Decision Maker:

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: July 14, 2025

Purpose:

Content: Salford City Council – Record of Decision   I Paul Dennett, City Mayor, accept the recommendation of the Procurement Board and in exercise of the powers contained within the Council Constitution do hereby approve:   to Award the Contract for Liquidlogic’s Early Years and Education System (EYEs) and New Contract with System C for the current Liquidlogic LCS module, as detailed in the table below: Detail required Answers Title/Description of Contracted Service/Supply/Project Purchase of Liquidlogic’s Early Years and Education System  (EYEs) Procurement Reference numbers (DN and CR number supplied by Procurement) S1177 Name of Successful Contractor System C Supplier Registration Number (to be supplied by Procurement 06768718 Proclass Classification No. (to be completed by procurement) 271430 Type of organisation (to be supplied by Procurement) Private Limited Company Status of Organisation (to be supplied by Procurement) Non-SME Contract Value (£) £3,956,161.00 total project value Total contract value £ (including extensions) £3,956,161.00 total project value Contract Duration 72 months Contract Start Date 01/09/2025 Contract End Date 29/09/2031 Optional Extension Period 1 months Optional Extension Period 2 months Who will approve each Extension Period? Choose an item Contact Officer (Name & number)         Lead Service Group Reform & Transformation How the contract was procured? (to be supplied by procurement) Direct Award/ Call off Framework Details (where applicable) (procurement body, framework reference & title, start/ end date YPO Software Application Solutions Ref 1095 21/02/23 – 20/02/2027 Funding Source Combination of Above (please detail below) Ethical Contractor (EC): Mayor’s Employment Charter No   EC: Committed to sign The Mayor’s Employment Charter No     EC: Committed to the principles outlined in the Mayor’s Employment charter Yes   EC: Accredited Living Wage Employer Yes   EC: Committed to becoming Accredited Living wage Employer Yes ?   The Reasons are: Background In 2021, Salford City Council successfully migrated from the Carefirst system to the Liquidlogic platform, implementing both the Early Help Module (EHM) and the Children’s Social Care Module (LCS) within Children’s Services. Building on this transformation, both Children’s Services and the Resources and Transformation Directorate now recommend the procurement of the final Liquidlogic module, Early Years and Education Services (EYES) to complete the suite and establish a unified, integrated system for Children’s Services.   At present, the CapitaOne system is used to record information relating to Education and Early Years. This paper seeks approval to decommission CapitaOne and replace it with the Liquidlogic EYES module. This addition will be fully integrated with the existing EHM and LCS modules, consolidating all records into a single system. The outcome will be a unified client record that spans Early Years, Early Help, and Children’s Social Care.   This consolidation will deliver a single, holistic view of each child, young person, and family, significantly strengthening the Council’s ability to safeguard and promote their welfare. Furthermore, it will enhance data-driven decision-making and service delivery, especially in the areas of ‘High spend’ such as home to school transport and SEND provision.   Benefits of Implementing the Liquidlogic Early Years and Education Services (EYES) Module The proposed implementation of Liquidlogic’s EYES module represents a strategic step in Salford City Council’s digital transformation of Children’s Services. By replacing the legacy CapitaOne and EMS systems, and integrating with the existing Early Help (EHM) and Children’s Social Care (LCS) modules, this programme will enable a unified, person-centred digital record for every child and young person in Salford.   The benefits extend across service areas and levels—from frontline practice to system-level data insights—supporting better outcomes, enhanced accountability, and improved operational efficiency.   Early Years Service: Single Child Record: Integrating Early Years data with Social Care and Early Help will allow professionals to see the full journey of the child, including previous referrals, safeguarding concerns, and education history. This enables earlier identification of developmental delays, safeguarding risks, or unmet needs. System Stability and Reliability: The current CapitaOne platform has suffered from frequent downtime and data integrity issues. Transitioning to EYES will ensure a more robust infrastructure with better user support and audit functionality. SEND Integration via Provider Portal: Early Years providers will be able to submit SEND panel applications directly through the Liquidlogic Provider Portal. This replaces manual submissions and email-based processes, ensuring completeness of information and faster decision-making.   Virtual School: Cohesive Data for Looked After Children: The Virtual School will benefit from seamless access to education data for children in care, alongside care plans, placement history, and key statutory milestones. This reduces the risk of missed interventions and improves educational progress tracking. Enhanced PEP Functionality: Currently, Personal Education Plans (PEPs) are managed through a fragmented paper-based process. EYES will allow electronic PEPs with automatic prompts, embedded statutory timescales, and easier collaboration between professionals and carers. Case Study: A Virtual School practitioner would be able to review a child’s attainment data, social worker notes, and previous exclusions in a single screen—informing a more tailored education plan within minutes.   Inclusion Service: (Admissions, Attendance, Exclusions, Elective Home Education, Children Missing Education, Alternative Provision): Whole-Child View: Most children known to Inclusion are also known to Social Care or Early Help. EYES will eliminate the need for multiple system logins and enable cross-service visibility, improving timeliness and appropriateness of interventions. System Replacement: The current EMS system is outdated, lacks reporting functionality, and does not support efficient workflows. EYES will introduce structured case management, better oversight for managers, and built-in compliance tracking. Improved Multi-Agency Collaboration: Practitioners across different services will be able to record and access key information such as school exclusions, attendance patterns, and parental engagement—supporting better decisions around persistent absence or safeguarding escalation.       Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Statutory Compliance and Workflow Automation: The EYES module will ensure the EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) process follows legal obligations with automated workflows—from initial request through to assessment, plan development, and review. SEN2 Return and Data Quality: Case data will be structured to align with statutory returns, reducing the need for manual reconciliation and increasing accuracy in national reporting. Timeliness and Quality of Decision-Making: With real-time access to social care and education histories, the SEND team can assess risk factors more holistically—especially where multiple agencies are involved (e.g. health, education psychologists, social care).   Home to School Transport Geographic Intelligence Integration: EYES will integrate GIS mapping tools, allowing for automated route planning based on eligibility, location, and existing capacity—improving efficiency and reducing manual overhead. Contractor and Route Management: The system allows real-time updates on route changes, child allocations, and contractor performance, with clear audit trails. Cost and Environmental Benefits: Smarter route planning can reduce vehicle mileage, lower emissions, and achieve better utilisation of existing contracts.   Client Caseload Information System (CCIS) Improved Tracking for NEET and At-Risk Youth: The system will track participation and flag individuals at risk of disengagement, enabling earlier support and coordination with partners (e.g. colleges, training providers). Compliance with National Reporting: Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of submissions for the NCCIS return and Annual Activity Survey, reducing reputational and funding risk. Error Management at Source: Advanced validation rules reduce rejected returns and improve data quality through in-system prompts and pre-submission diagnostics.   Cross-Cutting Strategic Benefits   Information Sharing and Safeguarding Ofsted inspections and Serious Case Reviews frequently highlight the risks posed by disjointed data. A single integrated record across services significantly mitigates this risk by: Ensuring concerns are flagged early and consistently. Making real-time information available to all authorised professionals. Reducing missed warning signs due to fragmented records. For example, a child frequently absent from school and known to Social Care would be flagged more easily, enabling preventative action rather than crisis response.   Operational Efficiency and Workflow Transformation Data Reconciliation and Error Reduction: Anticipated 80% reduction in time spent resolving data discrepancies. A single view of duplicated or conflicting data, with system-defined rules for resolution. Once a discrepancy is addressed, it is not repeatedly flagged—preventing duplication of effort. User Productivity: Practitioners spend less time navigating multiple systems and more time working directly with children and families. Embedded guidance and prompts ensure consistent data entry and statutory compliance.   Business Intelligence and Predictive Analytics With a single, high-quality dataset, the Management Information Team can shift from reactive reporting to proactive analysis—identifying patterns, forecasting demand, and informing service design. Examples include: Predicting areas of increasing EHCP demand based on Early Help and Early Years referrals. Mapping attendance and exclusion patterns to inform neighbourhood-based outreach. Unified data sets allowing better use of Agentic AI and Deep AI learning modules.   Financial and Procurement Benefits Cost Reduction Opportunities: Potential annual savings through rationalisation of software licences, hosting environments, and support arrangements. Stronger Contractual Controls: A unified contract with System C creates a clearer line of accountability. Supports strategic supplier engagement, reducing the risk of fragmented delivery.   Options considered and rejected were: The purchase of EYEs will mean we have one case management system for Children, Adults and Families meaning one record.   Assessment of Risk: Risk: Fragmented Child Records and Service Delivery Continuing with the current CapitaOne system risks perpetuating fragmented records across Early Years, Early Help, and Social Care, which can hinder safeguarding and timely interventions. The lack of integration impairs the council’s ability to deliver a “tell it once” experience for families and undermines multi-agency collaboration. Mitigation: Implementing SystemC EYES will consolidate records into a single system, enhancing data visibility and enabling holistic case management.   Risk: Incomplete or Inaccurate Data Sharing Current systems do not support real-time, bi-directional data sharing, increasing the risk of missed safeguarding cues and non-compliance with statutory timelines (e.g., EHCP processes). Mitigation: Liquidlogic EYES supports statutory workflows and real-time updates, ensuring compliance and improving data quality and auditability.   Risk: Capita Limited Future Scalability Choosing a system that lacks flexibility or future development potential will limit the council’s ability to adapt to evolving needs. Mitigation: SystemC’s roadmap includes ongoing development and integration capabilities, supporting future scalability and alignment with the council’s digital strategy.   The source of funding is: Capital Programme and Revenue budget.   Legal Advice obtained: Supplied By Tony Hatton 17th June 2025   Financial Advice obtained: Supplied by Paul Guest 23rd June 2025   Procurement Advice obtained: Supplied by Emma Heyes 17th June 2025   HR Advice obtained: N/A   Climate Change Implications obtained: N/A   Contact Officer: Jennifer Mcilquham Telephone number: 01617932356     Signed:    Paul Dennett       Dated:    15 July 2025.                   City Mayor     *           This decision was published on 15 July 2025 *           This decision will come in force at 4.00 p.m. on 22 July 2025 unless it is called-in in accordance with the Decision Making Process Rules.