Windfall for kid’s services

A PROJECT to give frontline children’s services workers quicker access to information on families in need has received a £100,000 boost.

Stockport council and three local authority partners have been given the funding by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government ’Local Digital Fund.’

A period of user research has now started which will be followed by the development and testing of a working prototype.

The outcomes for children and time and cost savings for frontline workers will be assessed in April to determine if the project should be progressed to full development.

Councillor Elise Wilson said: “We signed the Local Digital Declaration because we believe that by working together with other public bodies we can pool our resources to better effect for all and we are delighted to have been successful in obtaining this funding for a collaborative project.

“Currently frontline workers can spend days collecting information that is held across many different systems.”

Stockport has also been included in a separate successful GMCA bid to the Local Digital Fund, for an £80,000 project, which aims to improve decision making in children’s services departments.