Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs London MASH Project Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs Pan London Work Mark J Clark

London MASH Project The vision - ‘to identify and make safe at the earliest opportunity all vulnerable people in our communities through the sharing of information and intelligence across the safeguarding partnership’ Why Change? - Safeguard the vulnerable and reduce harm! Lord Laming, Munro & Ofsted Serious Case Reviews – Adults and children

London MASH Project This project was brought together by the GLA and London Councils. It is led by the London Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB) and Association of Directors of Children's Services (ALDCS) The aim of the project is to increase the sharing of information between partners, particularly for safeguarding vulnerable people A seminar on 28 February 2011 with 11 boroughs, identified by ALDCS, considered good practice across London and the challenges and blockages This framework seeks to capture that good practice, within themes that have become apparent, and chart a way forward for better information sharing in London

London MASH Project The Seminar highlighted: Different cultures clearly exist, but agencies need to work together in a common way across London Prevention is the end goal. Risk and/harm must be identified in the huge volumes to allow timely, appropriate interventions Co-location is already successful, and the way forward A common process is essential, adapted to fit locally, to allow clarity on sharing within and between boroughs Health is a key component, and the process must encourage them to share fully. It must build bridges to key decision makers e.g. head teachers The system should allow links to be made to adults 13 boroughs were visited to look at good practice that has been developed. Several other borough initiatives were also considered along with models outside of London Clear themes emerged where boroughs had tried to implement similar approaches to solve this problem In some cases projects had failed, but boroughs remained committed to trying again using lessons learnt from others There was a clear aspiration to develop to co-located, social work led, multi- agency teams This way forward has also been highlighted in Munro's Report on Child Protection Potential to learn from local IT solutions without investing in new technology

London MASH Project The three outcomes: Early identification and understanding of risk. Victim identification and intervention Harm identification and reduction Early ID Victims. Same lessons (Still)– collective statutory duty – its not optional!. Partnership picture not a silo one. Informed decision to protect at the earliest opportunity. Early, quality and appropriate intervention – ECHR N&P. ‘Get it right first time’ (reduce some waste!) - Efficiency and effectiveness Victim identification and early intervention. Hidden Victims, ‘Drip’ effect. Third Party Presenters of Harm. Children, adults and families in need Harm identification and reduction. ‘Engine room for social change’ Analysis – partnership knowledge – use of risk factors – predict future harm. Informed strategic knowledge products to all partners. Sustainable social change - long term reductions

London MASH Project THE 5 CORE ELEMENTS All notifications relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children to go through the Hub A co-located team of professionals from Core Agencies delivering an integrated service with the aim to research, interpret and determine what is proportionate and relevant to share The hub is fire walled, keeping MASH activity confidential and separate from operational activity and providing a confidential record system of activity to support this. An agreed process for analysing and assessing risk, based on the fullest information picture and dissemination of a suitable information product to the most appropriate agency for necessary action A process to identify victims and emerging harm through research and analysis All notifications relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children to go through the hub. All concerns must be routed through the hub to ensure that low level repeat concerns from a variety of partners can be identified in the MASH and prevent these from being masked through volume or lost in the bureaucracy of a partnership. This will enable effective interventions at the earliest opportunity. One route in & one decision making process ensures a standard of RA and decision making that can be regularly base-lined and audited. This approach was strongly endorsed by the Ofsted report, ‘Good Practice by Local Safeguarding Children Boards’ and ‘The Munro Review of Child Protection’. A Co-located team …This is critical to ensuring all partners have the confidence and trust to engage fully in effective working. The duty of care for agency information remains with the ‘owner’ at all times and the decisions to share information are made on a case by case basis within the statutory framework to ensure information is available upon which to make the best decision. All information should be disclosed within the security of the hub. The hub is fire walled..This provision is required to ensure sensitive information will remain in a confidential environment where only those who actually need to know get to see the information. Information is disclosed on a strictly ‘need to know basis’. An agreed process for analysing and assessing risk .. Partnership giving itself the best opportunity to make effective & efficient decisions through having the most complete information at the earliest stage. Utilising a standardised RA and threshold model a consistency and clarity of decision making will be achieved. proportionate & relevant info to the most appropriate agencies. A process to id.. provides a secure environment where information is subjected to ongoing research and analysis.  identify victims and perpetrators by understanding repeat notifications and the identification of individuals who will suffer increasing levels of harm in the future. The identification of these individuals and the families around them will enable services to intervene at a much earlier time thereby providing opportunities to reduce harm and long term costs.

MASH London MASH Project Concern from police Concern from Professional /public MASH Enquiry Triaging- Risk Assessment RAG Open / closed to Social care MASH Health & Mental Health Youth Offending Team Probation Children‘s Social Care Education Police Early Years Decision Social Care Manager

London MASH Project Red Potential child protection issue Information package within 4 hrs. Amber Significant concerns but immediate action to Safeguard the child is not required. Information package by end of next working day. Green Concerns regarding a child’s wellbeing. Maybe a child in need under Sec 17 Children’s Act. Information package within 3 working days Based on the London Continuum of Need.

London MASH Project Confidential Discussion Room Police Confidential Data Room (PND-VISOR) Analyst MASH HUB OFFICE Social Care, Health, Mental Health, Police, Probation, Education, Housing, 3rd Sector, YOT, Plus ANY others relevant Police Confidential Data Room A secure room within a room. Inside or adjacent to the MASH Police National Database (PND) & VISOR (Sex and violent offenders database) Secure Printing & Secure shredding Not overlooked by non accredited staff. Min 3 work stations (1x Inuit, 2x Foundation) Min 1x Met landline (confidential discussion) Confidential Discussion Room For secure discussion of sensitive information. Within or adjacent to MASH room. Is within the 'Red-Line' when in use. Allows negotiation and professional resolution without interruption to main MASH room. This is a 'neutral' room.

London MASH Project CONSENT or NOT? S.11 Children Act 2004, obliges relevant agencies to ensure that its “functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children” DPA Sec 29 1998 disclose personal information without consent to detect or prevent crime defined category of public interest –The protection of vulnerable members of the community.

London MASH Project Information Sharing Agreement Corporate & specific MASH ISA Twice been through Counsel at Local Authority & MPS Consultation across all partners Caldicott Guardian seminar and critique

London MASH Project The main legal framework relating to the protection of personal information and how it is exchanged in a MASH is set out in: The Human Rights Act 1998, which incorporates Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including the right to a private and family life The common law duty of confidentiality The Data Protection Act 1998, covering protection of personal information There is no general power to obtain, hold or process data and there is no ‘MASH’ statutory power to share information. However, some Acts of Parliament do give statutory public bodies express or implied statutory powers to share information. Some of these are relevant to all members of the MASH. Others relate to specific organisations.

London MASH Project Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) Numerous Versions Appendix A – At NHS request in December 2012. The following headings 1. Information entering the MASH from non-police sources 2. Business Continuity 3. Confidentiality and Vetting 4. Movement of Information 5. Storage of Information on Partner’s System 6. Storage of Papers  7. Disposal of Electronic Information 8. Disposal of Papers 9. Reporting procedures

London MASH Project The Future of MASH. Home Office – "Multi Agency Working & Information Sharing Project" Safeguarding Adults Inclusion of National Referral Mechanism for Child Trafficking Possible growth in a host of areas such as missing people identification and Child Sexual Exploitation etc

London MASH Project Any Questions or help in the future? mark.j.clark@met.police.uk 07500 765523