The Solution - Online Process
The secure RYOGENS system is accessed by users (agency practitioners) over the internet.
Once in the system, practitioners can search for records of children who have already been added to the system by other users. They can also search for records that have been imported from other agency systems by prior agreement. If the child is not found, the practitioner can add a child record to RYOGENS and can then register their concern about the child.
To register a concern, the practitioner selects one or more concerns from a predefined list of 40 (see below) and then enters some text with additional detail and supporting evidence. Finally, details of consent, if held, are entered. If consent is not held, the legislative basis for sharing information is selected. This is then submitted to the RYOGENS Management Function (RMF) who will hold it until enough concerns are logged against that child and the system generates an alert. At this point the RMF review the case and arrange for intervention if necessary.
Adding a concern to a child record is a five stage workflow in the RYOGENS system. These stages are:
- Details of the originator of concern if not the practitioner themselves i.e. they are submitting the concern on behalf of another individual.
- Selecting the Reason(s) for Concern from a pre-defined list.
- Entering supporting evidence for the concern along with details of consent or the legal basis for sharing information.
- Viewing a summary of the information.
- Submitting the information to the RMF.
Approximately 40 reasons for concern have been developed and users will have to choose one or more reasons from this list and then explain about the nature of their concern.
RYOGENS Reason for Concern
| Child: mental health | Absent from home | Child: substance misuse | Frequently moving house |
| Child: physical health | Involvement in crime / anti-social behaviour | Non-constructive spare time/ easily bored | Caring for relatives at home |
| Child: sexual health | Denies involvement in crime / antisocial behaviour | No other agency support< | Lack of family support |
| Child: mental well being | Self-harm | Parent: physical health | Domestic conflict/ violence |
| Missed medical appointment | Dangerous behaviour | Parent: mental health | Family and/or peers involved in crime / anti-social behaviour |
| Not registered with healthcare professional | Has harmed others | Parenting difficulties | Living in high crime area |
| Bad behaviour in school | Has intent to harm others | Parental lack of awareness of child's needs | Animal cruelty |
| Exclusion from school | Suffering actual harm | Parent: substance misuse | Substance availability |
| Learning difficulties | Perpetrator of bullying or harassment | Lack of facilities / equipment | Social isolation |
| Poor school attendance/ truanting | Victim of bullying or harassment | Financial and/or housing difficulties | Negative home influence on education |
These reasons have been derived from the Youth Justice Board's ONSET form together with the Department of Health's Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. This resulted in the identification of about 140 risk factors/reasons for concern which were then grouped into common areas to come up with our final 40.
DEMO OF RYOGENS SOLUTION
Click here to see a Flash/ PowerPoint movie demonstrating the RYOGENS solution in use.