Investigating the Characteristics of Vulnerable Referrals Made to a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub

Abstract

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH) have been a feature of safeguarding processes since 2010, aiming to increase information sharing, joint decision-making and co-ordinated interventions between safeguarding agencies. However, understanding surrounding the mechanisms underpinning MASH, and who they protect, is limited. This paper attempts to bridge this gap in knowledge by quantitatively examining referrals made to one MASH location in the North of England between 1 st October 2013 and 30 th November 2014 (n=51,264). The findings outline general features of a MASH framework, whilst demonstrating that demand placed upon MASH is influenced by a range of static and dynamic risk factors, including gender, age and ethnicity. The study highlights the complex nature of referrals made to MASH and suggests that whilst MASH has taken a step towards a multi-agency approach to safeguarding, questions regarding MASHs ability to effectively safeguard vulnerable individuals at the earliest opportunity remain.RUNNING HEAD: Investigating the Characteristics of Vulnerable Referrals made to a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Literature ReviewMulti-agency partnerships have been present within England since the 1980s. The Children Act 1989 established one of the first statutory requirements for inter-agency collaboration and joint working, concerning children and young people. Since then, other acts, policies and guidelines have been introduced to promote a multi-agency approach to safeguarding.These have included: recommendations emerging from serious case reviews, particularly Lord Laming's 2003 report into the death of Victoria Climbie; the Equality Act 2010; and the regular publication of Working Together to Safeguard Children. Throughout this period, the importance of providing a multi-agency approach to safeguarding vulnerable individuals has been well documented.RUNNING HEAD: Investigating the Characteristics of Vulnerable Referrals made to a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).3The introduction of MASH, which is accredited to Nigel Boulton (Golden et al., 2011), is a recent example of multi-agency practitioners taking a shared responsibility to identify and manage vulnerability at the earliest opportunity. The rationale for MASH emerged from Boulton's experience of being a police officer, where he recognised that relevant intelligence needed to be collected first, before effective safeguarding decisions could be made. This observation has been reflected in many serious case reviews, illustrating that a lack of information sharing between agencies can result in vulnerable individuals being exposed to unnecessary harm or abuse (Laming, 2003;Haringey, 2009). Thus, by co-locating safeguarding agencies, MASH aims to move towards a more collaborative approach, increasing the likelihood of safeguarding decisions being holistic, effective and more proactive (Cullinan, 2013;Hanson et al., 2015). Agencies that are co-located in MASH include (but are not limited to), the Police, Children Services, Adult Services and Health Servi...

Practitioner perspectives of multi-agency safeguarding hubs (MASH)

“…To help assist with the processing of referrals, most MASH frameworks utilise a threestage approach (for more information see Shorrock et al, 2019). Stage one involves the identification of a vulnerable person and completion of a risk assessment (high, medium or T h e J o u r n a l o f A d u l t P r o t e c t i o n 4 standard), with the level of risk determining the speed at which a referral is processed.…”

“…The development of MASH has been influenced by the reoccurring theme of vulnerable children and young people being exposed to unnecessary abuse due to agencies not effectively working together and sharing information (Home Office, 2014; Dunne and Finalay, 2016). Within England and Wales, a legal definition of MASH has not been established; some frameworks only process referrals relating to children and domestic abuse, whilst others include vulnerable adults (Shorrock et al , 2019). A core aim of most MASH frameworks is to improve safeguarding responses for children and vulnerable adults through information sharing, joint decision-making and co-ordinated interventions (Home Office, 2014).…”