NSW Family and Community Services taps MuleSoft to accelerate ChildStory program

The New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services has selected MuleSoft platform technology in a bid to replace a number of existing IT systems with one integrated platform for the delivery of its state-wide ChildStory IT initiative.

The ChildStory initiative is a $100 million program to replace the state’s child protection IT infrastructure. ChildStory program director, Lisa Alonso Love, said ChildStory creates an integrated IT system that “places the child at the centre of their story” by building a network of family, carers, caseworkers and service providers that can work collaboratively to keep the child safe.

“ChildStory is a great opportunity to provide children, families, caseworkers and our partners with tools that help us to work together and to gather the stories of children who are vulnerable and need child protection services,” Love said. “To deliver ChildStory we have chosen technology partners who have demonstrated that they understood the challenge and had the right technology to support child protection in NSW.”

She said the government chose the MuleSoft Anypoint Platform for several reasons. It will improve the department's ability to access and share information by connecting applications, data and devices. It will also support the organisation’s modular, agile strategy to assist caseworkers with a case management system.

“Once complete, ChildStory will allow caseworkers to spend more time in the field taking care of children and families. At the same time, service provider organisations will be able to more quickly share information and coordinate care,” she said.

The department said the technology enables real-time decision making and collaboration across key stakeholders in a child’s life by seamlessly connecting applications, data and devices in the cloud and on-premises.

The API-led connectivity solution, which creates a seamless application network of apps, data, and devices, will play a critical role in integrating the organisation’s cloud and on-premises systems.

With a hybrid cloud approach, the platform will decrease the complexity of connecting multiple government systems to provide real-time information to mobile caseworkers, as well as to police, education and health departments to resolve cases more quickly.

Jonathan Stern, regional vice president of Australia and New Zealand, MuleSoft, said connecting the disparate systems, on-premises and in the cloud, will enable the department to fulfill their crucial role to children and families.

Project collaboration

Salesforce has also been selected as a lead IT partner in the development of the upgrade of the NSW child protection IT system.

Salesforce’s public sector regional vice-president, Barry Dietrich, said Salesforce was proud to be selected to develop the platform.

“Real time information sharing and collaboration will mean case workers spend more time protecting children with the most relevant and up to date information,” Dietrich said.

“Through collaboration with Salesforce partners and FACS frontline staff, Salesforce will provide a custom build of our Service Cloud capabilities, which will empower caseworkers, service providers, families, carers and children with a digital toolkit that will transform the overall delivery of child protection.”

Salesforce was selected after a rigorous procurement process, which included a four-month implementation study, during which Salesforce worked closely with Department of Family and Community Services staff.

After an extensive period of research, design and prototyping, ChildStory will now move into the deployment phase, with the first release of the ChildStory tool planned to be deployed to caseworkers in early 2017.