Thanks for stopping by the Young Hackney site – we hope you like what you see. The information on this page is for colleagues and professionals in the borough – if you’d like more information about the Young Hackney service please visit the hackney.gov.uk site.

Young Hackney is part of Hackney’s Children and Young People Service. We work alongside colleagues in the Youth Justice service and in Children’s Social Care to offer young people support when they most need it.

If you feel a child is at immediate risk of harm, it is important to consider whether you need to call the police on 999 to report your concerns, so that they can take immediate action to keep a child safe where needed.

Referrals for practitioners

All requests for targeted Early Help (including Young Hackney) need to be made via our new ‘Request for support’ form. This form can be accessed and submitted here – https://hackney.gov.uk/child-protection.

All requests for help will be screened by the Early Help Hub in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

If you would like to make a referral to the Young Hackney Substance Misuse Service, download the YHSMS Referral Form and email it to yhsms@hackney.gov.uk (open) or yhsms@hackney.gov.uk.cjsm.net (secure).

If you are concerned about a child, unsure about what support a child and family needs, or whether you should make a referral, contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and ask for a consultation with a member of the team.

• Members of the public or professionals can telephone MASH on 020 8356 5500 any time Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm for advice, guidance or to make a referral. After 5pm and at weekends, the Out of Hours social work service is contactable on 020 8356 2710.
• Email: Members of the public or professionals can email MASH on MASH@hackney.gov.uk or secure email on MASH@hackney.gov.uk.cjsm.net
• In person: Children and families can walk in to Hackney Service Centre and ask to see a duty children’s social worker any time Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
• The Multi-Agency Operational Protocol for MASH can be found on the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Board website

How does the consultation line work?

• you will need to use the usual MASH number – 020 8356 5500 – and ask for a consultation
• it’s for professionals only, for cases that are not already open to the Council’s service
• you must have consulted your designated safeguarding lead first
• experienced members of staff from MASH will respond, listen to your concerns and offer advice and guidance about the most appropriate next steps – their advice may include:
  • a request for you to have further conversations with the child and family about the concerns and – with their consent – other members of the family’s network
  • a written referral to MASH
  • a referral to another service

MASH will keep a log of calls to monitor the consultation line’s use, but calls will not be recorded on our files. It is important that anyone contacting MASH make their own agency records of discussions.