Guidance for Managers Attending MASM's (Managing Allegations, Strategy/Evaluation Meetings

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

The local authority provides designated officers, referred to as LADO's, who should be contacted for consultation about any allegation against an adult who works with children whether in a paid or voluntary capacity, by telephoning the Safeguarding Children Unit. In some cases, the LADO will agree that you may continue your own enquiries. If the LADO feels that an allegation may require enquiries by The Police and Children's Social Care, they will discuss with the relevant Detective Inspector, recommend referral, and the Assessment Team will arrange a MASM. If a criminal investigation is required, but no child is involved, the LADO will conduct a similar evaluation meeting with yourself and the police.

More detailed information about the process can be found in:

See “Working Together to Safeguard Children” HM Government 2010 6.32-6.42 and Appendix 5.

Or for education settings “Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education” DfES Jan 2007 Chapter 5 for further guidance.

What is a Managing Allegations Strategy/Evaluation Meeting?
Coordinating, Chairing and Recording
Representatives from your Agency e.g.
Purpose and Content of Initial Discussion
Further Considerations
Outcomes of a MASM
Information that the Manager can Provide
Other Points to Consider

1. What is a Managing Allegations Strategy/Evaluation Meeting?

It is a multi-agency discussion, to agree action following a referral where a member of staff or volunteer is alleged to have:

Behaved in a way that has harmed or may have harmed a child
Possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children

You may have contributed to a Strategy Discussion before regarding an intra-familial concern about a child, but this guide is intended to help you to prepare for and contribute to, a discussion about an allegation against a member of staff. The general principles apply to both, but in Surrey allegations against staff are considered in Managing Allegations Strategy/Evaluation Meetings (MASM) chaired by a team manager from Children's Social Care, or a LADO. Unless the allegation is minor, it is good practice to hold a formal meeting. The initial consultation by telephone will have agreed first steps, including advice to you re suspension or any alternative measure. Any joint interviews of children will be planned, with your knowledge, by Children's Social Care and The Police, where necessary, the results usually being available for the first MASM.

The main purpose of the discussion is to ensure outside scrutiny in considering the safety of child/ren. If you are a manager or employer, you also have a duty of care to the member of staff, and you may have disciplinary matters to pursue. You should stress the importance of completing in a reasonable timescale and ensure adequate support is provided for the member of staff.

2. Coordinating, Chairing and Recording

MASM's can be held anywhere. The priority is for relevant people to be able to attend and hold the discussion in private.

The Chair should ensure the information, decisions and actions, are recorded.

A copy of the official record should be forwarded soon after the discussion, but you are also advised to make your own notes. If you identify any discrepancies in the official record, you should inform the Chair so they can be resolved as soon as possible.

Further discussions may be held if necessary. These should track progress of enquiries, consider any other issues arising and plan any additional action needed.

A final discussion should be held:

To ensure any witness statements or other information from The Police or Children's Social Care enquiries have been anonymised for third party detail, and are available for use in any disciplinary hearing.
To consider concerns about the person’s future suitability to work with children. Caution or conviction, dismissal, or resignation or cessation of use in the case of a volunteer, in circumstances where dismissal would have been a possibility otherwise, should result in referral to the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), and criminal penalties may apply where employers fail to report. Decisions about barring a person from future work are made by ISA, in the knowledge of the person concerned who can make representation unless barred by certain convictions. Information may also need to be passed to a person’s professional body.
To identify any issues or difficulties that need to be addressed in order to improve practice e.g. agency arrangements for safeguarding, including procedures and training.
To ensure the allegation has been recorded on the person’s personnel file, signed off by the LADO. A format is available for this report. The summary record needs to be retained until a person’s normal retirement, or for 10 years where retirement age has been reached.

3. Representatives from your Agency e.g.

Responsible Manager
Member of Governing Body where relevant
Personnel/Human Resources (HR) Officer

4. Purpose and Content of Initial Discussion

To gather and evaluate information to:

Agree action to ensure safety of any children who may be at risk
Decide whether Section 47 Enquiries should be initiated (or continued if already begun)
Decide whether a criminal investigation should be conducted by The Police
Agree how enquiries should be undertaken, by whom, when, and where
Determine who should be interviewed, by whom, for what purpose and when
Consider need for consent to DVD and other interviews, assessments etc
Determine need for medical examinations and any other assessments
Determine whether further information is needed and how it should be obtained
Agree provision of interim services and support for the child and family
Agree timescales and date and time for further MASM's

All enquiries and actions should be sensitive to race, culture, religion, language, gender, special needs and disabilities.

If a disciplinary investigation is recommended, the criteria for re-referral and further MASM's should be considered, in the event that new evidence comes to light.

5. Further Considerations

It is also important to consider:

Possible risk to other children the member of staff may contact, in or out of work
Possible risk to any children of the member of staff or any living in his/her household
Implications of a police investigation e.g. priority over a disciplinary investigation; security of evidence
Suspension or alternatives. The employer will decide, but should take into account recommendations of the strategy discussion
Conditions, if any, to be placed on contact with colleagues and children
What information should be shared and who with e.g. parents, other staff and public
What information can be shared with the accused member of staff, when and by whom
Possibility of other abusers/institutional abuse
The need to brief senior managers
Information that could be used for disciplinary proceedings and whether consent can be sought when its obtained e.g. witness statements
A strategy for dealing with media enquiries
Any support necessary for the member of staff involved and other staff affected
Needs of person reporting if under Whistle Blowing (confidential reporting procedures)

6. Outcomes of a MASM

The outcome of a MASM may be one or more of the following:

Police investigation of a possible criminal offence
Enquiries and assessment by Children’s Social Care about whether a child is in need of protection or in need of services
Return to the employer/responsible organisation to deal e.g. disciplinary proceedings, training, advice, guidance

7. Information that the Manager can Provide

Regarding alleged incident(s)

Details of initial report(s) e.g. time(s), date(s), location(s), what was said and by whom
Possible witnesses

Regarding member of staff/volunteer

Personal details e.g. name, d.o.b., address, ethnicity; employment/attendance record
Any previous concerns/allegations
Work context and duties
Relationship with colleagues and pupils
Activities/hobbies where may contact children
Relevant personal and family information
Awareness of procedures, relevant training.

Regarding child and his/her family

Personal details e.g. name, date of birth, address, ethnicity etc
Family composition, history, contact details, relationship with setting/agency
Educational ability - development, progress

Special education needs (if a school)

Previous child protection concerns/allegations
Social relationships and activities
Language and communication development
Health - physical, emotional, behavioural and cognitive development

Regarding the establishment /setting

Relevant policies and procedures e.g. if relevant, physical intervention, and how staff made aware
Relevant training and how staff attendance is monitored

8. Other Points to Consider

Familiarise yourself with your agency’s child protection procedures
Obtain advice about disciplinary process from your HR officer/provider
Treat discussions in confidence and do not share beyond terms agreed by the MASM
Do not make enquiries unless agreed by LADO or MASM
The whole group is responsible for the decisions, so inform the Chair if you do not understand or agree. If you dissent have this recorded
If dissatisfied with progress of actions, ask for reasons and be prepared to challenge

End