The implementation of information sharing technology is a critical part of Every Child Matters, the government policy aimed at preventing children from slipping through the social care net.

Published in 2004 after the inquiry into the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in 2000, the plan was meant to address the lack of co-ordination and failure to share information identified as the “common threads that led to failure to intervene early enough”.

But as Computing revealed last week, at least one in five councils have missed the key 31 March deadline to implement the fundamental requirements of the latest Phase 1B stage of the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) ­ one of the three key systems needed (see below). This has been caused by delays from the suppliers in delivering the necessary software.

Phase 1B must-have requirements include the ability to ensure that assessments are not completed until a child has actually been seen.

The timely delivery of an effective IT infrastructure is essential to the work of social care professionals, said Colin Green, vice chairman of the Families, Communities and Young People Policy Committee at the Association of Directors of Children’s Services.

“We are concerned about delays in the delivery of IT systems which support local authorities in the implementation of the ICS practice system,” he said.

“Effective recording and management of information is vital to being able to assess children’s needs, plan and deliver the care and support they need and to monitoring and evaluating the outcomes for those children.

“They need to be easy to use and be able to join up with other information systems to ensure information can be shared securely and safely when necessary .”

Plans for the next stage of ICS, Phase 1C, are yet to be finalised, but will include enhanced information sharing.

And it is likely that Phase 1C will require links between ICS and other databases connected to Every Child Matters, although full integration is not expected until Phase 2, around 2009.

Milton Keynes Council has already gone live with Phase 1B, working with supplier Liquidlogic.

Effective use of information is vital when assessing whether a child is at risk, said David Merrett, information manager of social care at Milton Keynes.

“Public inquiries investigating child deaths have all highlighted the need for better information sharing and co-operation between agencies,” he said.

“We are making sure everyone who needs to know does know.”

One of the key priorities for Milton Keynes is to prevent the duplication of files, which can occur when children’s names are entered into a database.

If multiple files exist for the same child, practitioners may only have a partial view of the situation.

“Although it’s a should-have requirement, it is a must-have in my view, because without it, you are running an enormous risk,” said Merrett.

“Computers can only do so much. The system brings together possibilities so that a human judgement can be made about whether we need to investigate further.”

David Barnes, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers, said everyone working with children and families should have the systems they need.

“Social workers will continue to deliver the vital services for children and families while awaiting the delivery of the ICS systems,” he said.

Every Child Matters

The IT aspects of Every Child Matters are designed to promote early intervention, improved consistency and better information sharing. There are three key systems:

Integrated Children’s System ­ – An applied conceptual framework and tool for social care practitioners working with vulnerable children and their families. Information is collected and recorded in a way that allows social care workers to analyse it when assessing risk and making decisions.

ContactPoint ­ – An online directory that helps to co-ordinate support by showing staff who else is working with a particular child. It may hold basic information on a child and contact details of parents and care workers, but will not include assessment or case information.

eCAF ­ – The electronic enablement of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) ­ – a standardised approach to assessing a child’s needs and making appropriate decisions. Practitioners will use eCAF to create, store and share CAF forms electronically and securely. It will improve transparency and allow a child’s needs to be identified and responded to at an early stage. The Department of Children, Schools and Families aims to contract a supplier by mid-2008 and start implementation in 2009.