I
am sorry to learn that it has proved necessary to announce a "recovery plan" for the
Child Protection Information Sharing project, a system which will allow
healthcare staff in hospital accident and emergency units and similar
settings to identify children who are subject to child protection plans or who
are looked after by local authorities.
Unlike
other attempts to introduce IT to child protection (such as the wholly
dysfunctional Integrated Children’s System), the Child Protection Information
Sharing project is a system which is simple and has straightforward, achievable
and supportable objectives. In short it is sensible IT for child protection.
To
hear that a low cost and potentially very useful system is running behind
schedule is very disappointing. Those involved, especially the relevant civil
servants and ministers, should pull-out all the stops to ensure that the system
is delivered as quickly as possible.
