Agenda item

A report from the Corporate Director is attached providing an update on the implementation of a Wiltshire Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). This report was taken to Cabinet on 17 December 2013.

The Wiltshire MASH is a co-located team of professionals from the core agencies of children’s social care, the police and community health services who will deliver an integrated service, including the provision of information, advice and signposting to appropriate safeguarding services.  The MASH is located in County Hall.

Terence Herbert,  Associate Director for Children and Families, will attend to answer members’ questions.

Terence Herbert (Associate Director - Children's Social Care, Integrated Youth and Preventative Services, 0-25 SEN/Disability Service) was in attendance to discuss the MASH. The MASH had arisen as a result of serious case reviews and recommendations from the Munro Review in 2010. The role of the MASH is to co-ordinate a multi agency approach to safeguarding events, allowing the team to consult a far greater number of agencies in a far shorter time period. The result of this has seen a change in the way that safeguarding incidents are coordinated and handled. The MASH acts as a central point of contact for social care, police and health, and has revolutionised how the agencies interact and share information. The MASH plans to incorporate selected other agencies including educational services, to develop the information sharing arrangements that are currently in place. Terence Herbert commented on the effectiveness of the co-location and spoke of the benefits this has with regard to information sharing between agencies.

The Committee questioned the legal and governance practices within MASH, with particular a focus on information sharing arrangements. It was confirmed that as a Tier 3 (county wide) agency, the MASH operates in line with information sharing protocols governing the sharing of sensitive information. It was clarified that previous arguments surrounding data protection had incorrectly prevented this practice, and that this had now been overcome.

The Committee discussed the funding arrangements, with particular focus on the contributions from the Community Health Centre. It was confirmed that he contributions from the CHC were representative of the level of resources that are provided at the MASH by the CHC. The Committee also focussed on the sustainability of the MASH, with its long term future scrutinised. It was confirmed that whilst the MASH was operating within budget, like many funded other agencies, it may not be entirely resistant to cost saving measures in future. Terence Herbert discussed the potential hidden savings that the MASH may provide, but reaffirmed that the primary focus of the MASH was not that of a cost saving exercise, but to provide a critical front line service to ‘at risk’ individuals.

The Committee voiced concern at the level of engagement from the health service and the representation of the youth service also. It was confirmed that the problems with the health service were previously cultural and procedural difficulties, but that the new arrangements within the MASH were providing an innovative approach to information sharing between the health service and other agencies. It was stated that the MASH were also expecting an enhanced presence for early intervention within the MASH from April 2014. At the end of the discussion it was;

Resolved:

To make the following recommendation to cabinet:

1.     To congratulate those involved in the implementation of a Wiltshire Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on the positive progress so far, reflecting the priority given to safeguarding across the Council, the Police, the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Children’s Community Health provider (Great Western NHS Hospital Trust).