West Yorkshire Child Protection Pilot Project

1
West YorkshireChild ProtectionPilot Project

• Richard Bates
• Manager Strategic Commissioning and Service
  Improvement (Children)
• Denise Harrison Director Liquidlogic
• Phone[phone]
• Fax[phone]
• Emailrichard.bates_at_bradford.gov.uk

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ODPM FAME National Project FrAmework for
Multi-agency Environments(FAME)

• The project is split into 9 strands
• 1.  Programme Management - Lewisham
• 2.  West Yorkshire - Child protection
  system Bradford
• 3.  Children with disabilities Newcastle
• 4.  Integrated mental health records Shropshire
• 5.  Identification, referral tracking of
  children _at_ risk - Lewisham
• 6.  Promoting the independence of vulnerable
  older people - Wirral Surrey/Woking Bromley
• 7.  Housing benefits inter-working - Bromley
• 8.  Generic framework model - Newcastle
  University, Liquidlogic / EcSoft
• 9.  Learning and evaluation - Newcastle
  University

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Background

• We started work 30 months ago
• Partnership with a private company
• SSD contribution has been professional expertise,
  piloting.
• It has already attracted national attention and
  we have been successful in bidding for National
  Projects funding.

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Reasons for the pilot

• This is a major advance in the area of Child
  Protection
• It will improve our services to the citizens of
  Bradford
• Laming Inquiry recommendations and agency audit
  standards are supported by this pilot.
• (Green Paper followed by Childrens Bill)

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Whats the problem?

• Every national Inquiry into a child death has
  highlighted failures in communication between the
  professionals involved
• Information was known but nobody put it all
  together
• Traditional electronic systems cannot be
  effectively joined up

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Whats the solution?

• Protocol, developed by Liquidlogic, uses Java
  based technology to facilitate links between
  existing systems into a workflow type system that
  mirrors the processes that would be followed
  anyway but does this electronically
• All agencies can use one tool to do the job
  without replacing existing systems

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How does it work?

• The software sits on top of the systems used by
  different agencies
• It provides seamless, real-time electronic
  workflow of processes
• It provides an overview of the total process
• In effect it creates a connected Child
  Protection Agency across diverse organisations.

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How far have we got?

• Completed independent security testing.
• First phase live data pilot in March/April 2003
• Fully operational Bradford Pilot in Autumn 2003
• To roll-out throughout West Yorkshire during 2004.

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Who is involved?

• The Bradford and Airedale Area Child Protection
  Committee
• Bradford Social Services
• West Yorkshire Police
• Education Bradford
• All Bradford and Airedale Health Agencies

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Involving Practitioners

• The initial concept was tested with social
  workers, primary health care staff, education
  social workers and police.
• These staff identified potential improvements and
  the system design was changed.
• This process has been repeated, improving the
  design and encouraging a bottom up approach to
  the project.

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Project Management

• Strategic management of Bradford project by a
  project manager.
• Operational Management by an ACPC sub-group
  drawing on Social Services, Health, Education,
  Police and Liquid Logic.
• Practitioner reference group established.
• West Yorkshire project managed by project manager
  responsible to Board of Senior managers from
  across the area and agencies.

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Data Protection/Security

• Addressed through the involvement of data
  protection officers Caldicott Guardians at
  beginning of planning process.
• Satisfying Police requirements has been the most
  exacting test..
• It has been passed.

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Why West Yorkshire?

• The benefits of defeating organisational
  boundaries are magnified if geographical
  boundaries can be overcome at the same time
• We will set common standards
• Children in need of protection do not stay within
  our boundaries

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Who is signed up?

• All West Yorkshire Directors of Social Services
• West Yorkshire Police
• The Strategic Health Authority
• Support and encouragement from the Office of the
  Deputy Prime Minister

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Other problems, same solution?

• Single Assessment Process for Older People
• Identification Referral and Tracking of Children
  at risk
• Children with complex continuing health care
  needs
• Mental Health
• Asylum seekers?

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Major Benefits For the Child

• Greater safety because of the highly visible
  nature of communications between agencies.
• All will know exactly who is doing what to assess
  the situation and protect the child.

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Major Benefits For the Public

• Greater confidence that communication and
  practice issues between agencies are resolved

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Major Benefits For the practitioner

• Real time information on the progress of a Child
  Protection assessment across agencies and
  collation of information for the assessment.
• Management of case file information
  electronically. (No misplaced files)

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Major Benefits For the manager

• Standardisation to procedures and
  notifications/alerts when these are not followed.
  
• The need for management intervention is
  highlighted and the ability to do so is enhanced

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Major Benefits For interagency working

• Better communication between collaborating
  agencies, without the need to reorganise.
• Professionals are supported in their roles.
• Roles can be developed and the Child Protection
  Agencies can adjust to best practice quickly.

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Major Benefits For the Area Child Protection
Committee / Local Safeguarding board

• Case chronologies are developed as normal working
  practice, and are available quickly to facilitate
  scrutiny of concerns that arise in any individual
  case.
• Speedy learning the lessons exercises can be
  undertaken in advance of disasters rather than
  following them

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Major Benefits For the Council

• Concrete information that the lead responsibility
  of the Social Work (Services) Department for
  Child Protection is being discharged properly

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Major Benefits For the Social Services
Inspectorate and Department of Health / DfES

• The possibility of proper and accessible
  information to inspect performance as a matter of
  routine, rather than exception.
• Will assist, for example, in work to develop
  national standards in child Protection
  investigations.