Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

What is the MASH?

The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the single point of contact for all early help and safeguarding concerns regarding children and young people in Wolverhampton. It brings together expert professionals, from a range of services that have contact with children, young people and families, making the best possible use of their combined knowledge and information to meet children’s needs and keep them safe from harm.

Click here to download a pdf guide to the MASH for professionals

What does the MASH do?

The MASH:

•  Is a ‘front door’ to manage early help and safeguarding referrals
•  Provides a secure and confidential environment for professionals to share information.
•  Enables early identification of potential safeguarding concerns and facilitates access to timely and effective interventions.
•  Prioritises referrals using Red, Amber & Green (RAG) rating.
•  Makes sure that cases that don't meet the Threshold for Children's Social Care are picked up by other agencies as Early Help or other appropriate support.
•  Where necessary, activates ‘immediate response’ social work services to provide protection for a child or young person(s).

To report any concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing telephone (01902) 555392. This is the number for the MASH. Early Help and Social Care staff in the MASH will carry out a range of information checks to see what if any additional information there is in partners' files to ensure the best possible picture of the family is used to inform decisions about keeping children safe and the sort of help and support the family might need.

Don't forget, if you aren't sure whether or not to call the MASH  - just do it: always do something rather than nothing! The experienced staff in the MASH wil be more than happy to talk through your concerns and help decide on the best way forward.

Once a telephone referral has been made, the member of staff making the referral must complete and submit the online Multi Agency Referral Form the MASH within 24 hours.

If you have any technical problems with completing the online Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) please contact the MASH on 01902 555392 for advice.

The better the information included on the online Multi-Agency Referral Form, the more likely it is that the staff in the MASH will be able to make an accurate, safe and swift decision about how best to manage any risks and help both the child(ren) and their family.