Contacts and Referrals

1. Initial Contacts and Screening Process

The Multi Agency Children's Hub is the first point of contact for anyone who has a concern about the welfare or safety of a child or young person or thinks they may need extra help and support.

When they are contacted, they will listen to what they are being told and the different agencies might share information with each other to try and work out whether they can help.

An Initial Contact is made where Children's Services is contacted about a child where there maybe a concern or a request for general advice, information or a service.

All contacts need to be considered alongside thresholds for Children in Need and/or early help criteria and a decision made within 24 hours regarding the level of response required.

At any time, an Initial Contact may become a Referral to Children's Care if it appears that services may be required for a Child in Need.

Any significant information received about a child who is an open case should be regarded as a Contact, passed to the child's allocated social worker and recorded on the electronic data base.

An Early Help Assessment is not a referral form, although it may be used to support a referral or a specialist assessment.

2. Screening Process

All contacts will be screened by South Tees Multi Agency Children's Hub (MACH) against the Threshold Criteria for Children in Need and/or Early Help and must include internal electronic database and agency checks to establish whether the family is previously known, and whether there is a Child Protection Plan in relation to the child and/or whether the child is Looked After.

The screening process should establish:

• The nature of the concern;
• How and why it has arisen;
• What the child's needs appear to be;
• Whether the concern involves Significant Harm;
• Whether there is any need for urgent action to protect the child or any children in the household.

This process will involve:

• Discussion with the referrer;
• Consideration of any existing records, including whether the child is the subject of a Child Protection Plan;
• Involving other agencies as appropriate and in accordance with Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners, DfE:
  • Consent from the parent or carer should normally be sought;
  • However, Data Protection Legislation should never be a barrier to 'sharing information where the failure to do so would result in a child or vulnerable adult being placed at risk of harm' or indeed on those occasions where seeking consent might increase the risk of harm;
  • Information should always be 'necessary and proportionate'.

Main options available to the Multi Agency Children's Hub are:

• To take no further action
• To refer the child to another agency for specific support
• To refer the child for Early Help support
• To refer the child to Children's Social Care for a Social Work assessment

If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, appropriate actions will be taken that are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services.

If there is suspicion that a crime may have been committed including sexual or physical assault or neglect of the child, the Police must be notified immediately.

Personal information about non-professional referrers should not be disclosed to the parents or other agencies without the referrer's consent.

The parent's consent should usually be sought before discussing a referral with other agencies unless this may place the child at risk of Significant Harm, in which case the manager should authorise the discussion of the referral with other agencies without parental knowledge or consent. The authorisation should be recorded with reasons.

The referrer should be asked specifically if they hold any information about difficulties being experienced by the family/household due to domestic violence and abuse, mental illness, substance misuse and/or learning difficulties. The South Tees Multi Agency Children's Hub (MACH) social worker will obtain information directly from the referrer and information from partner agencies.

• Full names, dates of birth and gender of children;
• Family address and, where relevant, school/nursery attended;
• Identity of those with Parental Responsibility;
• Names and dates of birth of all members of the household;
• Ethnicity, first language and religion of children and parents;
• Any special needs of the children including the means in which they communicate;
• Any significant recent or past events;
• Cause for concern including details of allegations, their sources, timing and location;
• The child's current location and emotional and physical condition;
• Whether the child needs immediate protection;
• Details of any alleged perpetrator;
• Referrer's relationship with and knowledge of the child and his or her family;
• Known involvement of other agencies;
• Information regarding parents' knowledge and agreement to referral.

3. Referrals

An Initial Contact will be progressed to a Referral where South Tees Multi Agency Children's Hub (MACH) considers an assessment and/or services may be required for a Child in Need.

See Making a Referral/Safer Referral Form

Once the referral has been accepted by local authority Children's Care the lead professional role falls to a social worker.

The social worker will arrange to visit or contact the referrer and obtain further information as necessary.

4. Timescales

Once received, all Contacts must be written up and a decision made about their disposal within one working day of the initial contact. (Note: This should be as soon as possible where it is evident the child is seen as requiring immediate protection/urgent action).

Within one working day, a decision should be made about the type of response that is required. This will include determining whether:

• The child requires immediate protection and urgent action is required;
• There is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is suffering, or likely to suffer, Significant Harm, and whether enquires must be made and the child assessed under Section 47 of the Children Act 1989;
• The child is in need, and should be assessed under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989;
• Any services are required by the child and family and what type of services; and
• Further specialist assessments are required in order to help the local authority to decide what further action to take.

5. Initial Disposal of Referrals

The initial disposal of a Referral, which must be authorised by the manager, may be:

1. That the child does not appear to be a child in need, which will result in one of the following: the provision of information, advice, sign-posting to another agency and/or no further action;
2. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a moderate level of need, in which case, the manager may authorise an assessment;
3. That the child appears to be a Child in Need with a high level of need, which must result in an Assessment;
4. That it is suspected that the child is suffering or is likely to suffer from significant harm, which will result in an Assessment, with a view to conducting a strategy discussion, prior to a Section 47 enquiry commencing.

If there are indications that a child may be at risk of Significant Harm, the manager may authorise whatever actions are necessary to protect the child or others in the household from Significant Harm, which may result in the immediate provision of services. There should be consideration of a Strategy Discussion and of a multi-agency response (see Child Protection Enquiries (Section 47) Procedure).

Professional referrers should be advised of the disposal of the referral.

Feedback on the outcome of the Referral should also be provided to non-professional referrers in a manner consistent with respecting the confidentiality of the child.

The child and family must be informed of the action to be taken.

The child should be seen as soon as possible if the decision is taken that the Referral requires further assessment.

6. Recording of Referrals

All Initial Contacts and Referrals should be recorded on the electronic database.

7. Contact Details

Middlesbrough Multi Agency Children's Hub

Tel: 01642 726 004
Between 8.30am – 5pm Mon – Thurs and 8.30am – 4.30pm Friday.

Outside of these hours contact the emergency duty team on: 01642 524 552

Email: MiddlesbroughMACH@middlesbrough.gov.uk