The Territory Labor Government is working to ensure every child has the best start in life.
An important step has been made towards improving the care and protection of children in the Northern Territory with the awarding of a tender for the Client Management Systems Alignment program which will be known as the Care System.
The Care system will enable different and necessary government agencies such as Police, Territory Families, Housing and Communities, Health, Education, and Attorney General to access the same information, create the one case file and share critical information in order to best manage each child's specific case.
The Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory highlighted limitations in current processes that support child protection and youth justice.
In response, the Territory Government is investing $64.4 million for a contemporary digital solution case management and data exchange, which will mean better information sharing and coordination to ensure we are better protecting vulnerable children.
LiquidLogic and local Territory Business SRA have been announced as the successful tenderers for the $64 million project.
A major investment for the Northern Territory, the Care System will provide a modern digital tool to assist our hardworking frontline workers in child protection and youth justice to further focus on service provision for the Territory's most vulnerable children.
The Care System will provide the ability to:
- deliver a contemporary child protection and youth justice case management solution to provide the Northern Territory Government with a holistic view of the child and to increase opportunities for early intervention and diversion to effective programs;
- enable frontline staff to access all important information anytime; and
- enable and improve the connection between non-government, private service providers, the community and the government system to access and update relevant information related to child wellbeing and support.
LiquidLogic is a UK-based software supplier that specialises in social care; with software designed by practitioners for practitioners, with children and families at the centre of the software's design features and functions.
Local Territory digital company, SRA Information Technology have also been selected to undertake work on this digital project, with a dedicated local team.
The digital industry underpins other key industry sectors and is recognised by the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission as an important enabling industry for economic recovery and growth. The digital industry has strong potential for future jobs growth.
The program is scheduled for completion in late 2022 and will improve the way Territory Families, Housing and Communities approaches child protection and youth justice, through a child centric approach to systems and service delivery.
Quotes from the Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing, Kate Worden:
"We want to make sure all Northern Territory children have the best start in life.
"A total of 72 per cent of Territory Families, Housing and Communities' core business is recorded outside of our approved computer system which is more than 25 years old.
"The new Care system will give our hardworking frontline staff in child protection and youth justice the tools they need to better protect our most vulnerable children.
"The creation of the Care System and the delivery of the program is all about it being based on the child. We want to make sure we are keeping up to date information on our vulnerable families, so we can assist quickly and proactively."
Quotes from the Minister for Corporate and Digital Development, Paul Kirby:
"This IT overhaul is one of the biggest the NT has ever undertaken. We have engaged the specialist skills of LiquidLogic with the local knowledge of SRA Information Technology.
"SRA has more than 25 years' experience delivering information technology solutions and services in the Northern Territory, with a local team dedicated to this project.
"Delivery of the new Care System will be further supported by specialist ICT practitioners from a range of local Territory digital businesses."
