EXAMPLE
A local authority wished to establish a service for quickly identifying whether a child had been previously identified as being at risk. If a child appeared at the local hospital accident and emergency department, the duty doctor would be able to check the child’s details against the At Risk Register and notify Social Services if there was a positive result. This involved a considerable investment in IT systems and support services but there was no direct financial benefit. Nevertheless, the potential benefits (e.g. in avoiding the unnecessary death or injury of a child at risk) overrode the financial cost.