Software flaws delay launch of child database ContactPoint

A group of councils were poised to start testing the ContactPoint database for real next month, but last week the Department for Children, Schools and Families pushed back its introduction after uncovering a series of flaws.

Junior children's minister Kevin Brennan told CYP Now he decided to delay ContactPoint's introduction until January 2009 because tests uncovered bugs in the software created to run the database. He said the delay was also because the task of entering children's details on the system was taking longer than expected.

"During the testing process a number of issues came up and the team were not happy about putting it in front of users," he said. "Rather than press ahead I decided it is better to wait as the worst thing you can do is to put it out when it's not ready. These things sometimes come up, it's part of the process of testing a new system. It's like a new car for a grand prix - if a technical problem emerges you must deal with that when it occurs."