Councils to use integrated child data tool

Liverpool City Council and the London Borough of Hackney have signed contracts withCapita Children's Services to use its Integrated Children's System (ICS).

ICS will be used to transform the way children's records are managed across the authorities. It will enable social care staff to view data on a child's school attendance, achievement and behaviour alongside social care records.

The system should make it easier to identify anomalies and prioritise cases accordingly.

Bill Malloy, head of strategic intelligence in Liverpool's Children's Services Team, said, "It is crucial that social care practitioners have access to the most accurate information to ensure the right support and services are in place."

"It will allow social workers to access data on a child's school life, together with child protection information, and ensure we can plan and target frontline services more effectively."

By examining attendance and social care records together, staff at Hackney and Liverpool will be able see if a vulnerable child has suddenly started missing school regularly and enable the case to be prioritised effectively.