Information systems in current use in children's social services, whether computer- or paper-based, are generally designed more for recording information than for retrieving and using it. Yet if staff understand more about how to use the information capital at their fingertips, they can be empowered to improve the quality of outcomes for the children and families they serve. Based on research commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills and the Welsh Assembly Government, the guide includes sections which specifically address the needs of different groups of professionals. The clear and practical advice will enable staff in social service departments to identify their information needs, commission better systems to meet them, and improve and make explicit the ways in which they use the information thus provided.