WIREDGOV

A tool that provides data on protected vulnerable children for the NHS and local authorities is being broadened to include school nurses and health visitors.

The move forms part of NHS Digital’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and is intended to strengthen protection for children at risk of abuse at a time when the risk for many is heightened.

Child Protection Information Sharing (CP-IS) is a system that alerts NHS staff when children who are subject to a child protection plan, or children designated as ‘looked after’, or pregnant women who have an unborn child protection plan, present at an unscheduled care setting (such as an A&E or walk in centre).

It also alerts the child’s social worker when such a visit occurs, ensuring a joined up full picture.

Now the system is being urgently amended so that school nurses and health visitors will receive details of all children falling under any of those three categories in their school or area. The information will be sent to them via their clinical system from the NHS Spine.

This extension to the service was part of a broader programme due to be introduced by 2023, but is instead being introduced now to this focused group of care professionals in a matter of days.

Some areas already have local systems in place for sharing such data with school nurses and health visitors, but at a time when capacity at local authorities could be depleted, this national solution will provide an additional layer of protection for vulnerable children.

This extension of the CP-IS service will provide school nurses and health visitors with a reliable source of information on who vulnerable children are in circumstances where the capacity of local agencies is reduced and where existing local information sharing cannot be relied upon.

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