what we do and how we do it...multi-agency support teams (mast) sheffield is committed to enabling...

MAST Core Offer • Information for Professionals 1

Multi-Agency Support Teams (MAST)

Sheffield is committed to enabling and supporting all children, young people and families to be safe, healthy and successful now and in the future.

We can best do this by identifying any additional needs as early as possible and providing the right support at the right time and in the right place.

We know that there are a number of families in Sheffield who are likely to experience difficulties at some point in their lives.

These may include:

• Children who are missing school

• Children at risk of entering/ re-entering children’s social care

• Children and adults with emotional and mental health issues

• Children with challenging behaviour

• Families affected by domestic abuse

• Families affected by substance misuse

• Families experiencing poverty, at risk of homelessness or long term unemployment

• Families with needs around parenting

Our staff use a whole family approach working with other agencies to co-ordinate the support into a multi-agency action plan. We hold regular Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings to review the progress against this plan.

Our staff visit families in their homes as well as meet in schools and other community settings as needed to progress the action plan.

Our casework is supported by a range of specialist workers who give advice and guidance to our Intervention and Prevention Workers:

What we do and how we do it...

MAST Core Offer • Information for Professionals2

What we Offer at each Threshold of Need

For full information about the Sheffield Thresholds of Need, please see the guidance document at:

https://www.safeguardingsheffieldchildren.org/sscb/safeguarding-information-and-resources/thresholds-of-need-guidance-1/print

Level 1

Universal

Early Help Practitioner Zone (online resource and guidance re: Early help services) www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/earlyhelp

Level 2

Universal Plus

Training for the CYPF workforce from SWPIs and Managers:

(online resource and guidance re: Early help services) www.sheffielddirectory.org.uk/earlyhelp

Advice and support to professionals from SWPIs and Team Managers via phone call to area teams:

NORTH - 0114 233 1189

WEST - 0114 250 6865

EAST - 0114 205 3635

Advice sessions from Prevention or Intervention workers via the Early Help Response to ascertain if further assessment is needed (or if needs can be met at level 2/signposting).

Signposting to relevant services.

Level 3

Early Help Multi-Agency Support

The offer at level 2 and:

Support to Partner Agencies and Families via an Early Help Response

Prevention or Intervention workers via the Early Help Response Team will work with families at level 3 where there is a single issue or a short term, specific piece of work.

We can also attend meetings with Partners to support with completion of an Early Help Assessment and support the TAF process.

Level 4

Complex Multi-Agency Intensive support

The offer at levels 2,3 and:

Whole family key-worker to work with the family in their home and in community settings to improve the range of issues identified in the Early Help Assessment, in liaison with other services that support children young people and families, using Signs of Safety/Wellbeing approach.

We will deliver targeted early help to families at risk of reaching statutory thresholds through coordinated step up and step down processes, to ensure families receive the support they require.

Level 5

Child in Need of Protection and Support

The offer at level 2 and:

Targeted intervention for time-limited parenting intervention in the family home (following the 4 Step Parenting Intervention) as part of a Social Care led plan.


What an Allocated Family Intervention Worker does (using a Multi-Agency Action Plan)

Education and Employment:

Need

Improved Attendance

Early Years Education

Improving Access to Learning and Training and Employment

Employment Skills

Intervention / Activity

Children, young people and their families will be supported to ensure good nursery/school attendance is established and maintained. A key worker will;

• Support the family to embed good routines (particularly in the morning and evening)

• Build stronger relationships between family and school

• Support improved attendance with advice and support from Attendance and Inclusion specialists.

0 -19 Intervention workers will support families to access Funded Early Learning places where eligible.

Children, Young People and Adults will be supported to access training to improve their school readiness, attainment and employability, including opportunities for Book Start, volunteering, Family Learning, Adult Learning and access to Learning Champions and employment.

Families will be supported to improve and maintain their employability skills. A key worker will provide access to Employment advisors who can support adults and young people to develop employment skills, where barriers to employment are complex.



Health and Wellbeing

Need

Early Years Socialisation

Physical Health and Wellbeing

Emotional Wellbeing

Young Carers


Families and new parents will be supported to be able to access Family Centre activities, group work and play groups.

Children, Young People and their families will be supported with advice and guidance on healthy lifestyles.

A key worker will;

• Support access to local services: GP, dentist, health visitors, midwives and school nursing.

• Assist with appropriate access to appropriate specialist support including group support e.g. CAMHS, Ryegate etc

• Help to ensure successful sleep through consultation with Sleep Hygiene Specialists.

• Encourage access to smoking cessation and substance misuse programmes.

