Children and adults social workers in Nottinghamshire are been given iPads so that they can do case work on the move.
The county council is giving 100 social workers the Apple tablet so that they can access and update case records without having to return to the office after making visits.
The system, created in partnership with Vodafone, allows social workers to access care records online and offline.
Nottinghamshire county council leader Alan Rhodes said the pilot project was part of the authority’s efforts to make services more efficient.
“We are constantly looking at new ways of using technology to make our services more effective and efficient,” he said.
“We are among the first authorities in the country to have developed this technology, which is transforming the way social workers do their job.
“Prior to this scheme, we had social workers making written notes when out at appointments and then having to come back to the office to write-up what they’d been told.
“With an iPad and the package we have developed, they can do it there and then, in a car, or wherever they are, freeing up time to support more vulnerable families and older people out in the community.”
The council says the system meets the data security requirements set out in the Cabinet Office’s Public Services Network code.
“Every device is encrypted and the information on the device is further encrypted,” said Rhodes.
A spokesman for the county council added that the authority had opted for Apple tablets rather than cheaper Android devices due to the increased security.
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This is a most welcome development and a challenge to Government views that services need to be privatised to become lean or more productive.
It’s time for social work to embrace new technology more widely and for employers to demonstrate a commitment to giving workers the tools they need to work efficiently and effectively.
Organisational issues is now an important part of social worke education under the PCF and teaching concepts such as lean working will help all workers to identify opportunities for improving the workplace in the interests of social workers and service users.
Hurrah for some common sense! An i-pad is a modern notebook. Pragmatically, modern technology is an aid to social work practice. Government needs to support and trust professionals to do their jobs with the right tools -leading to better productivity, resource efficiency including reduced stress on workers, besides better outcomes for adults and children alike. Privatisation is not the answer – respecting, supporting and facilitating the existing provider structure i.e. local authorities, is.