The Professional Standards & Audit Service (PSAS) within Essex County Council facilitate Multi-Agency Audits (MAAs) on behalf of the Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB). These can take the form of either a Multi-Agency Case Audit (MACA) or a Multi-Agency Thematic Audit (MATA). All Multi-Agency Audit Activity that is undertaken, is reviewed by a sub-committee of the Executive Board. All key agencies across Essex provide dedicated ‘Audit Co-ordinators’ to support in the delivery of the MACA & MATA programme.
Multi-Agency Case Audits (MACAs) involve a range of key agencies taking a forensic look at the effectiveness of multi-agency working in relation to a single case using bespoke audit tools/approaches to support this practice evaluation activity. Once this activity is completed, involved professionals/agencies come together at a MACA discussion to share observations drawn from their related audit activity and to hear the reflections of their partner agencies and learn from each other.
Multi-Agency Thematic Audits (MATAs) can involve a range of quality assurance activities such as focus groups, policy & procedural reviews, related aggregated learning and bespoke audits to form a view about the effectiveness of multi-agency working where there is common practice feature, for example Parental Mental Health or Neglect. Once this activity is completed, involved professionals/agencies come together at a MATA discussion, to draw out cross cutting practice themes which agencies can learn from.
** Reflect on your own practice
** Learn from others experience
** Informs multi-agency practice development
** Strengthens multi-agency networks