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Contact Point Comment:
Bad news for the government's ContactPoint database, which holds sensitive information on every child in the country, supposedly to protect them from harm .... (read more)
Private Eye reports some heroic and rebellious goings on in Liverpool. Liverpool officials responsible for this are my new freedom fighting heroes of the week, however, it would be better if Liverpool were simply to refuse to trial this system thus making their Children's Services much more efficient and effective without this dangerous and expensive shopping list of children's details, that would be the real good news..
"Other local authorities are expected to follow Liverpool's example." Way to go Liverpool - leading from the front!"
Article From Liverpool Press:
Alarm bells sound over child records database
Larry Neild on why we should be worried about ContactPoint, the £200m child database being tested in Liverpool
A NEW Government database that will list details of every child in England and Wales, aged 18 and under, is set to begin trials in Liverpool this month
But Council Chief Executive Colin Hilton is to write to the Government placing on record the city's own concerns, and saying it is alarmed Liverpool is in the frontline of the scheme.
One of the most frightening aspects of this measure – aimed at protecting children – is the number of people who will have access to its files. Almost half a million people around the UK - social workers, health professionals and head teachers - will be able to log into ContactPoint.
Stored on computer will be names, addresses, gender, date of birth, parental details, health and education records children. Also recorded will be any areas of concern.
All of this is being done in response to the tragedies surrounding children like Victoria Climbie, the eight-year-old abused and murdered by her guardians in 2000.
The council decision warns: “.... this is an ‘intrusive project’ and we note with concern the Government cannot guarantee the database will be secure, especially given their appalling track record with large databases and sensitive information”.
Ignore the fact that every month we seem to read about huge database files going missing, the question has to be asked if children will be any better protected as a result of a massive IT programme costing well over £200m with annual running costs of over £40m.
Yet another concern is the proposal to store background notes that could well
be based on unproven and unfounded bits of tittle tattle, and which could possibly see youngsters whisked away from their homes and into care.
No child should be subjected to frightening or horrific experiences, especially by those closest to them. Thankfully such serious episodes remain relatively rare. Less rare are the stories about children being abused and tortured while in the ‘care’ of foster homes and institutions run by religious orders.
Cllr Paula Keaveney has already highlighted her own concerns about ContactPoint which is being tried and tested in Liverpool and the North West before being rolled out nationally.
The council will essentially be come gatekeeper to the database, says Cllr Keaveney, who is alarmed that the names stored on it will be accessible to at least 330,000 users nationally. Though the Government has recently estimated that 480,000 people may have access.
The launch of the system has been delayed three times.
In March the Government admitted that it had uncovered problems in the system for shielding details of an estimated 55,000 children including those who are victims of domestic violence, those in difficult adoptions or witness protection programmes and the children of the rich and famous, whose whereabouts may need to be kept secret.
The Government says that the shielding problems have now been fixed. However, not only do widespread concerns remain about the security but the project has been criticised by the Rowntree Trust as illegal under human rights and data protection laws.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the new database is being handled by PA Consulting. That’s the company, says Cllr Keaveney, which lost details of all 84,000 prisoners in England and Wales.
As in the case of National ID cards, there is, among many people, deep suspicion about personal information on being kept on file. Parents and carers are assured they will be able to read files and correct inaccurate information.
I wonder how long it will be before the first “victims” emerge from ContactPoint?
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