Liverpool City Council will meet the April deadline for the next stage of the national children’s database programme by combining budgets from different areas.
The national Integrated Children’s System (ICS) programme, established in 2003 after the Victoria Climbié inquiry, combines educational and social services information into a single record.
Many councils are struggling to meet the schedule for implementation of local systems because of cost issues (Computing, 7 December 2005).
‘We have pooled resources from different sections of children’s services,’ said Liverpool Children’s Services head of strategic intelligence Bill Malloy.
‘The project ticks the box of so many different aspects we have been able to group different funding pots together.’
Ultimately local systems will interface with a National Children’s Index so information can be available to relevant organisations nationwide.
The progress of the overall ICS programme is patchy.
In December a leaked government letter said 92 of the 150 participating local authorities would miss the scheme’s first target in January. Lack of funding – both for the technology itself and to recruit people with the right skills to deliver and maintain systems – was widely blamed for the problems.
Experts say those authorities already behind are unlikely to meet the April deadline.
‘A significant proportion of authorities missed the January deadline and will not hit the April deadline,’ said Socitm Consulting children’s IT systems expert Anna Smallwood.
The Liverpool system is supplied by Capita.
What do you think? Email us at: feedback@computing.co.uk
Related stories
reader comments