Flow Chart 1: Multi-Agency Screening Team (MAST) in Walsall
Member of staff has concerns
for child’s welfare
Consultation
Specialist Assessment
At the earliest opportunity,
on the day, information
passed to Designated Child
Protection Teacher, Head
Teacher or other
Designated Officer
Unsure whether concerns
should be referred to
Children’s Social Care
Services
Phone Multi-agency
Screening Team for
consultation
(01922 658170)
Consultation
outcome
First (verbal)
feedback to referrer
with rationale (plus
follow up)
Decision made there needs to be a
referral (a request for services) to
Children’s Services
call (01922 658170)
and complete WSCB1
http://www.wlscb.org.uk/wscbforms
Multi-agency Screening Team (MAST)
Early Help Co-ordinator, Social Care,
Education Welfare, Health consider
referral
Decision made within 24 hours
Referral
not
needed
Referral
needed,
complete
WSCB1
Advice &
information
given
Early help
assessment
Social care
duty team
start
assessment
See flow
chart two
See flow
chart three
Flow Chart 2: Early Help Assessment Process in Walsall
Lead Professional to check written consent from
parents/carers/child/young person and agreement
to undertake assessment within 24 hours
Case allocated to locality Early Help (EH) Co-ordinator
who will contact Lead Professional within 3 working
days to arrange Early Help assessment meeting
Lead Professional invites relevant agencies,
parents/carers and child/young person to Early Help
Assessment meeting
Early Help assessment/planning
meeting held
Early Help assessment and plan to be completed within 15
working days from allocation by lead Professional, supported
by a Locality EH Co-ordinator with parents/carers and
child/young person
When complete, Early Help assessment and plan to be signed
by Lead Professional, EH Co-ordinator, parents/carers and
child/young person
Copy is provided to locality EH Co-ordinator. Quality assured
at weekly Multi-agency Family Support Panel
Progress against Early Help assessment plan to be
reviewed at maximum six weekly intervals with Lead
professional, locality EH Co-ordinator parents/carer
child/young person. Where appropriate stepped up to social
care or stepped down to universal services
Flow Chart 3: Action taken when a child is referred to Walsall Children’s
Social Care services
CHILD’S CASE IS REFERRED WALSALL CHILDREN’S
SOCIAL CARE (LA)
Social worker, with their manager acknowledges receipt
of referral and decides on next course of action within
one working day
Assessment required –
section 17 or section 47 of
the Children Act 1989
Concerns about child’s
immediate safety
See flow chart 4 on
immediate protection
No further LA children’s
social care involvement at
this stage: other action may
be necessary e.g. onward
referral, early help
assessment / services
See flow chart 5 on
assessment and flow chart
6 on strategy discussion
Feedback
to referrer
on next
course of
action
Provide
help to
child and
family
from
universal
and early
help
services
Flow chart 4: Immediate protection for children in Walsall
Decision made by an agency with statutory child protection
powers (the police or Walsall local authority) that
emergency action may be necessary to safeguard a child
Immediate strategy discussion between LA children’s social
care, police, health and other agencies as appropriate,
including NSPCC where involved
Relevant agency seeks legal
advice and outcome recorded
Immediate strategy discussion makes decisions about:
1. Immediate safeguarding action; and
2. Information sharing, especially with parents.
Relevant agency (taking emergency action)
sees child and outcome recorded
No emergency
action required
Appropriate
emergency action
taken
Strategy discussion
and section 47
enquiries initiated
Child in need
With family and
other professionals,
agree plan for
ensuring child’s
future safety and
welfare and record
decisions, and act
on it
See flow chart 3
See flow chart 6
Flow chart 5: Action taken for an assessment of a child under the Children Act
1989 in Walsall
Assessment completed in line with local
protocol, including a decision on course of
action within one working day of referral
followed by timely assessment based on
the needs of the child within 45 working
days of the point of referral into LA
children’s social care
No Walsall Children’s
Social Care support
required but other action
may be necessary e.g.
onward referral for help to
child and family; referral
for an early help
assessment
Feedback to
referrer
Child in need
Assessment led by social worker;
other professionals contribute with
parental permission
No actual or likely
significant harm
Actual or likely
significant harm
Social worker discusses next
steps including of child in
need process including
review, decision points with
child, family and colleagues
See flow
chart 6
Suspect
significant harm
Assessment continues;
services provided if appropriate
Social worker with family/other professionals agrees next
steps within 45 working days e.g. could agree the
Children in Need (CIN) plan or Child Protection (CP)
plan (see flow chart 6) Coordinates provision of
appropriate services
Review plan and outcomes for child and when
appropriate refer to non-statutory services e.g. ‘step
down’; or refer for child protection enquiries (Sec 47) or
close the case
Flow chart 6: Action for and after a strategy discussion in Walsall
No further
Children’s Social
Care involvement at
this stage, but other
services may be
required
Decision to
complete
assessment under
section 17 of the
Children Act 1989
Strategy discussion is convened by
Walsall Children’s Social Care to
decide whether to initiate section 47
enquiries. Decisions are recorded
Police
investigate
possible
crime
Decision to initiate
section 47
Social worker leads assessment under section 47
of the Children Act 1989 and other professionals
contribute. Assessments follow local protocol
based on the needs of the child within 45 working
days of the point of referral
Concerns about child not
substantiated but child is a
child in need
With family and other
professionals, agree plan for
ensuring child’s future safety
and welfare and record and
act on decisions
Concerns substantiated, child
likely to suffer significant harm
Social work manager convenes child
protection conference within 15 working
days of the last strategy discussion
Decisions made and recorded at child
protection conference
Child likely to suffer
significant harm
Child is subject of child protection plan;
outline child protection plan prepared;
core group established
Concerns substantiated but
child not likely to suffer
significant harm
Agree whether child protection
conference is necessary and
record decisions
YES
NO
Social worker
leads completion
of assessment
With family and other
professionals, agree plan for
ensuring child’s future safety
and welfare and record and
act on decisions
Child not likely to suffer
significant harm
Further decisions made about ongoing assessment and service
provision according to agreed plan