The Government is pressing ahead today with the launch of its controversial children’s database, ContactPoint, despite concerns about the security and privacy of the system.

Starting today around 800 frontline staff, including head teachers, social workers and health professionals, are being trained to use the £224 million system. They are based in 17 local authorities in the North West and at national voluntary sector partners Barnardo’s and KIDS.

For the first time professionals — who have all been through security measures and training — can see in one place some of the different services involved with a child they are working with.

Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: “If we are to do our best to make sure children are protected and that no child slips through the net, then it’s crucial the right agencies are involved at the right time and get even better at sharing information.

“ContactPoint is vital for this because it will enable frontline professionals to see quickly and easily who else is in contact with a child.”

ContactPoint is an online directory holding basic contact information for all children. It is designed to ensure that there is easier and faster contact between professionals who work with children, where they need to do so in the best interests of the child, to promote their welfare and to keep them safe.

The launch of the system has been delayed three times.

In March the Government admitted that it had uncovered problems in the system for shielding details of an estimated 55,000 vulnerable children.

These include children who are victims of domestic violence, those in difficult adoptions or witness protection programmes and the children of the rich and famous, whose whereabouts may need to be kept secret.

The Government says that the shielding problems have now been fixed. However, there remain concerns about the security of the database, which was recently criticised by the Rowntree Trust as illegal under human rights and data protection laws.

The Conservatives have said they would scrap the database. However, the system does have the backing of some major children’s charities.

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