Issue - meetings

Update on Multiagency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Meeting: 23/01/2018 - Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 46)

46 Update on Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) pdf icon PDF 79 KB

To receive a report containing a progress update on the Multi Agency Safeguaring Hub (MASH).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman thanked external partners for their presence to give an update to the Committee on the development of the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

 

Graham Enright, Manager for MASH Berkshire, Thames Valley Police addressed the Committee and the main points put forward by him were:

 

·           The Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) was received as an opportunity to learn and receive feedback on the MASH programme in Wokingham;

·           Wokingham’s MASH was new, it was launched in 2016;

·           The JTAI identified that there was a tendency to receive information and pass it over; it was necessary to find a system to use the information to assess risk and make a decision in partnership;

·           It had been recognised that improvements needed to be made in relation to joint decision making;

·           There were six MASH projects around Berkshire and it was important that the lessons learnt at Wokingham be shared with the other Local Authorities.

 

Lisa Humphreys, Assistant Director for Children’s Social Care stated that the JTAI had found that the MASH front of the house was safe, however the changes that were needed to make improvements were not easy and required investment in IT systems and accommodation.  For example, at the moment the reception was split over three rooms, which was not ideal.

 

Lisa Humphreys stated that in order to expand MASH and make it more efficient, it would be necessary to invest in an IT management system that enabled partners to link together. 

 

Karen Cridland, Director Children, Young People and Family Services, Health stated that they offered support to Wokingham’s MASH three days a week, there was additional cover through the other Berkshire MASH’s.  She would support colleagues in further developments.

 

Liz Stead, Head of Safeguarding ChildrenBerkshire West Clinical Commissioning Groups stated that progress would come with time, Berkshire Health covered six Berkshire authorities and the CCG commissioned the Health post within MASH.

 

Liz Stead stated that it was very beneficial to have MASH as it enabled conversations to take place and decisions to be made.

 

Councillor Miall felt it was important that the Council continued to invest in MASH and that the finance should be made available to enable the necessary IT systems to be purchased.

 

In response to a question Lisa Humphreys stated that there was no central database held by MASH, Wokingham used a system called MOSAIC for Social Care.  Lisa stated that a true partnership should allow all partners to be able to see and contribute to the risk assessment.  She envisaged such a system to sit on top of other IT systems.

 

Councillor Miall asked if there was such a thing as an intelligent system that was able to alert to possible risk. In response, Graham Enright stated that there was a project being run by the Home Office which offered predicted analysis, this was being tested.

 

Councillor Miall asked if it was possible to speed the processes within the Police.  Graham Enright explained that the processes around domestic abuse had been reviewed and improved;  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46