Children and families social care teams

These teams are district based to make sure families and young people get the best service and experience the least changes of worker.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

MASH provides triage and multi-agency assessment of safeguarding concerns. It brings together professionals from a range of agencies into an integrated multi-agency team. This dedicated multi-agency team protects the most vulnerable children from harm, neglect and abuse by meeting goals specifically related to safeguarding, including:

• A faster, more co-ordinated and consistent response to safeguarding concerns raised about vulnerable children
• An improved ‘journey’ for the child or adult with a greater emphasis on early intervention and better informed services provided at the right time
• A more straightforward and responsive process for the professional or member of the public raising a concern, with clear guidance and support
• Closer partnership working, clear accountability and improved multi-agency communications
• A reduction in the number of inappropriate referrals and re-referrals

The Family Help Team

The Family Help team works with families who have a need for a Child and Family Assessment, after information is gathered by the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH). They will conduct a relevant assessment and work to enable families to build their resilience and, wherever possible, remain together. The Family Help team also undertakes court work, to achieve permanency for those children who need to live outside of their home environment.

Children in Care teams (CIC)

A case is transferred to the CiC team for long-term social care intervention once a child’s permanent plan has been identified for foster care. The CiC team supports the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, who transfer directly to CiC from point of referral

More information about Children in Care.

Disabled Children’s teams (DCT)

DCT works with children who have a complex disability. They also work the child’s family who require support and assistance to meet the needs of their child and his or her disability.

More information about special needs and disabilities.

Child & Family assessment

The Child & Family assessment used by Children’s Services at Hampshire County Council is completed within 15 days of the referral being made to Children’s Services.

The assessment uses a strength- based approach. A strengths-based approach recognises that children and families need to be experts and in charge of their own lives. A strengths-based approach to assessment considers what children and families, including the people around them in their relationships and their communities, can do with their skills and their resources to support them to meet their needs.

The assessment considers the needs of the whole family, to ensure their needs are identified. This includes the needs of parents as carers. The assessment will determine what, if any, intervention is required by Children’s Services. If there is no role for those services, including the Disabled Children’s Teams, then this will be made clear to families and their cases either signposted to other appropriate services and/or closed to the team.