Launch of the new Multi Agency Referral Form (MARF) 1

CONTENTS ItemPage 1Making a Safeguarding Referral03 2Rationale for a new form04 3What’s Changed?05 4Benefits08 5Impact09 6Roll out10 2

MAKING A SAFEGUARING REFERRAL The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub is the first port of call for anyone with a child safeguarding concern. You can report an emergency directly to children’s social care by telephoning the MASH on You can also refer directly to the MASH by ing the Multi Agency Referral Form to or if you do not have access to secure (please only one inbox) Multi Agency Referral Form All referrals to the MASH via phone or free text should include a referral form because it provides the MASH with good quality information which cannot always be captured on a phone conversation

RATIONALE FOR A NEW FORM Since the MASH was launched in July 2014 we have seen very high demand for referrals with variable quality of information A good quality referral form with a full set of information has a significant impact on MASH’s ability to make good decisions for children A recent survey of Partners showed that less that 1/3 of all referrals are currently coming in with a MARF The new Multi Agency Referral Form has been designed to capture the key information the MASH needs to know and increase uptake of the referral form for Partners

WHAT’S CHANGED: DESIGN In order to ensure the new form meetings staff and Partners needs, we consulted with MASH Officers and surveyed 130 Partners to develop design principles for the new form: 5 Simple and fast for the referrer to complete Focus on the child’s voice and avoiding unnecessary interventions Clear explanations about why specific details are important Logical sequence of information to create case narrative Specific guidance for different agencies

WHAT’S CHANGED: STRUCTURE The form has been divided into logical sections to guide the referrer through the referral process: About the child About you Parent or Carer consent Reason for concern Details of Father / Mother / Siblings / Carers / Family Members / Significant Adults Details of Professionals Involved with Child or Family 6

WHAT’S CHANGED: LOOK 7 New structure for “Reason for concern” that includes lots of tick boxes to make it easy to complete Introduction to the form with explanation of how to complete it Special section on consent and why its so important Use of drop down boxes throughout make it more user friendly

BENEFITS We believe the new form will bring a number of benefits to Partners and MASH staff who use it: 8 Co-produced The form has been designed in collaboration with staff and Partners to ensure it meets everyone’s needs More Functionality More user friendly and easier to make referrals New structure Supports referrers to create a narrative to explain their concern Shorter Faster for Partners to complete and quicker for MASH staff to process

IMPACT You will now need to complete a MARF every time you make a referral – even if you refer over the phone, you will be expected to complete a MARF as soon as possible within a maximum of 24 hours: 9 Identify concern Discuss with your local safeguarding representative Refer to Guidance on how to make a referralGuidance If urgent, call the MASH Download the MARF from the BSCB website BSCB website Complete your MARF and to the MASH