Are you a professional who has concerns for a child or young person?

If you are a professional or a volunteer who comes into contact with children as part of your work, you have a statutory duty to safeguard children and report any allegations or concerns about their welfare or safety.

If you are aware that a child you are worried about has a social worker then you should share your concerns with the allocated social worker or duty social worker by contacting St Helens Children's social care on 01744 671281.

Similarly, if you have identified a child or young person who could benefit from a service or needs help and support, you have a responsibility to pass this information on to the relevant agency.

Support for professionals

The first thing you should do if you have concerns for a child is review the St Helens descriptions of need document, and then you can consider if a referral to Children's social care is required, and if so, at what level of need. If you are unsure and need further advice:

•    Speak to a colleague, your own line manager or Safeguarding lead 
•    Review St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership Website https://sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk/scp
•    Consider St Helens Family hubs https://sthelensfamilyhub.sthelens.gov.uk/
•    For advice about Early Help, contact the Partnership Co-ordinators at partnershipcoordinator@sthelens.gov.uk
•    For staff working in an educational setting, contact the Safeguarding Children in Education Officer 
•    For staff working in education contact TESSA (Triage for all Education Support and Specialist Advice) on 01744 673151
•    For staff working in probation or Safe2speak contact the MASH representative for your agency
•    For advice about Child Protection matters contact the Contact Centre on 01744 676767 option 2 during office hours or EDT outside working hours on 0345 050 0148.
•    For non-urgent advice when all the above has been considered/ completed email MASH@sthelens.gov.uk .

There are a number of services within St Helens that can be referred to in order to support families (without the need to refer to Children's social care) so please consider these prior to referring to MASH:

Family Hubs provide access to a range of services and support for families within St Helens including information and access to a number of different agencies. https://sthelensfamilyhub.sthelens.gov.uk/

BABs - Building Bonds and Breaking relationship cycles. Working with parents who have insecure attachments and poor mental health based on their own ACE's- 0151 351 8801

CGL - For adults who need support in relation to drugs and/or alcohol https://www.changegrowlive.org/integrated-recovery-service-st-helens/referrals

YPDAAT for Young People who need support in relation to Drugs and/or Alcohol  https://yaz.sthelens.gov.uk/main-sections/drugs-alcohol/

Home start - Family Support/School Readiness/Young Persons Mentoring & Sleep Management. Volunteer's complete home visits to support families. Volunteers can provide emotional and practical support having life and lived experiences. Alternatively, volunteers provide play sessions in the home that encourage child's development, supporting them to become school ready for life's next chapter. info@homestartsthelens.org.uk

TAZ - For young people who need relationship and sexual health support call 01744 627697

Safe2speak- domestic abuse support service call 01925 220541 or email safe2speak@torus.co.uk

Young carers for children who are supporting another person in their family info@sthelensyoungcarers.org

Expectations when completing St Helens Children and Young Peoples Service Request Form

Below sets out the expectations of agencies and an example of how a referral to St Helens Childrens Social Care should be completed. If you follow the below guidance it will reduce the time needed to assess concerns and ensure timely support for families at the most appropriate level.  

Pointers

Why are you worried? Is the child/ren at risk of or experiencing 'Significant Harm'? (this could include physical, emotional or sexual harm or concerns the child is being neglected)

What have you seen? (where, when, who)

What have you heard? (where, when, who)

What is the impact on the child now?

What do you think the future impact on the child/ren is likely to be if CSC don't become involved?

What is the child's lived experience? i.e. what is life like for them? What do they think about their lives? Have you asked them?

Identify what you have tried already to reduce risk and meet the child/ren's needs...and reasons you think the risk remains. Or, if you are making a referral without engaging with the child/ren and family at an earlier intervention level please explain why, for example where there is an immediate risk of harm or perhaps your role doesn't bring you into direct contact with children and families. Even if the information is from a third party please refer your concerns.

Remember to separate Facts and Opinions. You can have a professional opinion but make sure this is stated clearly. For example; the young person said "I wanted to have sex with them" however in my view they were coerced and are being sexually exploited because...then list evidence that leads you to this opinion - use of substances/alcohol, significant age differences etc.

