A review by Socitm Consulting of West Sussex County Council’s progress towards developing an ICS-compliant system for Children’s Services has concluded that the project’s success will depend on future implementation addressing key cultural change issues. The report, which covers all aspects of the project including technology and resource issues, is currently being considered by senior management at West Sussex.
The Integrated Children’s System (ICS) is a conceptual framework for improving the management of children’s cases which all authorities in England and Wales are expected to implement in full by the end of 2006. ICS involves ‘a single approach to undertaking the key processes of assessment, planning, intervention and review based on an understanding of children’s development needs in the context of their families and communities’. It is designed to be implemented electronically, as the core of the Electronic Social Care Record (ESCR) for children.
Most social services departments in England and Wales, if not all, are finding the introduction of ICS-compliant systems a considerable challenge. Translating the exemplars and workflows specified for ICS into an efficient and user-friendly system is far from straightforward, and furthermore ICS requires far closer interaction with computer systems by social services professionals than has typically been the case so far and much more structured ways of working. This has led to problems at a time when many social workers feel that ‘managerialism’ is diverting them from client interaction, and social services resources are generally stretched.
In October 2005 John Leaver, Deputy Director for Children’s Social Services, commissioned Socitm Consulting experts to undertake a progress review of West Sussex’s eRIC (Electronic Recording of Information about Children) system and to make recommendations as to how best to move forward. In particular, Socitm Consulting was asked to outline the changes in organisation and culture which will enable West Sussex to achieve the business benefits of implementing a children’s services system in line with government expectations. The report currently being considered by Mr Leaver and his colleagues makes a number of recommendations which focus on cultural change management and options for roll-out.
Socitm Consulting’s Acting Managing Consultant Stephen Howes comments: “West Sussex has undertaken a thorough-going development to deliver a step-change in the quality of their children’s services. The complexity of the technology challenge implicit in ICS should not distract from the core issues of organisational/cultural change, professional development and training to help staff adapt to new ways of working, and dedicated project management to keep the whole process on track. People at all levels in West Sussex have made enormous efforts to make a success of eRIC in order to improve outcomes for local children, and we are pleased to be involved in helping them achieve that goal.”
For West Sussex, Richard Perry, Head of Resources comments: “eRIC represents a significant investment by West Sussex in providing better children’s services more efficiently and in line with government expectations. We now have more informed options for future development and implementation, and are very grateful to Socitm Consulting for their contribution. They responded rapidly to our requirement and delivered an impressive report on time and to budget which has clarified the issues for us and which proposes a pragmatic and optimal way forward.”
ENDS
Further information
Vicky Sargent, Press Officer, Socitm; t: 01608 730538, e: vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk
Stephen Howes, Acting Managing Consultant, Socitm Consulting; t: 01270 812900, e: stephen.howes@socitm.gov.uk
Richard Perry, Assistant Director/Head of Resources, West Sussex Social Services, t: 01243 777100, e: richard.perry@westsussex.gov.uk
Notes to editors
Socitm (http://www.socitm.gov.uk) is an association of ICT professionals working in and for local authorities and other public sector bodies. It is a leading authority on the effective application of ICT in local government, and provides information and advice through a growing programme of research, publications, conferences, training, and consultancy.
Socitm Consulting (http://www.socitm.gov.uk/consulting) has grown rapidly since its launch in 1997 to become the consultancy most used by local authorities in the areas of e-government and ICT. It has completed more than 800 projects for over 350 different clients. Heavily involved in all aspects of e-government strategy, planning and implementation, Socitm Consulting carries out a wide range of other projects in the areas of benchmarking and performance management, partnership management, change management and technology management.
West Sussex County Council (http://www.westsussex.gov.uk) serves a population of more than 750,000 people. More than half the area lies in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it attracts millions of visitors every year. Many people are drawn to West Sussex for its low crime rate and generally higher standard of health care. West Sussex is enjoying considerable economic growth with new companies springing up throughout the county, attracted by excellent communications (including Gatwick Airport) and a skilled workforce. The Education Authority spends more than £370 million per year on educating 100,000 pupils, as well as offering courses to over 4,000 adults, while Social and Caring Services has an annual budget of £130 million, and provides support and care for more than 18,000 people.