What is a referral and assessment team?

If there are safeguarding concerns, then the Children’s First Contact Service (CFCS) refers this matter to the Referral and Assessment Service (RAS) who follow procedures to ensure the child is safeguarded against any current or future significant harm.

What do the MASH team do?

MASH allows the multi-agency safeguarding team to carry out a joint confidential screening, research and referral of vulnerable children. Agencies work together to ensure vulnerable children are identified and properly cared for and protected.

What is early help Lewisham?

About early help assessments The EHA replaces the common assessment framework (CAF) for assessing children’s needs with parents and families. Agencies should work together on an assessment to plan support for families and reduce the chance of concerns escalating to a point where statutory intervention is needed.

Can I refuse social services assessment?

You can’t refuse a needs assessment if: you lack the capacity to refuse, and the local authority believes that it’s in your best interests to have an assessment. the local authority believes you’ve experienced abuse or neglect, or are at risk of it (see our page on safeguarding in social care).

What happens if you are referred to mash?

What happens when my child is referred? The MASH team will gather relevant information about your child and family. A senior social worker will then decide if your child needs support from the MASH or whether other support can be given.

Do all child protection referrals go through mash?

All referrals to Children’s Social Care are first dealt with by the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). If you don’t believe the risk requires immediate action, contact the MASH team to discuss your concerns with a social worker.

What are early year services?

Early Years Teams are specialist teams of social workers within Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts. They’re responsible for the registration, inspection, monitoring and support of childminders and day care providers.

Can social services check my phone?

Re: Social services phone tapping If a social worker is worried about a child, by law, they have to find out as much as they can about a child’s situation. However, they do not have the legal power to tap phones. They could check the open part of social media accounts, such as Facebook.

Do social services spy on you?

Social work professionals are also setting up fake social media accounts to spy on parents and children. A study carried out by researchers at Lancaster University found that social workers were failing to adhere to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).