Do you have consent to make this referral? Unless it increases the risks to the child (immediate safeguarding concern) or is a risk to your own personal safety - then having the consent of parents (or the young person if they are old enough) is required for CSC to accept the referral. However, don't let the issue of consent get in the way if you are worried - you can always call for advice. Having consent is best practice and you should always endeavour to inform parents you are making a referral, but if this has not been possible please explain this within your referral.

Have you included the basic information about the parents/ key adults and their contact details? Do you know who has parental responsibly? Are there parents not living with the child? Do you know about them?

Use the tools available to support you referral

ERASE tool for Harmful sexualised behaviour- training can be booked via https://sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk/events

Graded care profile 2 for neglect concerns -training can be booked via https://sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk/events

MERIT assessment to evidence and risk assess in respect domestic abuse -for support in respect of this contact the Safe2speak team on 01925 220541 or email safe2speak@torus.co.uk

Pitfalls

Using 'Unknown' as an answer - why don't you know? Can you find out and then submit the form?

Formalising, sanitising or omitting language used. When quoting someone use their actual words, this includes swearing or slang. You may want to include clarification of what they meant. Remember, this could become part of an evidence submission to court - don't leave room for ambiguity or dispute.

Not enough details of the impact on the child and what their lived experience is, for example a good referral would not refer to a family having "a chaotic lifestyle" but would instead separate fact from opinion and evidence the lived experiences for that child; poor school attendance (e.g. 3 days absent in the last fortnight), child cared for my multiple adults (who they are/how many are you aware of?), lack of routine and boundaries (e.g. 4 year old playing out in the street at 3am) and poor home conditions (e.g. damp, refuse piling up, flies, animal waste on carpets, no toothbrushes for the children) etc.

Avoid judgemental or stereotypical views and language. State your concerns but be respectful - would you be happy for the person you are writing about reading your comments over your shoulder?

Delays in submitting the referral. If you are worried about a child/ren then making the referral should be a priority. We know you are busy with many demands on your time, but timely referrals help to minimise risk and mean we can act faster to assess and protect children.

On the other hand, if the concerns are not immediate and you have limited information you should consider if you need to gather more information prior to making the referral and avoid premature/ poor-quality information sharing. This will ensure you are referring at the right time and providing quality information that evidences the need for social care intervention in a child's life.

Be mindful that a social worker may need to speak to you about your referral, especially if you have not provided all the information needed. MASH have a statutory timescale of 1 working day to make a decision about what should happen following a referral and therefore please try and prioritise speaking to the MASH social worker following your referral or identify a colleague who can do this on your behalf.

A top tip in a making referral is to remember that you are not telling a story you are sharing concerns about a child. Keep the child at the centre of your referral: What is a day in their life for them? What are you worried about and why? What needs to happen for things to get better? If you have been worried for a while be clear about why your referral is been submitted today. Summarise the history and your concerns in your own words and not by copying information from other records such as CPOMs.

Review & quality assure the form before submitting & consider asking your manager or safeguarding lead to review it before sending. Have you provided a good summary of your concerns - remembering the person reading the referral does not have your knowledge and understanding of the family. Have you provided evidence of impact to support the level of need you are suggesting. Have you provided as much information as possible about the family members and support networks?

Here is an example of a good quality service request form

Link to a completed form here Good example online SRF neglect- Potter family (PDF, 29 KB)(opens new window)

Frequently asked Questions

What level of need do I need to select?

In order to complete the form you must have an understanding of the St Helens descriptions of need document and therefore please review the descriptions of need document before completing the service request via the link on the form.

https://www.sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk/p/procedures/st-helens-descriptions-of-need

If you are still unsure after doing this and need advice about a specific child or family you can:

·         Speak to a colleague, your own line manager or Safeguarding lead

·         Consider St Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership Website St. Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership - Home (sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk)

·         Consider St Helens Family hubs https://sthelensfamilyhub.sthelens.gov.uk/

·         For advice about Early Help, contact the Partnership Co-ordinators at partnershipcoordinator@sthelens.gov.uk

·         For staff working in an educational setting, contact the Safeguarding Children in Education Officer

·         For staff working in education contact TESSA (Triage for all Education Support and Specialist Advice) on 01744 673151

·         For staff working in probation or Safe2speak contact the MASH representative for your agency

·         For advice about Child Protection matters contact the Contact Centre on 01744 676767 option 2 during office hours or EDT outside working hours on 0345 050 0148.

