by Simeon Brody
Senior execs in the social care field are missing "easy opportunities" to build skills by using the blogs, social networking sites and online resources at their disposal, according to a new study.
The study by the Chartered Management Institute and Centre for Applied Human Resource Research found that "technological and cultural barriers" were stopping large-scale uptake of the internet as route to advice or study.
Apparently, 82% of social care managers reject online learning in favour of face-to-face contact. And only 16% of junior managers and 10% of directors use blogs or social networking sites.
I think this is a shame because I believe the internet and particularly the new social networking technology has a lot to offer social care:
1. Discussion forums allow professionals to build links with other people doing a similar job to themselves. It can be a way to get peers to answer questions or provide advice. Coincidentally, Community Care's new discussion forum Care Space is set to launch soon.
2. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are increasingly being used in business to maintain and build contacts. They can help provide a sense of community among a geographically disparate group and also allow for information sharing and advice giving.
3. Blogs help people keep up to date with the latest thinking from both journalists and fellow professionals. They also point to interesting and useful things on the internet and can be a good source of interaction, allowing questions to be posed and answered in detailed. Get your own blog started and you can start to build links with readers and other bloggers.
4. Online training. The internet is ideal in many ways for training. It is flexible, convenient and you can use it to store your progress, as in Community Care's PRTL site.
Are you convinced though? Let us know by filling in the poll below.