I went to the Association of Directors of Social Services spring seminar last week and got chatting to a few of the directors there. I was asking about technology in social services departments and whether all social workers have access to their own computer. The directors I was speaking to said that not all social workers in every authority have their own pc at work. Do you have to share a pc? Does it hamper you at work? How widespread is this? Very interested to hear your stories. 

You're better off without a PC. It's just a distraction - you end up staring at it rather than engaging with other humans 

During my placement in a care management team every staff member had their own computer.  I really don't know how we would have coped otherwise, because we used them for practically everything.

In another placement (in the voluntary sector, and no social workers actually worked there) there was one computer in the staff office - up to five of us would be working at a time.  Although it wasn't used for notes/file records etc, it was often a fight over who got to use it first, and was frustrating when we were all waiting to use it.  And obviously when we were using it we had to work quickly because more often than not someone was waiting to use it after us.

hello! where I work, there are nearly twnety in our team and 7 computers, its a nightmare, becuase everything has to be completed on the computer. in general I have to admit i'm ok becuase its on my desk and i get in early I'm good, but when i go out its a free for all. Have to admit that most of the staff are lovely and on my return will give up the computer so i can get back on and finish what i was doing. think everyone gets used to trying to complete things at double speed because someone is always sitting on your shoulder waiting to take over the computer. and god forbid you should leave your desk and go to the toilet, you come back and find someone almost sniffing at your desk, wiggling the mouse to see if the puter is locked out to someone!!!!

 It is a nightmare and frustrating to say the least!

It sounds incredibly frustrating and not a good atmosphere to work in I would imagine when you feel you have to rattle something out at top speed for fear that someone needs the computer urgently.

I recommend having a really untidy desk - I've found through experience that people tend to leave your desk alone when it looks like a health hazard and very rarely want to borrow your computer!!