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back to article DCSF claims good reception for ContactPoint

Trials of the ContactPoint children's database have shown the majority of users find the system helpful, according to the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The ContactPoint, lessons from the early adopter phase report, published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, says that in feedback from " …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Grenade

    Very convenient report

    As long as you studiously ignore the privacy and data ethics issues, then yes, the database is a great success and then the government is indeed "well placed" to "move forward". I'm quite sure they'll keep up the act stoically in the face of massive data breaches. "But it's usefuuuuul!" sounds appalingly like "for the childruuuuun" in tone. Carry on government.

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  2. The Original Ash
    FAIL

    Hurry up and leak the data

    So we can abandon it and use the money to increase Social Worker pay, so we have enough Social Workers to actually LOOK AFTER CHILDREN IN NEED.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Successful Big Brother Projects?

    Does this mean the government's finally getting the hang of building an Orwellian, Big Brother database state?

    What if they apply what they're learning from such success to other Orwellian projects?

    This is truly terrifying!

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  4. seanj
    Stop

    Let me guess...

    "..... says that in feedback from "early adopters" of the system, 75% of child care practitioners said it would be useful in their future work. Only 1% of users said the system would not be helpful at all."

    Let me guess, the question was asked like this:

    Do you find the ContactPoint system:

    A: Extremely Useful

    B: Very Useful

    C: Quite Useful

    D: A Little Bit Useful

    E: Not Useful

    There's always a way to skew the percentages in your favour when you're the one writing the questions for the survey you commissioned to get the results you want.

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  5. Billy 8

    1/3rd?

    Of children "need support from specialist services at any one time"? I'm hoping that a lot of that is just "go see the nurse for some dettol" type support and not some kind of social services kind... :-/

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  6. Jelliphiish

    the feedback questions you ask

    will often define how 'successful' your venture is.

    See Yes Minister on the application of directed questions for a desired outcome..

    also, ebay.

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  7. Number6

    So much spin I'm feeling dizzy

    Of course, they never ask the victims whether they thought ContactPoint is good. They never responded to my FOI question about the database either, it wouldn't have been hard to do if the database was built properly, and wasn't in the least privacy-sensitive. I just asked how many children had no recorded educational provision. Must chase them up.

    @Jelliphiish - Google "Badman Review Home Education" for a real-world example of directed questions. Definitely worthy of Yes Minister, a classic case of "Here's the answer, now get some supporting evidence".

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  8. Anonymous Coward
    Terminator

    administration

    Of course data administration is resource intense, every child in the country is on the database!!

    Labour could have solved this issue by only placing on to the database the children that actually need the support services of the local authorities such as social services and people that need specialised education resources such as disabled and slow learners.

    I have never understood why Labour create so much unnecessary beauracracy.

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  9. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    @RotaCyclic

    "I have never understood why Labour create so much unnecessary beauracracy"

    Well they are trying to get a clean load onto the NIR. And remeber that by "children" Contactpoint means anyone under (iirc) 25.

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  10. Pablo

    The thing about children

    Is that they're tomorrow's adults. Does anyone believe they're actually going to remove people from the database when they come of age?

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  11. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Well, they would say that, wouldn't they.

    In other news :- Bernard Matthews says that turkeys like being strangled, chopped up and eaten.

    But then he can say that, because he's spending his own money to say it.

    These idiots, meanwhile, are spending ours.

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