Hartlepool Borough Council has deployed a £750,000 Integrated Children's System

Hartlepool Borough Council has deployed a £750,000 Integrated Children's System (ICS) from Northgate Information Solutions to improve social care services.

Under a five-year contract, Northgate, in partnership with Liquidlogic, is supporting the ICS for Hartlepool's Children's Services Department.

The implementation of the ICS is an integral part of the council's commitment to the government's Every Child Matters programme, and will enable future joint working with partner organisations such as Primary Care Trusts, doctors and the police.

The ICS will deliver security of information, with only authorised, professional users able to access information and only specific and relevant data being displayed

The system will enable practitioners to concentrate on important issues in a case, by gathering and delivering the information that they need, when they need it, and in an easily understood form.

The ICS has been implemented for 141 professional users, including children and families teams, the Young Persons Service, the disability team, safeguarding unit, placement team and leaving care team.

Paul Walker, chief executive of Hartlepool Borough Council, said, "We always aim to make the most of new technology, and this system will help us to keep improving the services we provide to children, young people and their families."

The council recently deployed a finance system from Northgate.