Smart projects: System gives Dudley social workers faster access
to information
Social workers at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council are
responding more quickly to emergencies after introducing electronic
social care records for all new clients.
Having all the information for a client in one record has
enabled social workers to react to emergencies involving people
under their care more quickly, said the West Midlands council.
Electronic social care records were introduced with little
disruption to social workers because existing business processes
were largely left alone, the council said.
The process for handling incoming documents remained the same as
it had done before electronic care records. If incoming documents
triggered a procedure under the old system, such as a visit from a
social worker, they continued to do so under the new one.
After working with a social care client, the social worker’s
notes and the triggering document are scanned into the electronic
record. Previously, the notes would be added to a paper record.
The care records are held on the Swift social care management
system from supplier Anite. Dudley also uses
Anite@Work as its electronic
document management system for social services. Integration is
provided by middleware from Fiorano.
The system lets social workers add to or view the records from
any networked council device.
Dudley Council has been able to create new care records across
its social services departments since October last year. Although
the council believes that its social workers are making more
informed interventions, it said it was too early to put a figure on
how much service has improved. Efficiency gains have also yet to be
calculated.
Social care records are currently set up by specialist input
clerks, but the council plans to make the maintenance of records
and the addition of new documents the responsibility of social
workers. If it succeeds, the council will need fewer back-office
social services staff.
Further efficiency savings are expected through no longer having
to file, retrieve, review, photocopy and store paper documents.