Current progress
- A strategic group to oversee the Information Sharing and Assessment (IRT) Project. Their remit will include:
- The appointment of an Identification, Referral and Tracking Project manager within a clear operational management structure, who will ensure strategic leadership and organisational competence.
- Advise the Council on resource allocation (additional costs of systems and services).
- A definition of `Children at Risk of Social Exclusion’ will be in place, which is accepted and understood by all bodies involved.
- An informed dialogue with public, young people and agencies, including the voluntary sector about the way Information Sharing is developed locally.
- Multi agency discussion fora to develop Children at Risk and inter agency working. These will interface with local/national and statutory/voluntary agencies.
- Ensure that any equal opportunity issues are discussed and resolved.
- Front line practitioners aware of the services available to `Children at Risk of Social Exclusion’.
- Continually update and audit local work to ensure:
- A common language for describing need.
- Early inter-agency identification of Children at Risk.
- That “key worker” projects in statutory and voluntary agencies are
coordinated.
- Information sharing protocols between relevant agencies: connexions, health, education, and schools, social care, YOS, voluntary sector and police are in place.
- Inter-agency protocols and practical arrangements, agreed with local partners. These will include:
- Methods for encouraging self-referral by young people and their parents.
- A common assessment tool or menu of tools.
- Mechanisms for appropriate cross agency referral of clients to key workers (e.g. personal advisors or mentors).
- Data protection guidance.
- Confidentiality, privacy and access to records guidance.
- The way further information sharing protocols will be agreed
- Common language for describing need, or at least translations of terms.
- Have completed an audit of existing information use of Information Sharing systems. This will include:
- Use of data warehousing systems.
- Compatibility of systems in terms of datasets and databases. To encompass a unique identifier and common data sets.
- Integration of information systems.
- Use of unique identifiers.
- System procurement.
- Integrity, security and accessibility of systems.
- Processes (including file formats) for sharing structured data between agencies.
- The use of IT systems for inter-agency communication about children at risk or causing concern.
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