A social worker called ‘Frank’ describes the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) used in England as “… the bane of my life …”
Frank says that the system is very time consuming and difficult to work with. He says he feels as though he is being forced to follow the computer rather than using his professional judgement about children and families.
I strongly recommend reading the whole of his post: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/social-work-blog/2012/11/ics-is-the-bane-of-my-life-2/
It is little short of mind-bending that somehow leaders of children’s services in the UK have agreed to the development and implementation of systems of this type; and that systems of this type are still in use.
Urgent action is required to move to systems which support, not frustrate, effective practice.
