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ContactPoint: the basics and the basic questions

They announced a security review of ContactPoint yesterday but the LibDems are asking for a review of whether ContactPoint is fit for purpose, and that’s surely the deeper question. The security review announcement was already planned before the HMRC debacle, I’m told. The Minister referred to HMRC in his statement to da House but the media suggestion it is a reaction to the lost CDs is misleading.

The ContactPoint team are totally into the project, feel it’s the right thing to do, and they they’re supported in that view by Barnardos’ and practitioners who just can’t wait for it. They feel the moral burden of the accidents that will happen if they don’t do it soon.

They’re also dead impressed by security arrangements lined up by the contractor CapGemini (which also does HMRC, so presumably is the real contractor behind the expensive CDs, not EDS as we’re read). It reminds me of the Ben Elton sketch visitors to Sellafiled murmuring “oooh yes, this looks very safe”. See below for what the Minister said, including a reminder of the basics

ContactPoint will be a simple basic online tool containing:
minimal identifying information for each child; name, address, date of birth, gender, and contact details for parents or carers. Each child will also have a unique identifying number;
contact details for the child’s educational setting and GP practice and for other practitioners or services working with them; and an indication as to whether a service or practitioner holds an assessment under the Common Assessment Framework or whether they are a lead professional for that child.

No case information will be held on ContactPoint.

ContactPoint is being developed with extensive input from a wide range of stakeholders. These include:
delivery partners—local authorities and national partners (for example, voluntary and community sector organisations);
practitioners and managers from across children’s services, and bodies that represent them;
and children, young people and parents and carers.

Over the last few months we have been considering the substantial stakeholder feedback we have received and looked at the implications that the resulting proposed changes could have on the system. It is clear from the considerable work we have done so far that we will need more time than we originally planned to address the changes to ContactPoint which potential system users suggested.

Published by William Heath on 28/11/07 at 7:52pm

Comments

1. There are 330,000 authorised users.  In security terms, that’s everyone…

   Remember, though, it’s only those with non-"celebrity status” that need to worry (according to the Education Minister, Lord Adonis).

   Reply by Dave Birch  on  11/29/07  at  8:58 am

2. I was enfuriated by that “not for celebrities” vibe also. But ContactPoint tell me that’s not how it is at all now; all there is is a facility to shield records if there is specific danger of abuse. You cant just opt out; the case has to be specifically reviewed. There still seems to be confusion about this. I’ll try to ask Terri at ARCH who knows her stuff on this, and maybe to get clarification from ContactPoint. In fact, if we were bothering to ask ContactPoint, what would be our questions I wonder?

   Reply by  on  11/29/07  at  10:20 am

3. Remember the Regulations out over the summer actually put powers to require data from ContactPoint into the hands of various child protection NGOs, so that might go some way to explain the enthusiasm they show.

   Reply by Guy Herbert, General Secretary, NO2ID  on  11/29/07  at  6:27 pm

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