Kirklees

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub

A guide to practice. (March 2015)

Carol Shaw Service Manager Duty and Assessment.

Contents

  1. Background
  2. Governance
  3. Information sharing protocol
  4. Location and membership
  5. Day to day operation of MASH (Including referral pathway)
  6. MASH Thresholds application of RAG rating
  7. Decision making
  8. Dispute resolution process
  9. Monitoring and Evaluation of the MASH

10.Flowchart

  1. Why a MASH? (Background)

The failure of agencies to work together effectively to safeguard children and young people has been highlighted in numerous serious case reviews of child protection cases. The Munro Review of Child Protection (2011) recognised the key role of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in fostering multi agency working and that same year saw the establishment in Devon of the first MASH arrangements, followed by an increasing roll out of MASH arrangements across the Country.

The inability of safeguarding partners to effectively share information has been the comment of numerous Serious Case Reviews and public inquiries, with many agencies having been found wanting in many of these reports. Not least, nationally, the high profile cases of Victoria Climbié and Peter Connelly demonstrated these failings all too well. The criticism is not however, just confined to child protection; anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse, missing persons and vulnerable adults are all areas that have been subjected to justifiable criticism and a public demand for improvements to be made. Existing provision does afford information sharing, but this is generally when the risk has been recognised. However, harm and risk only tend to be recognised when it has become obvious, and it is generally at this point that agencies begin to work outside of their silos.

Harm can often be hidden, with many vulnerable people living in complex familial and societal relationships. It is not until the full picture of that person is known that the harm or potential harm can be identified. It could be argued that the failure of agencies to build this full picture, (despite being in possession of the composite parts) is often at the root of the failure of agencies to intervene effectively, and timely, and becomes the focus of criticism following preventable tragic events. The Munro Review of Child Protection recognised this complexity and the necessity for co-located, multi-agency teams to build this picture.

The Kirklees MASH will co-locate safeguarding agencies and their data into a secure research and decision making unit. By MASH providing a fire walled environment each partner agency can be assured of the confidentiality of the process and any resultant dissemination of partner agency information in a safeguarding intervention (particularly important for police and health) being proportionate

Whilst Devon set the MASH template, Local Authorities were afforded the freedom to develop bespoke MASH arrangements designed to meet their specific requirements. As a result (aside from the London boroughs that follow similar models) no two MASH arrangements will function alike.

All professionals working with children or parents have a duty to promote the safeguarding of children and to act on any concerns they might have. In practice, this can prove to be complex and challenging because of the myriad of circumstances and risks that can affect children and young people and the responses that follow. It is acknowledged that the thresholds for statutory services may not always seem clear and may at times seem confusing.

Aforementioned by introducing MASH arrangements it will enable otherwise previously unavailable intelligence (unless conducting s47 enquiries) to be collated from all key partner agencies, to inform and target case planning.

MASH arrangements will follow the strengthening families’ model by concentrating on the “grey areas” working holistically and collaboratively with partner agencies.

  1. Governance

The introduction of MASH has been delivered by the Operational Group with oversight and guidance provided by the Strategic Board.

Both the operational group and Strategic Board will continue with their primary functions.

As the MASH matures emphasis will undoubtedly shift from its introduction to its evaluation.

  1. Information Sharing Agreement

MASH arrangements are supported by an agreed Information Sharing Agreement, signed by all key agencies.This protocol sets out the terms and conditions of information sharing, ensuring compliance at all times with Legislation.

Signatories to the document are;

Kirklees Council

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS

Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Lifeline and on-trak

Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing

West Yorkshire Police

NHS Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS Greater Huddersfield Clinical Commissioning Group

NHS Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust

Locala

NHS South West Yorkshire Partnership

West Yorkshire Probation Service

For further reference a copy of this agreement can be found in the MASH.

  1. Location and Membership

The Kirklees MASH is based on the ground floor of Riverbank Court, Aspley Huddersfield HD5 9AA.

As of the 01-04-15 the membership of MASH is as follows;

NAME / DESIGNATION
Sgt Giles Bradbury / West Yorkshire Police
TBC / Police Officer
TBC / Police Support worker
Mark Campbell / Team Manager Children’s Social Care
Jenny Johnson-Cummings / Deputy Team Manager Children’s Social Care
Yasmin Lawrence / Social Worker Children’s Social Care
Deborah Osborne / Social Worker Children’s Social Care
Lydia Fell / Social Worker Children’s Social Care
Sadie Shaw / Health
Carol Shaw / Service Manager responsible for operational management
Mary Cunningham / Head of Service with overall line management responsibility (strategic and operational)
  1. Day to day Operation of MASH (see attached flowchart)

The MASH is operational between the hours of 8-45am and 5-15pm Monday to Thursday and 8-45am – 4-45pm Friday.

On receiving a new referral, the Duty and Assessment Service will triage the case and signpost appropriately. Referrals into the MASH will come directly from the DAAS and will be RAG rated with a timescale for completion. Every effort will be made by the MASH personnel to meet the guidance below:

Cases referred as RED will receive a response within 4 hours.

Cases referred as Amber will receive a response within 24 hours.

Cases referred as Green will receive a response within 48 hours.

