Hackney Early Help Profiling System (EHPS) 

The London borough of Hackney's Early Help Profiling System (EHPS) system was designed by software company Xantura to alert council social workers to families in need of extra support based on a child’s social care referral history, youth offending, and other data.

Risks and harms 🛑

The EHPS was criticised for poor efficacy and transparency. 

In October 2013, the Hackney Citizen reported that Hackney Council ended its controversial Early Help Profiling System (EHPS) pilot scheme.

The council admitted EHPS, which cost GBP 361,400, has not 'realised the expected benefits' and had been dropped. 

Research, advocacy 🧮

• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01442872.2020.1724928

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350064023_Algorithmisch_basierte_Entscheidungsunterstutzungssysteme_fur_die_deutsche_Kinder-_und_Jugendhilfe_Messages_from_Research

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2019/10/30/town-hall-drops-pilot-programme-profiling-families-without-their-knowledge/

• https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2018/10/18/council-360k-xantura-software-profiles-troubled-families/

• https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2019/11/15/using-algorithms-childrens-social-care-experts-call-better-understanding-risks-benefits/

• https://www.thecentrehki.com.au/news/is-machine-learning-too-risky-for-childrens-social-care/

• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/16/councils-use-377000-peoples-data-in-efforts-to-predict-child-abuse

• https://www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/2019/07/revealed-how-citizen-scoring-algorithms-are-being-used-by-local-government-in-the-uk

• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/18/child-protection-ai-predict-prevent-risks

• https://www.cypnow.co.uk/best-practice/article/early-help-profiling-system