6393
6,393 contacts over 7 months
35%
35% contacts converted to referrals needing statutory intervention
220
220 contacts per week
The challenge
As a newly established Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), all partner agencies within the MASH were disheartened with Ofsted’s findings. Ofsted had found that the use of referrals was inconsistent and in evaluating a child’s history, information-gathering was often too focused on the presenting issue rather than an understanding of the child’s lived experience. Already faced with a large number of new contacts, the North West Council needed a trusted partner. One that could handle all new contacts and referrals whilst the existing in-house team embedded more efficient ways of working.
Although the partner agencies were co-located, they were still very much working in silos. Being co-located with the council’s MASH team, Innovate CYPS was to provide much needed reprieve and input to support the improvement of multi-agency partnership working.
Our approach
We quickly mobilised four senior Innovate CYPS social workers who were supported by three managers. Co-located with the council’s own team for seven months, Innovate CYPS processed all new enquiries (averaging 220 per week). This gave the council the time and opportunity to concentrate on their resourcing strategy and develop service areas that required improvement.
Child-centred
Taking a child-centred approach, our team quickly and efficiently progressed cases for child and family assessment, referring them on to appropriate universal services, initiating child protection enquiries or no further action. We also provided advice and support directly to families and professionals. In doing so, we set clear objectives to enhance multi-agency working whilst monitoring application of threshold.
Evidence-based
Evidence-based working was one of the main drivers in our delivery of the project. Throughout the project there was a real cultural shift where partner agencies were holding case discussions and sharing information to make informed decisions ensuring there was evidence of history being taken into account.
We engaged with frontline workers, senior managers and partner agencies to understand the issues causing a high level of unnecessary enquiries. This allowed us to provide an objective insight into current working practices and introduce evidence-based ways to improve the performance of the MASH.
The results
The Innovate CYPS team screened 6,393 MASH contacts over the seven-month term of the contract. 2,288 (36%) of those contacts were converted into referrals deemed as requiring statutory intervention. Our tactical support gave the council’s children’s services team and partner agencies the headspace and capacity to address the issues raised by Ofsted. By bringing partners closer together, there’s now a consistent and strong understanding of the child’s lived experience.
We also successfully worked in partnership with the Council’s team to help design and implement new processes to make sure thresholds are consistently applied and understood. This included suggesting process improvements and additional staff training.
We received extremely positive feedback. Everyone involved found working with the Innovate CYPS team a positive and valuable experience. Having helped to be part of creating a more robust MASH, the council and partner agencies are in a better position to continue their improvement journey, knowing that whilst there are still areas to improve on, they can do it together.
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