Social workers and ipads

AnnaLicious_2 · 11 July 2012 at 6:49PM

We had a theoretical argument at work today which has left me wondering something. If you had a social worker show up at your house and he/she used an ipad, what would you think?

As in, you were doing a CAF assessment and they typed in into the form on the ipad rather than handwrite it or do it on a laptop.

Ignoring issues of security of information, just about the perception of using an ipad instead of a laptop or paper documents.

I don't know if any local authority with the money for social workers to get kitted out with these, this was just a 'modern technology' argument at work. Purely hypothetical.

LondonDiva · 11 July 2012 at 7:11PM

There aren't any issues of security, as any 'official' Ipad would used for those purpses be encrypted in the same way a work laptop would be.

My perception would be that if it wasn't an Ipad, it would be another tablet and that it is better that the social worker enters the information directly and either later print and sort, or pingto a more junior member of staff to action. The alternative is to write it up manually and then have the social worker find time to duplicate the forms later on.

If we're serious about putting scare frontline staff where they are most needed, that means using avaiable technology to streamline the reams of government issue paperwork, rather than letting a Daily Mail healdine about Ipads and images of social workers lounging about watching videos or whatever you do on an Ipad make a difficult job unneccessarily more cumbersome.

BitterAndTwisted · 11 July 2012 at 7:11PM

I can't see the difference between using a iPad and a laptop as presumably they are capable of doing the same things, even typing up a CAF assessment, whatever that is.

delain · 11 July 2012 at 7:19PM

I'd say a laptop would be perfectly sufficient.

I would though prefer some things (ie CAF forms or anything that will be referred back to or used in proceedings) written by hand and then copied, as that way no changes can be made after the event.

jenhug · 11 July 2012 at 7:26PM

if the meeting meant my child got the help they needed, I wouldn't care if they wanted to use my blood and my best bed sheets to write on!

minimoneysaver · 11 July 2012 at 7:29PM

What's wrong with using technology to get the targets of the CAF meeting down? As long as the targets are actioned, that's all that matters. If they have a specific APP which helps take down minutes of the meeting etc and a check box system, it should save time on paperwork.

Owain_Moneysaver · 11 July 2012 at 7:51PM

It shouldn't be an iPad for various reasons but the use of portable IT should be routine now. It's a lot more secure, if done properly, than having paper copies of files blowing in the wind.

As far as giving a copy of the information, they can email me a PDF copy or print out a copy on the portable printer in the car.

thebillet · 11 July 2012 at 7:56PM

Anything, or nearly anything (not sure about bed sheets and blood which would be quite difficult to file let alone it sticking together) that gets SWs to complete their records on time can only be a good thing, never seen so much activity or panic when word goes out "write ups" are being checked.

peachyprice · 11 July 2012 at 8:14PM

Nope, can't see the difference between them using an ipad or laptop.

Infact I would have thought an ipad would be perferable as you can see exactly what is being written about you/your family, not so with a laptop, they could be writing anything behind the lid.

barbarawright · 11 July 2012 at 8:21PM

Surely one point of an iPad is they could also use it to look up information eg about local support services which might not be possible with a laptop if there were no wifi available. What's the problem? I know of one local authority that gives its refuse collectors iPads for similar reasons - they need to access council information and are rarely in a place with fixed net access.

Janepig · 11 July 2012 at 8:29PM

I think the DWP use something similar. I interviewed someone afew weeks ago who was in Court for benefit fraud and one of the things he said was that someone from either the DWP or the LA (regarding Housing Benefit/CT Benefit) did a home visit to him and completed a form using a tablet, I think, from the way he described it. He said that he didn't get to read the form, he was just answering the questions he was being asked, and the rep was typing them in so he didn't realise information was missing regarding his savings. Part of that might be BS because he didn't want me to think badly of him, part of it may be a misunderstanding of the process, but part of it may be truth, I'm not sure.

DH works for a neighbouring LA testing new software and hardware and the money they spend on kitting staff out with iphones and other bits and pieces is unbelievable.

Jx

Social workers and ipads

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