Before making a ‘Request for Support‘, please read this additional guidance.  

The MASH Referral Form should always be used when requesting Targeted Early Help or a Statutory Social Work response for a child or young person and their family (levels 2, 3 or 4 of the Hackney Child Wellbeing Framework). If you are unclear about the process or whether a Request for Support is needed, please call the Hackney MASH on 020 8356 5500 and ask for a ‘consultation’.  This form will shortly be replaced by a new Request for Support Form.  More details coming soon.

The needs of children and families can fluctuate over time and move across one or more tiers of the Hackney Child Wellbeing Framework. The Step Up Step Down protocol has been developed to help facilitate smooth transitions and ensure we are providing the right support at the right time.

Between 2019-2022, Hackney Council undertook a comprehensive review of the Council’s internal Early Help Model in consultation with parents and young people, schools, partner agencies and staff.  The review assessed the effectiveness and accessibility of pathways into early help and how the existing organisation of provision reflected current and projected patterns of need within Hackney.  This process has produced a refreshed vision for early help in Hackney and identified a series of operational changes we have been embedding since January 2022.

These standards aim to set out the minimum expectations of practice in key areas.  They are not intended to be fully comprehensive and should be read in conjunction with other policies and procedures.