Our team

Our team

List of services within our Children’s Social Care service

Early Help

Early Help is the term used by agencies in Tower Hamlets to describe how we provide support to children, young people and their families, as soon as problems start to emerge. The aim is for families to get help as early as possible, so things don't get worse.

Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

A Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is a team which brings together agencies (and their information) in order to identify risks to children at the earliest possible point and respond with the most effective interventions.

Assessment and intervention

Assessment and Intervention Teams undertake assessments under s17 and s47 of the Children Act (1989) on referrals passed from MASH. The aim is to identify strengths & needs and determine the likelihood of significant harm.

Eva Armsby Family Centre

This team works with parents to address difficulties in a wide range of problems which impact on the care of children.

These can range from having difficulty setting behavioural boundaries for children to more serious child protection issues such as drug or alcohol addiction.

The centre also provides Positive Change Service, which provides domestic violence risk assessments for court and for child protection planning alongside both group and one to one intervention for women, men and children.

Family Support and Protection

This service consists of 10 teams who work with children subject to Child in Need or Child Protection Plans, and/or in PLO.

Children Looked After (CLA)

CLA service consists of four teams who promote the well-being of children in care, exercise corporate parenting/Court work/ ensure children achieve early permanency.

Through Care Service (TCS)

TCS  Service provides services in partnership with key agencies to young people being looked after by the council, or who were looked after by Tower Hamlets before moving towards independence. 

Children with Disabilities (CWD)

CWD Teams work with children with a diagnosed disability (usually severe or multiple disabilities) aged 0-18, living in Tower Hamlets. It is part of an integrated team working closely with health and education.

Safeguarding and quality assurance

The Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Service provides a number of different services including:

  • Child Protection Chair's Service
  • Independent Reviewing Officers Service
  • Family Group Conference service
  • African Families Service
  • Muslim Families Service
  • Panel & Case Conference
  • Local Authority Designated Officer-LADO.

Exploitation, Serious Youth Violence and Gangs Service

The Exploitation Team deals with high-risk children, where evidence and intelligence regarding exploitation has been identified and police involvement and disruption are needed.

The team also support the young people who are on the gang’s matrix.

Regulated Services and Resources

Regulated Services and Resources department is responsible for finding families for children who are not able to live with their birth family and are under the care of the council.

The service is responsible for the recruitment, assessment and support of foster carers and the assessment and support of special guardians.

Adoption services are now provided by the regional adoption agency, Adopt London East who we work with.

The service also covers:

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

CAMHS -Service that offer help and support to children and young people  up to 18 years old who have mental health difficulties and their families/carers.

  • Emergency duty team (EDT) Emergency duty team covers any reports of significant harm/impact on children out of office hours.

  • Disabled Children’s Outreach Service (DCOS) A small multi-disciplinary team (psychology, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy) who provide interventions for children with a diagnosed neurodevelopmental, physical and/or complex health need.

  • Edge of Care (EOC) Working with young people aged 11-17, offer family mediation and supporting reunification plans authority including:

Youth Justice Service

The Youth Justice Service (YJS) covers both the borough of Tower Hamlets and the Corporation of the City of London, it’s responsible for the prevention of crime and antisocial behaviour by children and young people

We supervise their court orders and out of court disposals, both in the community and in custody.

Youth Service

The youth service provides support services to young people who live, work or study in the borough.

We have 18 youth hubs across the borough as well as provisions for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).