Social workers and ipads

245

Comments

  • AnnaLicious_2
    AnnaLicious_2 Posts: 281 Forumite
    Thank you everyone, that's so interesting. Part of my argument was from the financial point that my suspicion is it is cheaper at this point to purchase new and cheaper equipment than to maintain out of date laptops. I haven't done any costings so can't back this suspicion up.

    One of the arguments I heard was about the perception of council workers having ipads. I didn't see the difference, as the laptops the social workers have are just as expensive. But it was all about the perception of an Apple product. What if the Daily Mail did a freedom of information request on the number of ipads in the council and so on. But we get freedom of information requests on the number of lightbulbs we use, so you can't just live in fear of a negative news story when it can potentially make front-line workers more efficient.
  • geoffky
    geoffky Posts: 6,835 Forumite
    edited 11 July 2012 at 9:31PM
    Its the brain i would be interested in not the tools...
    It is nice to see the value of your house going up'' Why ?
    Unless you are planning to sell up and not live anywhere, I can;t see the advantage.
    If you are planning to upsize the new house will cost more.
    If you are planning to downsize your new house will cost more than it should
    If you are trying to buy your first house its almost impossible.
  • Alikay
    Alikay Posts: 5,147 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited 11 July 2012 at 9:21PM
    Funny this should come up today: I'm a foster carer and I had a couple of them round today and yes, one was using a tablet device of some kind - possibly an iPad!

    Personally I'm fine with it, and anything which helps with recording and sharing (obv with the right people!) of information is all good with me. We had a bit of drama going on today and things seem to have gone smoothly considering the circumstances - whether or not that is due to the capabilities of the ipad, I don't know.
  • tiny_courageous
    tiny_courageous Posts: 1,275 Forumite
    There's no way in hell I'd be visiting some of the areas we cover with anything expensive like an ipad, I'd be mugged within ten minutes. For the same reasoning, I drive an old battered car.

    In any case, our local authority are reluctant to replace our 10 year old and falling apart mobile phones, never mind investing in modern technology!
  • Lozzy88
    Lozzy88 Posts: 780 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker First Anniversary
    I would have no problems with this, especially, if it cuts down actual paper work, it means that less paper work could go missing, get misplaced or needing done again.

    Also if it ment that familys that they are there to help, get help faster and more efficiently its all a bonus
  • Tupperware_Queen
    Tupperware_Queen Posts: 1,794 Forumite
    I work in the community with families, and from my point of view, if we were issued with laptop/ipad/a.n.other technology which allowed me to enter the data/information etc at the time, rather than have to transcribe stuff once back in the office, it would be a massive improvement. Most forms have to be completed in electronic form, so I frequently print off blank forms, to complete by hand out in the community, and have to spend ages transferring the information onto the system back at base.
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  • kj*daisy
    kj*daisy Posts: 490 Forumite
    It would make things easier and quicker, but a lot of people think public employees should be required to write in their own blood rather than the public purse pay for the things required for them to do their jobs, let alone be given an iPad. Easier to carry around than a laptop though, so I think a good idea.
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  • Errata
    Errata Posts: 38,230 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    God forbid the poor bloody workers should get some decent tools for the job, I'm sure some people are dismayed they are no longer have to cart a scuttle full of coal to the office every day!
    .................:)....I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on ...:)
  • inkie
    inkie Posts: 2,609 Forumite
    Mortgage-free Glee!
    No problem with them using one. I'm a vicar and have my sermon notes on my iPad, and as I wonder around when I 'preach', it's easy to have in my hand
  • Ames
    Ames Posts: 18,459 Forumite
    delain wrote: »
    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.

    I agree with this. I'm currently a patient at a mental hospital and my meetings are done with written notes, which then get typed up. Then the handwritten notes are destroyed - they're proud of this because it's supposedly more secure. I'm finding that some things - in at least one case something vitally important - aren't being properly recorded. Either do it by hand, on proper forms (not just a scratty old notepad), or straight onto computer. A half and half approach clearly isn't working.
    Unless I say otherwise 'you' means the general you not you specifically.
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