Decision details

The Committee received a report on the Service’s requirement to continue with the existing case management, financial systems, and online provision for Adult and Children services, from Helen Charlesworth-May, Executive Director of Adults, Health and Integration. An exercise has started to re-procure a new contract as the current system contracts would expire at the end of March 2025.

The Committee were updated that, due to the requirement of the department to focus on its transformation programme, balancing the finances, and the wider improvements taking place with regards to generative AI and technology in the sector, it would not be a good time for the Service to be procuring a new system. The Executive Director of Adults, Health and Integration had commissioned IT colleagues to undertake an 18-month project to plan for the future of the Service’s IT requirements, and to help determine what would be required in four years’ time.

It was noted that the Service has a level of ongoing improvement with the system, and it worked with its own internal IT department and System C to find solutions to issues with the current software and to ensure that it continued to be fit for purpose. It was noted that the personal information which was used in the system was held on Cheshire East’s servers, and in the last three months there had been an exercise to test what would happen in case of a cyber security attack on the system, to best inform the security which was attached to the system.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

That the Adults and Health Committee:

1. Authorise the Executive Director of Adults, Health and Integration, in consultation with Children Services and Corporate Services, to award and enter into a contract to deliver core systems for case management, financial payments, online services.