MASH

A fully managed service you can trust

Sometimes it can feel like an impossible task to keep on top of the
number of MASH referrals, let alone have the capacity to reframe
how the service could work better.

In our experience, local authorities that are successful at remodelling their MASH
give themselves the space and capacity to revisit their referral thresholds.

Our experienced social workers manage all contacts coming into a MASH.
With each contact, they assess the level of risk to determine threshold
and the correct pathways that could result in transfer to appropriate teams within social care,
Early Help or signposting to other agencies. This gives your team extra capacity to manage
a high number of incoming contacts and referrals whilst you work with us to
co-produce a new, far more robust MASH. One that is quickly able to screen
and assess risk through the consistent application of thresholds.

Innovate Services, MASH referrals, application of thresholds, children's social work, RAG rating, multi-agency safeguarding hub

Social work-led

Being a social work-led service delivery, we quickly mobilise a fully-managed team of senior social workers and experienced MASH managers to work on a co-location basis alongside your own team.

Our team progresses cases to child and family assessment, refers them on to appropriate universal services or Early Help services, initiates child protection enquiries or decides no further action is required. We also provide advice and support directly to families and professionals.

Diagnostic approach

How do you know that the MASH thresholds you have in place are right? Taking a RAG rating approach, our team assesses each contact to ensure the correct thresholds are applied according to the child’s needs. By RAG rating each contact or referral, we discover if there are inconsistencies with the application of threshold or within the referral process itself and identify if inappropriate contacts are being received via partner agencies. These findings are passed onto the local authority and partner agencies with recommendations on how to make the application of threshold more consistent and appropriate.

For us, a successful MASH is so much more than just bringing the right people together. It’s about creating, and sustaining, environments where partner agencies can work seamlessly together.

MASH referrals at Oxford

“Innovate CYPS quickly progressed MASH enquiries with regular reports from senior managers who understand the wider context of MASH processes and requirements. This enabled our MASH team to clear a backlog of work.”

Lara Patel, Area Service Manager, Oxfordshire County Council

Read about the project