The purpose of a MASH is to bring together different agencies to enable fast information sharing with the purpose of making an effecient and fast decision to safeguard vulnerable children.
The MASH setting allows professionals to effeciently and quickly gather and process information in order to assess risk.
Because of this multi agency partnership and coordination professionals are better placed to make correct, appropriate, and proportionate decisions when it comes to child safety.
It is important to note that the MASH do not hold cases. In essence it is the front door and the first screening process, in which a decision maker decides where the case goes next. As a guide, urgent referrals are expected to be screened within a few hours, while non urgent referrals are aimed to be completed within a three days.
The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub model is a robust and proven model for safeguarding vulnerable children.