Reviewed on : 12 Dec 2022

Reviewed by : Gateway Editor

Expires : 12 Dec 2024

Coventry & Warwickshire ICB Happy Healthy Lives Safeguarding Platform

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Children and Adults at risk is everyone’s business.

As a commissioner of health and care services, we must ensure robust arrangements for Safeguarding Children and Adults, as such, we will continue to review and develop arrangements in line with best practice and latest guidance.

Coventry & Warwickshire Integrated Care Board are a statutory partner at the Safeguarding Adult Boards and Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships.

Please see options below for further information, guidance and policies and procedures.

Please see REPORT IT for information on how to refer a Safeguarding concern.

For further advice select SAFEGUARDING TEAM below

Click on this link or image below for shortcut to Happy Healthy Lives ICB Safeguarding Platform 

The link above takes you to the Safeguarding platform which holds up to date and relevant information, forms and links for the following areas:

• Safeguarding Adults
• Upcoming Training
• FGM / Honour based abuse / Modern Slavery
• Safeguarding Children
• Contacts
• Serious Case Reviews
• Looked After Children
• Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
• Prevent and safeguarding from the risk of terrorism
• On-line Referral Forms
• Care Act
• Domestic Violence and Abuse
• Legislation and Policies
• Information Sharing
• MCA / DOLS (Mental capacity Act)

Useful links

• Generic Safeguarding Slides
• Nursing Guide – Modern Slavery
• NSPCC Knowledge and Information Service – sharing knowledge to keep children safe
• GDPR -One Minute Guide
• No Excuse For Abuse Media Pack

Domestic Violence

Please see GP Gateway Domestic Violence page by following this link

Additional Resources

Who to Discuss my Concerns With

• What to do if you have concerns about a child

Right Care Right Time – Guidance for Deciding on Thresholds for Referral

Click on this link or image below for shortcut to full document

Responding to Identified Needs

Identifying Need Summary

Level 2-3 Concern: Family Hub

Refer to local Family Hub

Family Hubs: provide early help and support for families, children and young people aged 0 – 19 years (up to age 24 where a young person has a disability).

• The Moat Family Hub, Deedmore Road, Wood End, Coventry, CV2 1EQTel: 024 76785621
• Park Edge Family Hub, Roseberry Avenue, Bell Green, Coventry, CV2 1NE Tel: 024 7678 6868
• Woodside Family Hub, Upper Ride, Willenhall, Coventry, CV3 3GLTel: 024 7678 8430
• Aspire Family Hub, Humber Avenue, Gosford Green, Coventry, CV1 2SF: 024 7678 8489
• Pathways Family Hub, Lawrence Saunders Road, Coundon, Coventry, CV6 1HDTel: 024 7676 8444
• Mosaic Family Hub, Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, Coventry, CV4 9PL: 024 7678 7801
• Families For All Hub, 454 Foleshill Road, Foleshill, Coventry, CV6 5LB.Tel: 024 7678 5575
• Harmony Hub, Clifton Street, Hillfields, Coventry, CV1 5GR.Tel: 024 7678 7474

Children’s Social Care

Coventry operates one central number for all issues relating to children’s social care and early help. Tel: 024 7678 8555 then:

• Option 1 For existing cases
• Option 2 For advice from a social worker
• Option 3 To make a referral
• Option 4 Any other enquiry

Emergency Out of Hours Duty Team (EDT) Tel: 024 7683 2222

Coventry offers an emergency social care service between 5pm and 8.30am Monday to Thursday and between 4.30pm on a Friday and 8.30am on a Monday, each weekend.

The call will be answered by an operator who will take your number and ask the social worker to call you as soon as possible.

Level 4: The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) brings key professionals together to facilitate early, better quality information sharing, analysis and decision-making, to safeguard vulnerable children and young people more effectively.

Staff from across health, social care, the police, education, probation are based in the MASH at any one time at its base in Broadgate House in the City Centre.

The MASH provides timely access to a range of partner agency information which builds a picture and enables us to understand the level of risk.

Information from different agencies is collated within the MASH, and used to decide what action to take. As a result, the agencies are able to act quickly in a co-ordinated and consistent way, ensuring that children are kept safe.

For those concerns that meet the threshold for Social Care involvement, representatives from the different agencies in the MASH and outside collate information from their respective sources to build up a picture of the circumstances of the case and the associated risks to the child.

As a result, better decisions are made about what action to take and support will be targeted on the most urgent cases. Feedback is also given to professionals reporting concerns.

If the child or young person is thought to have been harmed or could be harmed in the future, they will be referred to Coventry City Council’s local area team for further assessment. Information could also be given to police officers if it is necessary to help stop or solve a crime.

If the child or young person has not been harmed but we think they or their parent/carer would benefit from extra help, then their details will be passed onto the most appropriate service so that they get the support they need.

MASH Contact

Email: mash@coventry.gov.uk

Tel: 024 7678 8555

MASH Referral using Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF)

Click on this link or image below for functioning linked page

Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Statutory Child Death Review Arrangements (CDOPs)

The death of a child is a devastating loss that profoundly affects all those involved. A sensitive approach is critical in meeting the needs of those parents, siblings, families, friends and professionals involved in caring for the child.

The child death review process seeks to respect the rights of the child and their family with the intention of learning what happened and why, and whether there are any lessons to be learned, with the aim of preventing future child deaths.

You can read our review process here: The Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Statutory Child Death Review Arrangements Process

• About Child Death Reviews

Useful links

• What to do if you have concerns about a child in Coventry?
• GP Guide to Recognising Safeguarding Concerns
• Generic Safeguarding Slides
• NSPCC Knowledge and Information Service – sharing knowledge to keep children safe
• Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competencies for Healthcare Staff

Consanguinous Relationships

All discussions with couples in consanguineous relations should be carried out in a way which is respectful of their culture and aims to give information and raise awareness.

Couples should be helped to understand the potential risks and referred to the genetic counselling service available as per leaflet if they wish to find out more.

The leaflet (see link right) is designed to be used as part of a conversation, rather than simply being given out without any discussion of the subject.

Guidance notes to accompany the discussion are downloadable here.

As well as carrying out discussions with couples who may be planning on having children it may also be appropriate to talk to parents who may be planning on having further children.

Opportunities to undertake a discussion could include:

• New patient checks
• Cervical screening (younger patients)
• 6 week checks for babies
• Pill checks
• Pregnancy planning

West Midlands Fire Service

It is the policy of the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) to support the programme of working with young people who:

• are known to have purposefully misused fire;
• have made malicious false calls to the emergency services;
• have been involved in accidental fires where their poor knowledge of fire safety was a factor

Please note that any current Police investigations the referral will be acted upon once received through the Youth Offending Team.

The Fire Safety Tutoring Programme supports the vision of ‘Making West Midlands Safer’.

Please send any referrals to WMFS Youth Services on either youth.services@wmfs.net or 0121 380 6144

Please go to the documents page to access the Referral form for WMFS Youth Services.