MASH

What is a MASH?

The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) brings key professionals together to facilitate early, better quality information sharing, analysis and decision-making, to safeguard vulnerable children and young people more effectively.

Staff from across health, social care, the police, education, probation are based in the MASH at any one time at its base in Broadgate House in the city centre.

The MASH provides timely access to a range of partner agency information which builds a picture and enables us to understand the level of risk.

Information from different agencies is collated within the MASH, and used to decide what action to take. As a result, the agencies are able to act quickly in a co-ordinated and consistent way, ensuring that children are kept safe.

For those concerns that meet the threshold for Social Care involvement, representatives from the different agencies in the MASH and outside collate information from their respective sources to build up a picture of the circumstances of the case and the associated risks to the child.

As a result, better decisions are made about what action to take and support will be targeted on the most urgent cases. Feedback is also given to professionals reporting concerns.

How do I contact someone if I am concerned about a child or young person?

If you wish to report a matter to the police, call 101 and state your concerns.
If you wish to report an emergency matter always dial 999.
Social worker (out of office hours): 024 7683 2222.

If there is no immediate danger or you need advice or information, you should call the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 024 7678 8555.

Advice and information

If you want to discuss your concerns or need advice e.g. if you are not sure whether your concerns are justified, you would like more information about issues like confidentiality or you would like to know what happens next (after you have reported your concerns), do one of the following: 

• Call Childline on 0800 1111
• Call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000
• Check Coventry CSCP procedures

Prevent referrals for children and young people

The Prevent Duty requires that if there are concerns that an individual may be vulnerable to radicalisation around violent extremism then these concerns need to be shared so that appropriate support is provided in order to safeguard those individuals. A partnership referral form has been prepared to make sure that it is easier to outline and submit the referrals. 

To make a Prevent referral for a child or young person a referral form needs to be sent to both of the following email addresses:  CTU_GATEWAY@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk and mash@coventry.gov.uk.