agencies
but who are co-located in one office,
• delivers an integrated service
• with the aim to research and interpret available
information about the child/young person and their family
and to determine what is proportionate and relevant to share
to assist decision making
MASH in Bromley
The MASH will eventually include:
• Children’s Social Care
(1 Deputy Manager, 1 Senior Practitioner, 3 Social Services officers, Business
Support officers all FTE)
• Police Public Protection Desk
(1 Detective Sergeant, 2 Police staff researchers, 2 Police Constables all FTE)
• Health
(2 Specialist Health visitors, collectively equate to one FTE )
• London Probation
(1 Probation officer with specialist role in Safeguarding, 6hrs/week)
• CAF Team (1 Social worker from CAF Team, currently ½ day/week)
• Virtual links: Early Intervention Services (BCP), Targeted Youth
Services, Youth Offending Team and partners from Voluntary
Services
MASH
is situated in the same office space as
Children’s Social Care:
Referral & Assessment Service
Safeguarding & Care Planning Teams
Looked after Children’s Team
Fostering Team and
Adoption Team
MASH – How does it work?
•
Contact
•
Future view: All contacts from the following sources will be processed
through MASH
•
Police Merlin’s
Written referrals from all other sources (e.g. schools, health professionals,
NSPCC etc.)
Telephone contacts via the duty numbers
Professional consultation
Out-of-hours (EDT) notifications
Unannounced office visits by members of the public
•
Consent is always required – unless to do so places the child at risk
MASH – How does it work?
• Contacts on currently open cases are being
passed straight to supervising manager
• All other contacts are processed by Social Care staff,
overseen and authorised by Deputy Manager MASH
• Contacts requiring Sec47 CA response are being
passed straight to Referral & Assessment Service
MASH – How does it work?
BROMLEY SAFEGUARDING CONTINUUM
OF NEED & INTERVENTION
Level 1
MASH contact to be closed
Standard letter to referrer & family
Signposting & Advice
MASH – How does it work?
BROMLEY SAFEGUARDING CONTINUUM
OF NEED & INTERVENTION
Level 2a / Level 2b
a)CAF open?
MASH contact to be closed
Lead professional & CAF Team
to be informed of contact
Advice re alternative services
MASH – How does it work?
BROMLEY SAFEGUARDING CONTINUUM
OF NEED & INTERVENTION
Level 2a / Level 2b
b) No CAF / non-engagement with CAF?
MASH process
Scrutinise data bases & agency checks
Confirm threshold
Sec47 CA/Sec17 CA progress to:
Referral & Assessment Service
CAF / TAC recommendation
Early Intervention Services (BCP),
Targeted Youth Services,
Children with Disabilities' Services
MASH – How does it work?
BROMLEY SAFEGUARDING CONTINUUM
OF NEED & INTERVENTION
Level 3
MASH process
Scrutinise data bases & agency checks
Confirm threshold
Sec47 CA/Sec17 CA progress to:
Referral & Assessment Service
CAF / TAC recommendation
Early Intervention Services (BCP),
Targeted Youth Services,
Children with Disabilities' Services
Case examples
• value of better access to multiagency information when taking
safeguarding action
• de-escalating
• ensuring support at most
appropriate level
Benefits
• better informed decisions
• greater efficiency
• better informed professionals
• increase in early intervention
• cultural change
M
SH
Multi-Agency Support Hub is …
… not a new Service or a remedy for Child
Protection, but MASH is a System to manage all
contacts to Children’s Social Care and to assist the
information gathering for those decisions to be
made and sent out to those people who are going
to deal with the concerns or unmet needs of a
child/young person/family.
Contact details
MASH is situated:
1st Floor St Blaise Building
Civic Centre Stockwell Close
London Borough of Bromley BR1 3UH
and will operate during office hours
Telephone contact can be made through the same numbers
as previously known for the duty desk
0208 461 7379 / 7026 / 7373 / 7309 / 7014 / 7329 / 7428