Liquidlogic’s Protocol Integrated Children’s System (ICS) has become the first ICS solution to achieve full compliance with the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF) ICS Phase 1b requirements.
Phase 1b compliance enables local authorities to implement a compliant solution in accordance with the DCSF’s 31 March 2008 deadline, as part of the government’s Every Child Matters agenda.
Protocol ICS has received full Phase 1b compliance from the DCSF, after the system passed rigorous testing to ensure it met the department’s ‘must have’ and ‘should have’ compliance criteria, as specified in the ICS Phase 1b business requirements.
Liquidlogic’s Protocol ICS provides children’s services departments with an intuitive easy to use case management system that embodies best practice within its workflow and guides practitioners down the correct procedural route to ensure that statutory requirements are met within the proper deadlines.
A DCSF spokesperson told EHI Primary Care: “The ICS has been developed to improve outcomes for children defined as being in need, under the Children Act 1989. It provides a conceptual framework, a method of practice and a business process to support practitioners and managers in undertaking the key tasks of assessment, planning, intervention and review.
“Phase 1b consolidates and updates ICS to provide a firm platform for development of the vision. We are pleased to see Liquidlogic achieve this compliance. The solution will allow maximum flexibility, where appropriate, to allow practitioners to exercise their own professional judgement. “
The changes to the system came following Prime Minister’s reshuffling of the cabinet, which saw the old Department for Education and Skills (DfES) split into the DCSF and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Under the new department, the government decided that options which were previously optional in systems should become mandatory, updates should be made to account for new legislation and systems should improve their functionality beyond that of the previous Phase 1. The deadline for this is 31 March 2008.
Denise Harrison, sales and marketing director at Liquidlogic comments: “We were the first supplier to become compliant with the DfES ICS Phase 1a Requirements, and are delighted to be ahead of the game by achieving full compliance with the DCSF’s next phase of ICS requirements.
“An increasing number of local authorities are looking to us to provide their ICS solutions and they can be rest assured that they have acquired a fully compliant system to take them into the future.”
Liquidlogic has won 70% of its competitive tenders in the ICS market and plans to continue its rapid growth.
The Protocol software has been built with the capability to enable multi-agency working, and Liquidlogic is confident they will be able to deliver compliant solutions for ICS Phase 1c and Phase 2 business requirements, being published next year.
Links
Joe Fernandez