Imagine if children's services emulated 'smart city' thinking

Each small car is equipped with impressive laser imaging and radar systems that are used to create a virtual image of the environment around it to enable the car to travel safely through busy pedestrian areas.

By 2017 it is planned that 100 fully autonomous cars, capable of transporting two people around at a top speed of 15mph, will be in service.

Our visitors also took a trip on one of our impressive electric buses, which charge wirelessly when the bus stops on special plates buried in the road. In just 10 minutes, one of these buses parked over a charging point is able to recharge two-thirds of the energy used on its 15-mile route.

The delegation also had the opportunity to learn about the innovative technology under development that could help make searching for a parking space a thing of the past.

In one of our car parks, hundreds of sensors now detect the arrival and departure of vehicles, with the data collected then used to let drivers know where they will find the nearest empty space though a smartphone app.

Hopefully, Xu Hongcheng, the executive vice-mayor of Jinjiang, and his colleagues were impressed with what they saw.

Although much of our smart city technology is still in development, the potential benefits are clear - more efficient movement of people and goods, and a reduction in traffic congestion and air pollution.

Driverless cars, in particular, could also offer greater mobility to those who cannot drive, maybe because of age or disability.

The combination of technology with big data and some smart thinking is certainly powerful. Many sectors, like transportation, are on the brink of being transformed with the public sector working hand-in-hand with the private sector and academics on cutting-edge research and development.

Sadly, the same cannot be said about children's services. We are definitely stuck in the slow lane when it comes to taking advantage of smart solutions to some of our more difficult or expensive problems.

Our thinking often doesn't extend to anything more than launching another website or piloting an online form.

Mobile working isn't even that well developed in most areas. Even my colleagues in waste management seem to be having more fun than us, planning something very clever with ultrasound waves across the top of public rubbish bins. When the waves are interrupted, the bin knows it is full and alerts a local rubbish truck.

It is not as if we haven't got some challenges of our own that might benefit from some smart thinking. Take the problem of finding missing children. This is certainly a resource-intensive activity. Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, recently described the time police spend searching for young people that frequency go missing as "unsustainable".

Organisations including Missing People responded by reinforcing the need for the police to play the lead role, calling for better education, greater multi-agency working and by providing tailored support when a child returns. And, of course, who would disagree with that.

But what might the "smart-city response" be to this problem? Could there be a better way?

Ethical concerns should not stop us from exploring how children at higher risk might be kept safe from violent crime or sexual exploitation through utilising data from mobile phones, social media or through specialised apps. Does wearable technology, such as the new Apple Watch, have the power to be a force for good?

In a recent report, research specialist Child Wise described internet connectivity as a "fundamental need" for children growing up today. Its study, which has been tracking family life for 20 years, shows a surge in the number of tablet computers used by children, with almost all seven- to 11-year-olds now having a digital device of their own.

Concerns about the application of technology-based solutions should not be overlooked or trivialised, but they do need to be considered in the context of the very connected lives children are living today.

The possibilities open to us to improve children's lives will only grow and grow as the internet continues to connect us to each other and the world around us. The big question is, will we have the creativity and confidence to ask "what if ...?"