Decision Maker - MASH

About The Role

Northamptonshire Children's Trust is seeking an experienced and motivated MASH Decision Maker to join our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the front door of Children's Services, playing a key role in safeguarding children and ensuring families receive the right support at the right time. Working within a dynamic multi-agency environment, you will be responsible for screening contacts and referrals, gathering and analysing information from partner agencies, and making timely, proportionate, and defensible decisions to promote positive outcomes for children and young people.

The successful candidate will be passionate about safeguarding, committed to delivering high-quality practice, and focused on achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Make informed safeguarding decisions within 24 hours of receiving referrals.
• Provide high-quality casework decision-making and operational oversight for referral information.
• Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners to gather information and assess risk.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and contribute to effective threshold and intervention decisions.
• Ensure the child's voice and lived experience remain central to all decision-making.
• Provide professional expertise, guidance, and advice to partner agencies.
• Support a relationship-based and strengths-focused approach to practice.
• Undertake effective risk analysis, balancing strengths and concerns to support robust safety planning.
• Demonstrate professional curiosity and critical thinking to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.

About You

• Significant experience within Children's Social Care with a strong safeguarding and child protection focus.
• Previous experience working within a MASH, Front Door, Assessment, Duty, or Child Protection Team.
• Strong knowledge of referral screening, information gathering, risk assessment, and threshold decision-making.
• The ability to analyse complex information and make balanced, defensible decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of working effectively within a multi-agency setting.
• Confidence in applying professional judgement and appropriately challenging decisions where required.
• A sound understanding of current legislation, statutory guidance, and safeguarding procedures.
• A commitment to relationship-based and strengths-focused practice.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. As this role is eligible for an Enhanced DBS check, applicants are required to declare any cautions and convictions that are not protected under current filtering rules.

This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled practitioner who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and wants to make a real difference to the lives of children and families. You will join a supportive and collaborative service that places children at the heart of everything it does.