Projects
The following is a portfolio of my personal and professional projects.
Website Development
I have designed a variety of professional, community, and personal websites.
Si Chun Lam (SiChunLAM.com)
The official website of Si Chun Lam.
Cost Calculator for Children's Services
The Cost Calculator for Children's Services (CCfCS) is purpose-designed software that currently calculates the costs of social care processes and placements for looked after children. It facilitates comparisons between the relative value of different types of care, making it easier to estimate the potential benefits of introducing a range of alternative packages. Analyses of costs with respect to the outcomes variables included in the CCfCS are also available.
The CCfCS website provides existing and potential users with a wealth of information about the software product. Potential users can find out about the research evidence that forms the basis of the software and a demonstration version; while existing users have access to frequently asked questions and a users forum, facilitating the exchange of information and ideas.
Cambridge University United Nations Association
The Cambridge University United Nations Association (CUUNA) aims to spread the spirit of the United Nations (UN) within the University of Cambridge and youth in the local community by promoting a greater understanding of the roles, functions and potential of the UN, its Charter and its agencies with special attention to the Millennium Development Goals. Founded in May 2006 and launched in October the same year, the CUUNA currently have over 1300 members and associates.
The CUUNA website provides members with news about the latest events organised or supported by the association; information about the association; campaigns; press coverage; sponsorship; and a photo gallery.
Software Development
I have designed, developed and deployed management information systems using Microsoft Access and VBA for multi-user environments. The following case studies illustrates some of the solutions I developed to meet business requirements at a unitary local authority.
BaseCamp
BaseCamp is a case management system developed for a third sector organisation commissioned to provide aftercare personal adviser services for children leaving local authority care. This solution enables the third sector organisation to record core information about their service users; record case notes; monitor weekly contact; current activities undertaken by young people; and evaluate progress towards the Every Child Matters outcomes.
The system feature a 'news feed', where all events are recorded on a single screen, similar to popular Web 2.0 applications like Facebook and Twitter. As such, it is easy for practitioners to use, yet powerful reporting features ensure managers can retrieve relevant information.
BaseCamp replaced a plethora of Excel spreadsheets used to track cases and monitor weekly contact, as well as separate case notes held on individual Word documents. The introduction of BaseCamp enabled practitioners to record case notes on one system, which then automatically fed into live contact and activity monitoring reports for management.
The successful implementation of BaseCamp enabled the third sector organisation to meet its contractual requirements to provide accurate and timely performance data to the commissioning organisation; and help ensure that a quality service can be delivered to their service users by making it easier for practitioners to share information between one another.
PlaceBook
PlaceBook is a case and financial management system developed to track and monitor the placements of children in internal and external foster care, residential homes, independent placements and secure units. The system was developed to meet the information needs of a brand-new Integrated Children's Placements Team in a unitary local authority.
The system features a two key modules: a child module detailing all children in local authority care and their current and historical placements including payments; and a placements module showing all the placements known to and/or used by children in local authority care, enabling the tracking and monitoring of vacancies. An Event Log provides practitioners with a single screen for recording and tracking activities from referral to placement and for contract monitoring, so that any outstanding issues can be followed up in a timely manner.
During the development of the Integrated Children's Placements Team, it became evident that none of the existing information systems enabled the tracking of external placements, despite the increasing use of such placements. Furthermore, existing systems did not bring together case management with financial management, despite increasing budgetary pressures in this area. PlaceBook was developed to address these shortcomings, and meet the requirements of the new team, which, amongst other things, aimed to bring about the coordination of data systems to facilitate joint working and deliver efficiencies to improve Value for Money.
The successful implementation of PlaceBook enabled the local authority to have an overview of all placements for the first time ever, helping the Children's Placements Team make better informed decisions for children in care.
LCFD
The Life Chances Financial Database (LCFD) is an integrated case management and financial recording system to meet the strategic, operational and reporting requirements for a children's specialist service. This includes services for children with disabilities including short breaks; and aftercare services for children leaving care.
The system allows practitioners to track and record financial commitments for Direct Payments and Home Support to children and families; monitor the uptake of community-based and residential Short Break services and Individual Budgets under the Government's Aiming High for Disabled Children programme; and contributed to ensuring equality of access to the Leaving Care Grant for children leaving care.
LCFD brought together information historically held on separate spreadsheets on Direct Payments, Home Support; and enabled practitioners to have an overview of the entire package of services received by children and families.
Implementation of the LCFD enabled the local authority to meet its duties in discharging services granted under relevant legislation for children and young people with disabilities and children leaving local authority care (care leavers).
PanelDB — multi agency panel database
PanelDB is a management information system designed to help practitioners manage cases and processes for the Joint Panel, a social care, education, health multi-agency decision-making panel tasked with deciding and agreeing packages of care for children and young people with continuing complex care needs that cannot be met by existing universal and specialist services.
The system allows the Panel Administrator to record decisions made; generate decision sheets and minutes for the Lead Professional; and for Managers to track and monitor progress for each case.
The implementation of PanelDB transformed the way in which the multi-agency panel worked: prior to Panel, details of each case coming onto the next panel are recorded; during Panel, actions and decisions are recorded and distributed to Panel members and Lead Professionals immediately; and after Panel, outcomes are tracked and recorded.
Implementation of this end-to-end solution at a unitary local authority provided the social care, education and health partners with a way to monitor the outcomes of the panel, and ensure that agreed actions are followed up promptly.
Crayons
Crayons is a management information system for the Young Carers Service in Coventry. Young Carers are children who look after someone in their family who has an illness, a disability, a mental health problem or a substance misuse problem; taking on practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult.
The system provides a facility to record core information about their service users; monitor weekly contact; record activities undertaken; and evaluate outcomes.
The successful implementation of Crayons helped ensure data quality by replacing a large Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where data fields were not clearly defined; and enabled management to monitor the activities undertaken by the service by recording each and every contact and activity with young carers.