Working towards ContactPoint; Swindon news:

Oct / Nov 2008:

Swindon Borough Council is continuing to take all necessary steps to deliver ContactPoint during 2009, in line with the national timescales set by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Swindon is currently expected to start training authorised members of staff to use ContactPoint from Winter 2009. The following work is currently underway:-

Shielding – The local ContactPoint team are currently working with all agencies in Swindon that provide services and support to children, young people and families to understand whether there are cases that will require protection on ContactPoint at the time of early adopter go-live in March 2009. Shielding of children, young people and families’ details on ContactPoint is permitted where not doing so would;

• place a child at increased risk of significant harm;
• place an adult at risk of significant harm;
• prejudice the prevention or detection of a serious crime; or
• in the case of adoption, put a child’s placement at risk.

Swindon’s local ContactPoint team will be shielding records during January / February 2009. If you would like to speak to the local ContactPoint team on this matter then please contact Chris Cooke (01793 465753) or Lynn McDermott (01793 463066)

Accreditation – To ensure that local authorities comply with the stringent laws and security that ContactPoint is operating under, each area must go through a set of accreditations before being allowed to deploy ContactPoint to the children & young people’s workforce.

Swindon Borough Council is currently working through this accreditation process to ensure compliance by 1st May 2009. Following successful accreditation, the Local ContactPoint team will then be engaging and working with other agencies to ensure ContactPoint compliance

Awareness sessions – The local team has been providing ContactPoint information to services working with children, young people and families. If you would like further information or would like to book some time for a member of our team to deliver an awareness session then please contact Chris Cooke (Tel: 01793 465753, email: ccooke@swindon.gov.uk)

Practitioner access to ContactPoint – It is currently anticipated that the Local ContactPoint team will be delivering training to staff requiring access to ContactPoint from winter 2009. If you would like to know more information about which services will be given access to ContactPoint and the pre-requisites then please contact Chris Cooke  (Tel: 01793 465753, email: ccooke@swindon.gov.uk)