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Save About ContactPoint
ContactPoint is a key element of the Every Child Matters (ECM) programme to transform children's services by supporting more effective prevention and early intervention.
ContactPoint is one of a range of tools that helps services work together effectively on the frontline; to meet the needs of children, young people and their families. You can read more about integrated working on this website.
Information held on ContactPoint
ContactPoint holds the following basic information for each child in England up until their 18th birthday:
- name, address, gender, date of birth and a unique identifying number
- name and contact details for each child's parent or carer
- contact details for services working with a child: as a minimum, educational settings such as schools and GP practices
- contact details for other service providers where appropriate, for example health visitors or social workers; and whether practitioners are lead professionals and have undertaken assessments under the Common Assessment Framework (CAF). Please note these are not currently held on the system but will be added over time.
People providing a sensitive service (defined as those in the fields of sexual health, mental health and substance abuse) are required to seek informed, explicit consents from the child or young person (and their parent or carer where appropriate) before recording their contact details on ContactPoint. Where they are recorded, only an indication of an unspecified service is visible.
Informed, explicit consent is also required for care leavers, or for those with learning difficulties to remain on ContactPoint up to the of age 25, to facilitate the transition to adult services.
ContactPoint does not and will never hold:
- assessment or case information
- details such as birth weight, examination results, medical records, or dietary habits
- subjective information about a child, or their parents or carers.
The information that can be held on ContactPoint is limited by law, as provided by section 12 of the Children Act 2004 and the supporting regulations. Read more about the legislative background and regulations
ContactPoint moved into its first stage of delivery in January 2009.
Documents
ContactPoint: Factsheet
ContactPoint Q&A
ContactPoint shielding factsheet
A summary of information about how and why records are shielded on ContactPoint.
Integrated working factsheets
A set of factsheets relating to integrated working.
Associated documents
ContactPoint: Shielding factsheet
(38.7Kb)
ContactPoint: Factsheet (May 2009)
(309.5Kb)
Download the contents of this page:
as a Word Document
Last updated on 26/01/2009
