Child Protection Software/MIS?

[le4ne]

Morning everyone

Out of interest, I just wondered how people retained/maintained their Child Protection/Safeguarding data?

Do you use a separate software, some kinda home-made database, or just your existing MIS such as SIMS.net?

Many thanks for the responses!
Leane

[GrumbleDook]

Hi Leane

What sort of data are you looking at?
Whether people have signed AUPs? (custom field if nothing already there?)
Breaches of AUP (Behaviour module)
Can they be photographed / have photo published?

Or are you looking at recording stuff around disclosures?

[le4ne]

Thanks for the reply Tony and sorry for my generally vague post!

We already have fields for AUPs and breaches stored in the behaviour module as you mention, I was wondering more about the recording of disclosures etc data really.

Thanks,
Leane

[GrumbleDook]

This is one of the areas I have always been a little wary of when using any MIS. Such sensitive information needs to be closely protected and there is already a good amount of advice available to CPOs in schools about how and what to record. Since we all know that there are historical anomalies within any MIS with regards to who has read / write access to what you would have to be very careful about ensuring that access is only available to those who have to have it.

I have seen custom fields in before marking that additional information is available from person x (an invented name) which means to contacted the CPO as there could be a history with this child.

I am not saying that schools who don't record the details on their MIS don't make mistakes anyway ... losing paperwork or leaving things lying around on desks ... but I think you can understand where I am coming from on this one.

I'll ask the safeguarding team here if they have any examples of alternative means (other than just paper records) which some schools use.