Integrated Children's System

The Integrated Children’s System (ICS) is one of the most significant initiatives that Children’s Social Care has had to implement. ICS is designed to manage the crucial information that is essential to delivering services to children in need. It offers a single approach to undertaking the key processes of assessment, planning, intervention and review, based on an understanding of children’s development needs in the context of their families and communities.

By the end of 2006, all local authorities are expected to have an electronic system in place to support the use of the ICS. This requirement is expected to spearhead a major cultural shift from paper to electronic recording across children’s social services and will result in the routine use of electronic case records. ICS is designed to help children’s social services managers and practitioners, working with colleagues from other agencies, to improve outcomes for children in need and their families. It is therefore regarded as an essential component within a wider multi-agency Children’s Services framework.

Esprit’s ShareCare ICS solution has evolved from National and individual Local Authority projects focused on delivering multi-agency services to vulnerable individuals. The system coordinates the safe gathering, sharing and analysis of personal information about children and young people. The aims are to enable a single approach to undertaking assessment, planning, intervention and review, and promote joint working between agencies, practitioners and teams through collaboration in a single, seamless process. ShareCare is a proven solution being used by a number of Local Authorities and their partner agencies across theUK.

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