Member News
A controversial database holding the personal details of every child in England has become operational today.
ContactPoint, a response to Lord Laming's report following the death of Victoria Cimbie, has been launched across the North West and in national voluntary sector partners.
The database will be made available to 390,000 civil servants across various organisations, from national health authorities to local councils.
Details of 11 million children and young people aged up to 18 years old will be held on the system.
Totalling a cost of £224m, the system has already been delayed twice due to data security concerns.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has also announced that the names and locations of more than 51,000 children considered vulnerable will be shielded.
The aim of the database is to enable workers across different government agencies at all levels to be aware of and better co-ordinated with other children's services.
Children's minister Delyth Morgan said: "We estimate that ContactPoint, when fully operational, can save at least five million hours of professionals' time, freeing them up from trying to track down other practitioners and enabling them to spend more time on the child."
Both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems have called for the database to be scrapped, with the Lib Dems previously criticising the plans for being "intrusive".
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.