·         For non-urgent advice (when all the above has been considered/ completed) email MASH@sthelens.gov.uk .

Can I save the form and come back to it later?

There is no option to save the form so once started we suggest you finish to avoid losing any work. Therefore it is key you have access to all essential information prior to starting the form.

How long will it take to complete?

There is no time limit to complete the form set but individuals may have a browser that shuts down after a certain amount of time based on your own system set up. Completion time will depend on things like how complex the concerns are and how big the family and support network is. In order to complete the form as quickly as possible it is key that you have all the families key information in front of you including names, dates of birth, addresses, ethnicity and religion.

Why wont the form move on?

You must answer all questions with a star as they are mandatory. If you cannot answer a question, then please consider if you need to obtain more information from the family or records held by your agency and come back to the form once you have the information you need.

You must try and answer your questions in the order set out on the form but if you need to go back please only use the continue, next and back options on the form to avoid losing your work.

If you have changed your answers, you may need to refresh the form and start again as there may be a previous answer selected stuck in the background.

Why cant I progress a referral to early help (level 2)?

For a level 2 referral you must have full informed consent from parents/carers to make the referral. If you do not have this, you cannot submit a referral for early help and support. Therefore, you will need to speak to the parents or carers and return to the form later. If you are unable to do this please consider other professionals who you could ask to offer support to the family or seek advice from your own manager or partnership coordinators by emailing partnershipcoordinator@sthelens.gov.uk.

If you do not have parents' consent to open an EHAT but feel the family are in need of level 2 support, you should consider a referral to level 2 panel. You must obtain signed consent from parents to refer to level 2 panel.

Why can't I progress a referral at level 3?

For a level 3 referral you need to advise parents/carers of your concerns and the fact that a referral is being made, whether they agree with your concerns, and the need for you to make the referral or not.

Best practice would be for you to speak to parents/carers face to face about the concerns as doing this allows opportunity for other support avenues to be identified, prior to statutory intervention, and often makes difficult conversations easier for all parties involved. It may be that you need to send a letter to the parents inviting them in for a meeting to discuss the concerns in a more planned and structured way. If your concerns are not immediate this would be an appropriate way of engaging the family, prior to referring to Childrens social care and without leaving any children at risk of immediate harm.

Alternatively, you may choose to speak to the parent/carer over the phone or complete a home visit. A home visit is often a very good way of getting more information about a child's living situation and helps to identify more clearly what the support needs are. It can also be a way to build relationships and understand families' situations.

If you have made all reasonable attempts to speak to parents/carers but remain unable to do this, then please answer yes to the question about discussions being held with parents on page 1 and ensure that you have informed the parents/carers in writing that you have made a referral to Childrens social care (if this is safe and appropriate). That way the parent is aware but has not consented to the referral and you can detail the attempts made to speak to them further and gain consent on page 2.

I work in a hospital and I need to make a referral without discussions with the parent as they have left before I was able to speak to them?

As part of the hospital triage process, the parent/patient should have been advised that information will be shared with relevant agencies should there be safeguarding concerns identified. However it is best practice to make attempts to contact the parent/carer by phone to discuss the concerns even after they have left the hospital and thus advise them why a referral to children social care is being made.

If attempts have been made to have these discussions by phone unsuccessfully it is a matter of professional judgement (with the support of your safeguarding lead and using the St Helens descriptions of need document) to decide if the concerns warrant Children's social care involvement based on the identified risk to a child. It may be that discussions can be held with another parent/carer to reassure that the child/ren are safe.

Professionals should also consider reaching out to any other partner agencies who may be working with the parent/carer (e.g health visitor, school nurse, CGL and Safe2speak) in order to gather further information and establish if a referral to Children's social care is required.

I work in probation and only have involvement with dad. I have spoken to him about my worries but not mum and the children live with mum- can I still make a referral?

On page 1 you would say yes to the question about speaking to parents and on page 2 you would stipulate that the person you have spoken to is dad and explain why not mum. In the box considering parents responses it is key that you highlight that dad is aware that the concerns in respect of him will be shared with mum. You should provide mum's contact details if you are able to obtain these from dad or your own records. 

