Our Teams
Within the Children & Young People Directorate, we have a number of dedicated teams. Please read more information about each team below.
MASH – Integrated Front Door
The MASH service is the first point of contact for the public and professionals who have concerns about a child.
MASH service triages information gathered to determine next steps, this will include identifying immediate and levels of risk and ensuring consent has been gained from the parents/carers when professionals refer or dispensing with if necessary when a safeguarding matter arises. In some instances, the MASH Social Workers will undertake screening checks, for example with police, health, education and other partner agencies to enable the manager to make a decision about next steps.
The MASH service completes decisions about all ‘contacts’ within one working day, this will include the decision to transfer directly to the Family Help Service.
Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT)
The Multi-Agency Child Protection Team (MACPT) brings together professionals from across partner agencies to provide a coordinated and expert response when there are concerns that a child may be suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm. Working collaboratively, the team strengthens information sharing, assessment, decision-making and intervention to ensure children receive timely and effective protection.
The team is led by experienced Lead Child Protection Practitioners who are responsible for statutory child protection decision-making and work closely with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds to understand risk, identify protective factors and plan appropriate interventions.
Working alongside Family Help Teams, the MACPT ensures that children and families benefit from a joined-up approach which combines effective safeguarding with ongoing support. This integrated model promotes continuity, keeps the child’s voice at the centre of practice, and helps ensure families receive coordinated support while risks are assessed and managed.
Through partnership working, professional expertise and a focus on achieving the best outcomes for children, the MACPT plays a vital role in safeguarding children and supporting their safety, wellbeing and long-term development.
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Family Help
Family Help Teams provide early, co-ordinated support to children, young people and their families, helping to identify needs early and improve outcomes while enabling children to remain safely within their family networks wherever appropriate.
Working within local communities, multi-disciplinary teams bring together professionals from different services to provide a joined-up approach to support. Families benefit from a named lead practitioner who builds a trusted relationship, coordinates support and acts as a consistent point of contact.
A key principle of Family Help is one assessment and one evolving plan, developed with families and adapted as circumstances change. Taking a whole-family approach, practitioners work collaboratively across agencies to reduce duplication, build on family strengths and deliver timely, proportionate support across a range of needs, from targeted early help through to work alongside child protection arrangements.
Through integrated and relationship-based practice, Family Help Teams aim to strengthen families, improve wellbeing and achieve positive, sustainable outcomes for children and young people.
Children with Disabilities
For children 0-18 yrs, with a disability and/or complex health conditions following assessment are able to access individually tailored support packages in and/or out of the family home. Social workers and support workers who hold specific knowledge work closely with specialist health professionals and colleagues in education ensuring the impact of a child’s needs are understood, and any risks are managed.
This service will work across the child’s journey, completing assessment work, including short break assessments, child protection and court work, ensuring there is consistency in social workers leading to relationship based model of practice.
Corporate Parenting
This service provides support for children who live with families and a range of services to children we care for and those that are care experienced and often living, studying and working successfully. We work with children and young people, foster carers, independent review officers and Homes staff to ensure we are progressing our children’s plans.
As good corporate parents’ the service strives to achieve the best for children and young people and hope that they will be healthy, safe and do well at school. As good corporate parent’s we hope children and young people will have good friendships and enjoy a range of hobbies and interests and to grow towards adulthood equipped to lead successful lives and make their way as adults in higher education in good careers and jobs, and be financially secure.
Business Support
Children & Young People Business Support provides vital administrative, operational and business management support across Children’s Services. The team plays a key role in ensuring services run efficiently and effectively, enabling frontline practitioners and managers to focus on improving outcomes for children, young people and families.
The service delivers a wide range of support functions, including administrative coordination, meeting and panel support, case management and data processing, financial and procurement administration, record management, and customer service. Business Support staff work closely with social care and education teams, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, maintaining accurate records, and supporting service performance through high-quality data and reporting.
By providing professional, customer-focused and responsive support, the team contributes to the effective delivery of Children’s Services, helping to ensure that children, young people and families receive timely and appropriate support.
Fostering
We have an in-house fostering service, who care for many of our children and young people.
Social Workers within the fostering service complete assessment of carers, statutory checks, support foster carers and complete annual reviews of foster carers. It is in the vision of the Council to grow the service, securing families for children and young people who are cared for within their local communities to enable them to build resilience and success.
Social Care Academy
The Social Care Academy is a dedicated team of Advanced Practitioners committed to supporting the social care workforce through continuous learning, professional development, and career progression. The Academy provides a structured career pathway and a comprehensive programme of continuing professional development (CPD), aligned to the service improvement plan and the evolving needs of the workforce.
Advanced Practitioners deliver tailored support to Newly Qualified Social Workers (NQSWs) throughout their Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). This includes a bespoke 52-week development programme and guidance in completing portfolios that meet the requirements of the Skills for Care ASYE framework.
The Academy also supports a range of pathways into the profession, including facilitating social work apprenticeships and other alternative routes into social work. In addition, the Academy leads the delivery of the Government’s Step Up to Social Work programme, an intensive, fully funded postgraduate diploma that enables participants to qualify as social workers within 14 months.
Working closely with neighbouring universities, the Social Care Academy also ensures the provision of high-quality practice placements for both BA and Master’s social work students, helping to develop the next generation of social workers and strengthen the future workforce.
Learning and Achievement
This is a small team of education specialists focused on improving education standards and ensuring children are effectively safeguarded in their educational settings. Our aim is to ensure that all children and young people get a great start in life and have the knowledge and skills needed for a successful transition into adult life.
The team works largely with educational settings from the Early Years sector including child minders, schools and colleges as well as alternative provision providers.
There are seven smaller teams within this team: The Early Years Team, The Education Safeguarding Team (including the education MASH, elective home education and Inclusion), The School Admissions Team, The EAL Team, Off site visits Team, The Virtual School for looked after children and The School Improvement Team.
Schools Effectiveness
The Schools Effectiveness Service is an outward-facing business function which aims to consult and provide a ‘one stop shop’ for schools and educational establishments to access services including specialist support solutions. We provide advice, guidance and training opportunities to business professionals within schools, to support best practice and continued professional development.
The team lead on the work experience provision for young people upwards from key stage 4. Our service offers the provision for general advice for work placements to all schools and colleges, compliance with health and safety regulations and close partnership working with neighbouring local authorities regarding placements for Herefordshire students in other counties.