Vast Databases ‘No Longer The Answer To Social Work Failures’

Much has changed since ministers first thought it would be a good idea to keep sensitive details on millions of children in one place. That followed the death, in 2000, of little Victoria Climbié, who might have been saved had key professionals passed their concerns about abuse to one another. No piece of evidence had been in enough in itself to sound the alarm; taken together they would have built a compelling case for the child to have been removed from harm.

But big databases are now distinctly out of fashion. The loss of many big data sets has destroyed public confidence that vast amounts of information should be held together.

Five million child benefit records, unencrypted data sticks containing details of 84,000 prisoners and information on three million learner drivers have all disappeared in the past two years. There are simply too many doubts about security for the public to have faith in this ContactPoint project, despite government assurances about PINs and passwords.

That is not all that has changed. Voters are questioning why all this information is needed in the first place. The Government has still to make a compelling case for identity cards, flitting from cutting illegal immigration to ending NHS tourism to cracking down on terrorism.

On top of that, the death of Baby P has put the professional judgment of individual social workers at the top of the child protection agenda, rather than processes and collating millions of bits of data.

The 17-month-old was seen on many occasions by social workers and the serious case review showed that there was no shortage of meetings between professionals sharing information with each other.

Ministers admit privately that they want to overhaul the social work profession, making it more shrewd, more sceptical and more challenged by its management. That is what ultimately will protect more children.

Of the 11 million children whose names and addresses are to be on ContactPoint, only a tiny fraction are at risk of harm or neglect. Getting the professionals to find and focus on that group is the real challenge.