However if dad doesn't want mum to be spoken to we need to be able to evidence the need to share this information without his agreement, in order to safeguard the children and therefore you need to be clear why this needs to happen e.g. dad has confirmed that he is spending time with his child unsupervised and you are worried that he poses a risk to the child- be clear why you have this worry. If he will not or cannot provide mum's details this should be recorded on the form.

Alternatively, if dad reports that the child's mum is aware of the concerns in respect of him and as a result, he is spending time with his child under the supervision of another family member it would be appropriate for you to seek dad's consent to contact mum and confirm with mum what the arrangements for dad's time with the child are. Following the conversation with mum you may be reassured that the child is safe and therefore you may not need to make a referral to Children's social care, or you may just wish to confirm the outcome of previous Children's social care involvement and safety plans agreed via a probation safeguarding enquiry form when applicable (dependant on the region you work within).

If you are unsure if a referral is required, then seek advice from the MASH probation representative before submitting your referral or email MASH@sthelens.gov.uk, requesting advice.

I submitted a service request as level 3 but it was screened by Early help, why?

Every service request form submitted is reviewed by a MASH manager to determine what needs to happen and the level of screening that needs to be completed. This decision is based on the information provided in the service request form and also on the family history known to us. All screening is completed by a qualified social worker but if screening is at level 2 this is completed by a social worker within the early help service. L2 screening is completed when there are indications that parents are requesting and/or willing to engage in support and there is a potential need for multi-agency coordinated support, as opposed to concerns of risk and harm to children. Similarly, if you submit a level 2 service request but a MASH manager considers there are concerns of risk or harm to a child, the screening would be escalated to level 3 or 4.

I have more evidence to support my referral such as pictures of poor home conditions, a voice of the child tool or a child in need plan- can I include this?

Yes at the end of the form there is an option to add supporting documents. Please ensure that everything you wish to attach to your referral is saved in one file on your desktop so you can then attach more than one document if needed.

If you are requesting a Child in need transfer to St Helens please ensure you attach the most recent child and family assessment, current Child in Need plan and case summary.

Do you not need the date of birth of the child/parent as the question is not mandatory?

It is imperative that you provide us with dates of birth of all family members so that we can be sure we are considering the correct child and family and that we are obtaining all relevant information from MASH partners and possibly other Local Authorities. However we are aware that professionals working with large families may not have access to the dates of birth's for all children or both parents and therefore the question is not mandatory so that you can at least provide the names of all the family members even if you do not know all their dates of birth and other key details.

Please provide all the details that you have for all the children, parents, and carers that you are aware of, even if the question is not mandatory- the more you tell us the better.

I know there are professionals working with the family, but I do not know their contact details.

Can you source the agency contact details via google, a colleague or just provide the name of the worker/ school if you do not have their specific number? If you do not know of any other professionals involved record "do not know" in the contact details box.

Do I get a copy of the form for my records once it is submitted?

You should review the form is accurate and all details have been included before submitting. Once submitted you will receive an email confirmation and a PDF copy of the form will be attached.

How do I know the outcome of my referral?

It is possible your referral will be progressed for a Children's social care assessment without you receiving a phone call from MASH but in this instance, you will be contacted by the social worker allocated to the children.

It is also possible that a MASH Social worker will need to contact you so please try and be available to take this call or provide an alternative professional in your agency. Speaking to referrers could be crucial to ensuring a timely and appropriate response for the child/children.

You will have a formal letter or email from MASH within 3 days of the referral been received confirming the overall outcome. Outcomes following MASH screening include progressing to a statutory assessment within duty/assessment teams, EHAT recommended, EHAT in place or no further action which will usually involve advice and signposting or targeted support.

If level 2 screening has been completed the outcome will be confirmed in writing within 5 working days.

What can I do if I am not in agreement with the outcome of the MASH screening?

You could contact the MASH team to discuss the outcome and request a copy of the signs of safety analysis. If following this you are still not in agreement with the MASH decision you should follow the Local Authority's resolution procedure- St. Helens Safeguarding Children Partnership - Multi Agency Resolution (sthelenssafeguarding.org.uk)

I am a professional and I need to make a referral to Children's social care

You can make a referral using the Service Request Form.