For children, young people or adults with emotional health needs, that do not reach the threshold for CAMHS or Adult Mental Health Services, MAST workers will be supported by Adult or Primary Mental Health Workers to deliver support commensurate with their level of training or to signpost to other appropriate provision.

Completion of Young Carer’s assessment and referral if appropriate.



Parenting / Home Life

Need

ChallengingBehaviour

Healthy Relationships

Home Environment

Budgeting Skills


Support to promote positive behaviour at both school and home. A key worker will;

• Introduce parenting techniques that encourage positive behaviour and support parent/carers to embed this in the home (using the 4 Step Parenting Intervention and other evidence based strategies/resources).

• Enable access to appropriate level of group parenting intervention.

Children, young people and their families will be supported to establish and maintain healthy relationships. A keyworker will support the family to:

• Establish family ground rules and embed improvements• Empower parents to set and achieve goals • Identify barriers to communication and support families to

communicate well with each other and those around themWhere domestic abuse occurs, families will be able to access specialist support and advice including group work provision (e.g. You and Me Mum course or Power to Change).

Families will be given advice to improve and maintain a safe, stable and nurturing home environment.

Families will be supported to improve and maintain budget management skills, including:

• Support access to specialist debt advice• Maximise benefit entitlement including free school meals,

FEL and Pupil Premium.



Safeguarding

Need

Young people who go missing from home or school

Families who are at risk of entering or re-entering Children’s Social Care


Where a child or young person is known to the service, the prevention and early intervention service will:

• Share relevant information with other agencies in the search to find the young person

• Participate in relevant strategy meetings with partners

• When a child or young person returns, discuss with them the circumstances which led to them going missing

• Assist them with identifying any ongoing support needs in the family around this specific issue.

Key workers have access to Social Workers for Prevention and Intervention (SWPI’s) who offer consultation and support on complex cases. Where families are at risk of reaching statutory thresholds we have coordinated step up and step down processes, to ensure families receive the support they require.

TO MAKE A REFERRAL:

Down load the relevant referral forms from https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/PEIS. For an Early Help response (single issue cases) please use an Early Help Part 1 form to request support.

Where you have identified families with multiple needs through an Early Help Assessment (FCAF/ My Support/ EHCP) and are referring for a whole family intervention please include a copy of the Early Help Assessment and most recent Plan.


1. Is MAST part of social care?MAST is part of Sheffield City Council’s Children & Families Services but is separate from social care. MAST will raise safeguarding concerns if needed, as any other service working with children would.

2. Can MAST refer to CAMHS or Ryegate?MAST workers are not able to refer to CAMHS or Ryegate directly. We have access to specialist Primary Mental Health Workers who provide advice and guidance. We would support a family to get the right support to meet their needs which may involve working with health colleagues to make a referral to CAMHS or Ryegate where appropriate.

3. Can other professionals refer just to the PMHW or AMHW provision?The Primary Mental Health Workers and Adult Mental Health Workers that support our service do not hold cases – they work to support and advise our staff on a consultation basis and through training for our staff. For this reason, it is not possible to refer to the PMHW or AMHW.

4. Can MAST give financial support to families?MAST does not have a budget to give any financial support or to pay for any items or services for families. We can signpost families/ professionals to charities who may be able to help.

5. Can MAST provide childcare, housework or transport to school?MAST workers will support parents to improve the care and boundaries given to children and will role model positive parenting techniques and play, but will not “babysit”.

MAST workers will work alongside families to improve home conditions but will not do housework for families.

6. Do MAST workers offer classroom support for children?This is not something that we offer in MAST.

7. Do MAST offer counselling or bereavement support?Our workers are not trained counsellors but they encourage families to speak about emotions and will do work with individual children to speak about their feelings.

8. Do MAST do assessments?Families should have had a thorough assessment undertaken by universal services before being referred to our service however we use various assessment tools to inform the work that we do with families.

9. Will MAST help to manage contact arrangements between separated parents?This is not something that we offer in MAST.

10. Do MAST mediate between families and schools?If there are issues between families and school staff then our workers will support these to get resolved using the Team Around the Family meetings so that the family and the school can speak openly about their concerns, with the aim of improving support for the child(ren).

Frequently Asked Questions


NORTH

HUB

North MAST - 2nd Floor, Sorby House, Spital Hill, S4 7LG

Tel: 0114 233 1189

Email: [email protected]

WES

T

HUB

West MAST - Old Sharrow Junior School, South View Road, S7 1DB

Tel: 0114 250 6865


EAST HUB

East MAST - 1st Floor, Shortbrook Primary Site, Westfield Northway, S20 8FB

Tel: 0114 205 3635


CONTACT US

what we do and how we do it...multi-agency support teams (mast) sheffield is committed to enabling...

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