Concerned about a Child?

All referrals for children or young people living in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead should be made through the Single Point of Access referral form.

For more information on safeguarding in RBWM, please visit the AfC safeguarding page.

If you consider a child is in immediate danger, phone the police emergency number on 999.

If you are not sure who to contact, please visit https://www.gov.uk/report-child-abuse for more information. 

Please refer to the Multi Agency Threshold Guidance which will help you identify and assess needs and also help you to make the most appropriate referral. 

To download the Exploitation Screening Tool - please click here.

About the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in Windsor and Maidenhead

The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the single point of contact for all safeguarding and wellbeing concerns regarding children and young people in Royal Borough Windsor and Maidenhead.

We are committed to ensuring that all children and young people with additional needs are identified early.  We ensure information is shared effectively between different agencies, offering advice and guidance and referring children, young people and their families to services that can help them.

The MASH is designed to meet the two key principles of effective safeguarding as defined by Working Together 2023

• Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part; and
• A child-centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children.

Support provided through the MASH includes:

• Providing professionals with consultations and support
• Making referrals to partner agencies
• Access to Early Help Services within AfC
• Making referrals to Children’s Social Care Services

About the team
The MASH is a multi agency team, managed by Achieving for Children, made up of different professionals with different areas of expertise who work together to assess, decide and coordinate how best to support children, young people and their families were there are concerns.

Team members

• Access Officers receive your calls and can provide information, advice and signpost.
• Social Workers assess the needs or concerns raised about a child or young person.
• Police Officers assess information and notifications about children and young people coming to the attention of the Police.
• Health Visitor advises on the developmental needs of children under 5 with additional needs that are referred to the SPA to ensure they receive the most appropriate support.

What happens when you contact the MASH

When the MASH is contacted about a child or young person they will decide within 24 hours about what action should be taken next.

To help the team make an informed decision they may contact you or other agencies for further information.

The MASH will feedback to the person who initially made contact with the MASH within 72 hours to let them know of their decision and the next steps.

For more information about Single Point of Access and information from the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub please click here