Directors of Children’s Services have underlined their support for the information sharing system, Contactpoint, following reports of concern among senior social workers that the database could be open to abuse by paedophiles. The Association of Directors said they fully supported the enabling of better information sharing about children, which they see as one of the central aims of the 2004 Children Act.

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A big recruitment drive is to begin in Wales to fill thousands of new jobs for child carers, play-workers and classroom assistants. At the same time the skills of existing workers are to be upgraded and they will be helped to gain higher skills and qualifications. The recruitment drive has been launched by the Welsh Assembly’s Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, Jane Hutt.

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By Jon Glasby

This report from the Health Services Management Centre, Birmingham University, argues for a system of personalised budgets in the NHS. The system would mirror direct payments introduced to social care in the late 1990’s allowing people to buy their own services and hire their own staff. Many expressed concerns about direct payments when they were introduced for social care, but the system has proved popular with users and has led to considerable creativity and innovation.

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