The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the front door to Children's Social Care. All referrals come into the MASH and we triage how best to help children and their families. MASH are also an assessment team who undertake home visits and then complete the Children and Families Assessment and undertake child protection enquiries. The work is short term as those needing longer term support transfer from the MASH following assessment.

Children and Family Practices are a short-term intervention service which works with children and families with a number of complex needs, to support and safeguard children, young people and families and prevent escalation into statutory children’s services. Delivering a range of evidence-based interventions the aim is to empower families to make positive changes and assist them to build their own support networks.

The Family Support Teams are the frontline safeguarding teams within Children’s Social Care. They work with children and young people who need to be assessed due to safeguarding concerns being raised or, are subject to Child In Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP) and Looked After Child (LAC) plans.

Working alongside other professionals, the Social Workers help put together plans to help reduce the risks and areas of unmet needs to help children/ young people to remain with their families without further statutory involvement. Where a child or young person has been assessed as requiring accommodation outside of their families, alternative care arrangements are pursued which may involve the Local Authority commencing public proceedings.

The Children with Disabilities (CWD) team provide a comprehensive, statutory social work service to children with disabilities and their families from ages 0-19. This work is underpinned by the Children Act 1989. In 2014 the Children and Families Act 2014, and Care Act 2014 was published which gave us additional duties and responsibilities that all Local authorities should provide a statutory Social Worker service to all children with a disability and support them in the transfer to adult services. 

The team help to signpost families to partner agencies and consider referrals for assessment. Assessments of children/young people take place as necessary which could lead to a CIN plan with a support package via direct payments or respite. Where a child/young person has been assessed as requiring accommodation outside of their families, alternative care arrangements are arranged which may involve the Local Authority commencing public proceedings.

The Contextual Safeguarding Team is a multi-agency and multi-disciplinary frontline safeguarding team and consultancy service within Children’s Social Care. It works with children and young people who are at risk of contextual safeguarding concerns and subject to Child In Need (CIN), Child Protection (CP) and Looked After Child (LAC) plans and also offers advise and guidance for other teams within Children Services and partner agencies.

Children in Care support children aged 0 to 16 years post care proceedings to progress permanence through adoption, Special Guardianship Order, long term foster care or rehabilitation home.

The 16 to 25 team support young people with care experience aged 16 who are moving on to adulthood. Our aim is to ensure each young person has a Pathway Plan that is right for them to make the transition as smooth as possible with the right services in place to support our young people.

The Fostering team recruits, assesses, supports and retains, Kinship and Mainstream Foster Carers. They assess and monitor the suitability of all Private Foster Carers and offer support to all post Special Guardianship Order carers. The team have a duty rota to support carers and an out of hours service.

Adoption Connects provides recruitment, assessment and a Family Finding Service for prospective adopters. The team also works closely with the Children in Care and Family Support Teams to identify, match and support children within their adoptive families. This support continues following the child's move to their adoptive family until an Adoption Order is made. When the Adoption Order is granted the team provides a wide range of post adoption services, where needed, to the adopted child and their families up to 18 years old. This includes promoting contact with their birth family.

The FAST (Family Assessment and Support Team) Team provides a variety of support and interventions for children, young people and their families who are open to Children's Social Care. The team is made up of several teams including: Emergency Social Work Team – our Out of Hours Service, Supervised Contact Support Service, S.T.E.P (Supporting Teenagers and Empowering Parents) our Edge of Care Team, SAIT (Specialist Assessment and Intervention Team) and the Healthy Relationships Project – our response to supporting those effected by Domestic Abuse.