The purpose of this report is to share findings from a UK Home Office funded project to better understand the multi-agency information sharing models that are in place. These models, the most common of which is referred to as a Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH), aim to improve the safeguarding response for children and vulnerable adults through better information sharing and high quality and timely safeguarding responses.

The need for effective multi-agency working and information sharing in order to secure improved safeguarding outcomes is clearly stated in a number of reviews, policy documentation and statutory guidance.1 We do not wish to repeat those arguments here, but instead we will explore some of the models that are being set up to deliver effective information sharing (in particular MASHs) and provide local views on the benefits of such approaches, their key features and the challenges which local leaders face when setting one up. Through this sharing of practice we aim to facilitate the establishment of best practice and more effective models.