Agenda item

To receive and consider a report looking at the development, purpose and function of the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub in Wokingham.

The Committee received and considered a report, set out on Agenda pages 23 to 26, giving an update on the development of a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in Wokingham.

Felicity Budgen, Head of Social Care and Intervention, presented the report and explained that MASHs are part of a national initiative and that a decision had been made that all the six Berkshire Local Authorities would set up individual MASHs.  Following work on the Early Help and Innovations Programme in Wokingham where the Triage and Early Help Hubs have been developed, Wokingham is in a good position to set up a MASH.

MASHs are multi-agency hubs which provide information sharing arrangements across all agencies involved in safeguarding, ie police, health, local authority.  Their work should lead to the early identification and understanding of potential risk to a child, young person or vulnerable adult, so that the best decision can be made about any intervention necessary.

The Officers from the Thames Valley Police explained that although the development of the individual MASHs is in its infancy, Project and Programme Managers have been appointed to link practice across Berkshire.  The Local Authority has appointed a development manager to work with the hub.  The heart of the process is to protect confidentiality, but to share pieces information, which when added up may indicate there is problem which may show a child in need.

During the discussion the following comments/clarifications were made:

·           All information given is recorded and considered, even hearsay, although action may not be required;

·           MASH does not create new information it just share information already held by the various agencies;

·           Thames Valley Police are already one of the Council’s strategic partners, making it easier to set up a local MASH;

·           As well as the 6 MASHs across Berkshire there will be one covering the whole of the area where information can be exchanged on a wider basis, improving the existing partnership working across all the Local Authorities;

·           National guidance requires the passing on of information if families move to other Local Authority areas;

·           Clinical Commissioning Groups are engaged in the MASH Strategic Implementation Board, so GPs and hospitals are involved;

·           It is known that incidents of sexual exploitation do occur in the Borough , but there is multi-agency support in place through the Thames Valley Police, and Children’s Social Care and individuals have been identified and protected..  Local Safeguarding Children Board has commissioned training for those involved.  There is no evidence of the involvement of gangs, but there is a need to remain vigilant to possible internet based exploitation by individuals;

·           The risk of radicalisation would be one of the issues raised via the MASHs, where understanding a whole range of risks is part of the work;

·           The Thames Valley Police and Children’s Services strategic group has a strategy in place to recognise vulnerability, with the preventative Early Help agenda to ensure the right capacity and resources are in place.

RESOLVED: That the update report on the development of a multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) be noted and that Officers be thanked for the work that is now being done which gives reassurance that information on vulnerable children is now being shared.