con_24724-Improving social worker experience of the Child Protection Information Sharing service (CP-IS)

CP-IS is a system that alerts social workers when children who are subject to a child protection plan, or are looked after, present at an unplanned health setting.

Currently LAs and social workers have many pain points with the system, so user research, business analysis, service design, data architecture services are required to scope out solution updates. Project is in collaboration with NHS England transformation team, who will carry out changes based on results from this programme of work.

In a published report to Parliament, improvements to CP-IS were highlighted as a quick way to improve information sharing between health and social care - protecting vulnerable children. A previous CP-IS discovery included user research which highlighted the issues social workers have with the system. The burdens to LAs have been reported as being time consuming both for social workers and those working in the business support arena. These need to be explored in more detail to understand how to make make quick changes to free up social worker time and ensure timely, evidence-based decisions are made about children. There is a good evidence base from primary research showing this needs to be addressed. Further user research is needed to focus on the solutions. Capability to complete this is not available within the DfE. There are limited options available and reputational risks if left incomplete, as a public commitment has been made in the recommendations in the report to Parliament.

To support this programme of work, DfE will procure a single contract via further competition through the Digital Outcomes 6 (DO6) CCS framework. As part of the contract, there will be two phases of work: an 8-week spike to explore how CP-IS is currently configured by end users, focusing on the user interface and user experience; and an 8-week discovery scoping and shaping the development of CP-IS, including feasibility, scope and costs.