Legal fears on data put pilot on hold

One of the government’s 10 identification, referral and tracking
pilot projects has put part of its work on hold due to fears about
illegal working practices.

Kensington and Chelsea’s pilot project has stopped using an IT
database of details of children and young people which was
accessible to a range of agencies, including primary care trusts,
social services and education, after legal advice that it is
illegal for PCTs to enter these details on such a database.

David Campion, chairperson of the council’s identification,
referral and tracking board, said: “There’s a danger that some
authorities have started doing this and many will be acting
illegally.”

Campion said the new legislation to aid information-sharing
proposed in the green paper on children would help address the
issue.

Education secretary Charles Clarke told the annual social services
conference this week that he hoped a commitment for a children’s
services bill to include such legislation would be included in the
forthcoming Queen’s speech (see page 14).

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