WPC is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the contract to support and maintain CATS - Case Administration and Tracking System which currently has two modules - Child Protection and Domestic Abuse. CATS can also be configured to record information about Vulnerable Adults if required.

The CATS system was developed in the absence of a national database for Child Protection, and in light of the recommendation in Lord Laming's Report into the death of Victoria Climbie that Chief Constables must ensure that their police force has in use an effective Child Protection database and IT management system. The Domestic Abuse module was developed later to complement the Child Protection system.

• CATS gives police officers a much clearer picture of the child or vulnerable person referred to them. The data collected in CATS can be used to piece together vital information on family background of that individual, helping the officer make more informed decisions.

• CATS may also be used to help identify previous accusations against suspects offering further lines of investigation and valuable information to help assess the safety of the vulnerable person. It may also be used to help identify repeat offenders.

• Incidents go through a managed process, from a new referral to a finalised incident. As a case is progressed, CATS validates the information collected and ensures the case has visibility to the relevant officers and staff members.

• Incident Reports can be generated for sharing of information between Police and Social Services.

• A full audit trail is available in CATS, which enables supervisors to monitor usage of the system.

• WPC has provided an online forum for users to download software updates, find answers to frequently asked questions, and discuss usage of the application.