On receipt of a MASH request the referral will be allocated to a qualified social worker. All cases passed to the MASH will undergo relevant cross-agency checks, which will be risk assessed and a decision made regarding the most appropriate course of action.

On completion, the referrer will be advised of the findings, which will include analysis and recommendations.

It is essential therefore that practitioners are equipped with knowledge and understanding of the thresholds for statutory intervention and how this links with early intervention services so that they know how and when to make a referral. They will also need to understand which cases will access the MASH, as not all new referrals for child welfare concerns will be made via the MASH.

  1. Applying the threshold for referral to the MASH

The model adopted in Kirklees has been designed to target those cases which present the practitioner with grey areas, and which traditionally fall into Level 3 of need/risk.

Practitioners need however, to bear in mind that children may experience a range of needs at different times in their lives, requiring a response at varying levels. The Laming report highlighted the need for the front door of services to be safe and welcoming. More recently, the Munro Review of Child Protection emphasised the importance of recognising the ‘child’s journey’ across the threshold of intervention. Munroe further endorsed the development of MASH’s

Threshold of Need

LEVEL 1 No additional needs. These are children with no additional needs: all their health and developmental needs will be met by universal services. The majority of children living in each Local Authority area require support from universal services alone:

LEVEL 2 Early Help- these are children with additional needs who may appear vulnerable and showing signs of abuse and/or neglect: their needs are not clear, not known, or not being met. This is the threshold for a multi-agency early help assessment to begin. (This is now referred to as an “early help assessment”previously a CAF)

LEVEL 3 Children in Need – these are children who are unlikely to achieve or maintain a satisfactory level of health or development, or their health and development will be significantly impaired, without the provision of services; or children who are disabled. They may require longer term intervention from statutory and specialist services. This is the threshold for an assessment led by children’s social care under S17 of the Children Act 1989.

LEVEL 4 Child Protection – these children are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm. They will require intensive support under S47 of the Children Act 1989, which is the threshold for child protection, and will require children’s social care intervention. These cases may also require immediate police intervention as the child has been identified to be at risk of significant harm

Application of threshold for MASH screening.

  1. Those cases which meet Level 1 will not be screened by the MASH. These are children with no additional needs and there will be no safeguarding concerns. Typically these children are likely to live in a resilient and protective environment where their needs are met. These children will require no additional support beyond that which is universally available. Providers of universal services include, health, education, family centres. Such cases will be signposted immediately to Universal service providers.
  1. Those cases which are referred to the DAAS which meet the Level 4 threshold will immediately be allocated to a qualified social worker for a strategy discussion and s47 enquiry. As these cases require a multi-agency response it is envisaged that very few if any of these cases will require MASH screening.
  1. Those cases which are assessed to have met the threshold of Level 2 will where appropriate receive support from the Early Intervention and Targeted Support Service.
  1. MASH will target those cases at Level 3 and edging toward Level 4.

Such cases often perplex professionals, as it is often what we don’t know about a family that leads to inappropriate planning, delay and tragedy for a family. These are the children who typically present with many unknowns or “grey areas” and leave professionals with gaps in their knowledge and understanding of how a family functions. Such cases may quickly escalate from need to risk, and are those most likely to benefit from the intelligence sharing of a MASH.

Which Level?

The list of indicators of need and risk is not an exhaustive one, therefore when assessing need and risk that requires specialist services, multiple factors are likely to be present and decisions as to whether the criteria are met remain a professional judgement. It is also important to remember that often the signs that a child or young person has particular needs are not found in a single piece of evidence but in a combination of factors of indicators. For example, within the framework described in this document, a cluster of indicators in Level 2 when considered together may indicate the need for a Level 3 assessment. There will also be, in some situations, a single indicator that is so obviously significant that it will demand assessment at a particular level even in the absence of any other indicator.

Transitions between levels

In some cases a child or young person will go through a number of transition points on their journey to having their needs met. A child, for example, whose needs do not respond to services provided under Level 1, may need to receive a more coordinated response within Level 2. Similarly, a child in Level 2 whose circumstances and situation do not improve sufficiently may need to receive the specialist assessment and support provided at Level 3.

It is acknowledged that children may move from one level of need to another and that agencies and services may offer support at more than one level. What is important is that this is monitored and reviewed to inform the most appropriate level of support. Interventions with a family should be fluid and reflect the changing circumstances.

7. Decision Making

Under the current arrangements the decision to refer a case to the MASH will be made by Team Managers from within the DAAS (front door).

8. Dispute resolution process

If in the event there is a difference of opinion with regard to case planning between DAAS managers and MASH managers, in the first instance a casediscussion/planning meeting will be undertaken in the MASH team room. Only when agreement cannot be reached will the case pass to the Service Manager for outcoming.

9. Monitoring and Evaluation

The MASH process will be subject to monitoring and evaluation, with all work logged and marked against key indicators.

Each day, dedicated business support staff from within Children’s Services will ensure a bespoke spreadsheet is updated.

Each week the manager of the MASH will ensure that the data set is evaluated.

Each month the Service manager will evaluate the progress of the MASH

At three monthly intervals for a period of twelve months an evaluation report will go to the Head of Service.

10.Flowcharts