BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS - In an effort to effectively serve the twin-island federation, the Probation and Child Protection Services Department (PCPSD) has embarked on a two-phase mission; to upgrade from a paper-based Case Management System to computer-based, and produce an app that would enable the public to report cases to the department via their cellular phone.
A media launch set for tomorrow morning (Nov. 14), at the National ICT Center at 9:30 a.m. will see the department giving insights on the transition the department is making as well as information regarding that app that is expected to be presented to the public in the near future.
Probation Officer and Supervisor, Kelvis Connor, said that the first phase of the transition is the Management Information System which is an internal process only for the department.
The department will be transitioning from a paper-based system to a electronic base management system.
“The information that will be placed in the system will be in relation to cases that have been reported to the department from various agencies, or persons who are coming into the department to make reports of various forms of abuse. We are moving from having reports that are hand-written to having them entered into an electronic system that also makes provision for photos, videos, school reports and doctor or hospital reports to be uploaded into the system as well.” he said.
The Case Management System is meant to be a tool that improves the efficiency of the department’s current operations. It is engineered to closely mirror their current processes, which involves reports about incidents of child abuse or neglect; the investigation of those reports; and due planning and execution towards the overall goal of resolving the matter, while ensuring the future safety and security of the child or children and family.
Connor explained that this new change allows officers to “do things in real time”. He added that the information is more easily accessible, thus greatly assisting in the proper management of their cases and it allows for a faster process as well.
He said the app, which will be launched later on, will serve the public. It will serve as a reporting app where anyone can use their cellular phone and report any form of abuse. This app, he said, has a feature where persons can make those reports anonymously if they wish to do so.
“It will be a quick process, just as any other app. You can select if you want the case to be submitted anonymously or you can provide information where the officer would be able to get in contact with you to get whatever relevant information that is needed for the proper investigation of the matter,” the officer explained.
He noted that the information put in via the anonymous process should have enough details in the report that would allow the officer to carry out a proper investigation without having a need to contact the unknown person who made the initial report.
“We realised that in order to ensure we meet the mandate of the department, we must be able to extend ourselves to the public so we are giving them the anonymous feature so that they would not withhold information that would help us to carry out our investigations properly in order to meet the demands that are out there and ensuring that these cases are dealt with.
“We do expect to have some real positive feedback and we do expect that persons will receive this new initiative and embrace it. It is something that is long overdue in relation to ensuring we get ourselves out there in the public and serve that public in the way that we as the department should by making certain every child’s best interest is taken care of.
“As our department’s tagline states ‘making these the best times to be a child’ and the only we can really achieve that is by making sure our department opens all avenues possible for persons to report these matters so that it would help us investigate these matters that are out there,” Connor explained.
