Contactpoint
All children and young people should get the best possible start
in life. ContactPoint aims to make services better for children and
young people. It is a contacts list for people who work with
children and young people. It will provide them with a quick way to
find out who else is working with the same child, making it easier
for them to work as a team and deliver more coordinated
support.
Why is it needed?
Many children and young people need extra help or support. If
the people who are helping a child can find each other quickly they
can find the right support at the right time.
It can take a long time for a professional to find out who
else is working with the same child. ContactPoint means they won’t
waste time trying to find out this simple information, or
duplicating work already being done by other services. This means
practitioners can spend more time delivering services to children
and families.
Children, young people and their families should be at the
centre of what is happening, and have a say in the services and
support they get.
Some key facts
ContactPoint will hold name and contact details for:
- all children in England up to their 18th
birthday;
- their parents and carers; and
- services working with a child (school, doctor, plus other
services such as a health visitor). You can ask to see the
information held about you, and can ask to have it corrected if
something needs changing.
ContactPoint will only be used by people whose job it is to
help children and young people – such as a headteacher, a GP or a
social worker. They will all have been trained and security cleared
before they can use it.
ContactPoint uses the latest technology to keep it safe and
up-to-date.
ContactPoint is part of the Department for Children, Schools
and Families’ Every Child Matters plan, which all councils follow.
It will be introduced across England from early 2009.
For key points and an example of how ContactPoint will wok,
please see the attached factsheets.
For more information on the information Sefton shares with
ContactPoint please view the Fair
Processing Notices page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to frequently asked ContactPoint questions can be found
by selecting the appropriate link below:
For further information on how ContactPoint will help
improve services please contact the ContactPoint Team or visit the Every Child Matters
website.
Last Updated on 6/10/2010