The benefits of this collection are:

• provides school nurses and health visitors with a reliable source of information on who vulnerable children are in circumstances where the capacity of local agencies is reduced and where local information sharing agreements cannot be relied on
• supports school nurses and health visitors in their leading roles in ensuring the health and welfare of vulnerable children and young people in their area is protected during a period where face to face contact with statutory services is reduced
• supports maintaining contact with vulnerable children and young people to help reduce the risk of poor health outcomes, abuse, injuries and in extreme circumstances avoidable death whilst quarantined in their homes during the coronavirus (Covid-19) response.

Child Protection active plan information already collected from Local Authorities (in England) for other purposes. 

NHS England has directed NHS Digital under section 254 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, to establish and operate a system for the collection and analysis of information about Covid-19. The Directions include a non-exhaustive list of Covid-19 purposes for which the Directions can be used, including for the purpose of: 

understanding information about patient access to health services and adult social care services as a direct or indirect result of Covid-19 and the availability and capacity of those services.

Learn more about the NHS England Directions 

Collection start date: 9th April 2020.

Collection end date: 30th September 2020 or until such time as the Covid-19 direction is revoked.