Why recording is important in social work

Practitioners need to think about the purpose of each piece of recording. For example, when recording a visit to the child, the record is about the reason for the visit itself as well as its contribution to the whole assessment; the importance of not just what happened or was said, but what that means for the child. Even though young children and those without verbal communication cannot talk about their feelings, recording observations of them is still very important.

It can be incredibly frustrating when its order does not make sense. How important that must be to any care-experienced person looking at their childhood records in later adulthood. In October last year, we published the results of a survey of local authorities about their information recording systems. Many told us that their systems were poorly implemented or not working as intended.

Some said that workflows within the system mimic the order in which social workers carry out their work, which can lead to illogical and potentially misleading chronologies.

For example, when something happens to a child but is not reported — and therefore recorded — until a few days later, it means that it can become more difficult to distinguish between historical information and the current picture. We often see repetition across the case recording system, from assessment, to plan, to case record. We see users cutting and pasting within records rather than adding their professional analysis.

This does not help anyone! Language is so important. Anything that implies victims were to blame for any abuse they suffered during childhood can compound the impact of that abuse. Times have changed, but we still sometimes see inappropriate language in case records.

Most casework will include a huge amount of communication between professionals across many agencies. The best records will include this information but direct the reader to the outcome and how this has helped the child and their family. The case record is not just a repository of information. It should be a tool that assists social workers in planning and making the best decisions for children. Description without analysis makes it so hard to understand how and why some critical decisions have been made.

Social workers and other practitioners who support children need to think about the purpose of each piece of recording. For example, when recording a visit to the child, the record is about the reason for the visit itself as well as its contribution to the whole assessment. The importance of not just what happened or was said, but what that means for the child. Of course, if it is a very young child, the record will predominantly be about the help provided to parents.

Even though young children and those without verbal communication cannot talk about their feelings, recording observations of them is still very important. It can be incredibly frustrating when its order does not make sense. How important that must be to any care-experienced person looking at their childhood records in later adulthood. Inspectors do find some common weaknesses. There really are no huge surprises here. They find records that:. If a member of staff attempts to access a restricted record inappropriately, the Care Director Helpdesk will contact the Service Manager for the area in which the record is based, who will ascertain if there has been an intention to breach confidentiality.

If information needs to be amended or corrected this must be done in a new Case Note and recorded by the Team Manager with the correct information and reason for case recording being amended. Roll Backs Where it is necessary to correct a process related matter, such as the date that an assessment was authorised or where a decision has been 'clicked on' inappropriately, the Care Director helpdesk can "roll back" a record to a specific point in time to allow this to be done.

Case Audit Forms Completed audit forms will be stored as an attachment on Care Director but a Case Note will be entered by the auditor to state that an audit has taken place, the type of audit, who undertook it and the date that it was undertaken. Security and Management of Information All staff should ensure that they log out of Care Director when not actively inputting or away from their desks.

As part of the process of information management, Team Managers, Senior Management and the Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Service conduct case file audits at regular intervals to monitor the effectiveness of case file recordings. Implementation This policy shall take effect immediately and supersedes any previous policies. All managers should ensure that staff is aware of this policy and its requirements. This should be undertaken as part of induction and supervision.

If staff has any queries in relation to this policy they should discuss this with their line manager in the first instance. Please refer to The Children Private Arrangements for Fostering Regulation for further guidance Appendix 1: Recording Successfully - Avoiding the Pitfalls Pitfall How to Avoid it Case Notes are out of Date Recording is an important task, not just for the Children and Family's Services but for the child and their family or carer, even when what you are writing does not directly involve them.

It is better to record as you go along because keeping information in your head to be recorded later may result in crucial information being lost.

Allocate time for recording to minimise interruptions, remembering that all recording should be completed within three working days. The child is 'missing' from the records The child is a person not an object of concern and it is crucial that their wishes and feelings, their views and understanding of their situation are recorded.

If this does not happen it suggests that no work has been undertaken with the child or that the child has not been an active partner in any work. Ensure that you see the child alone and record what the child says in their own words. It is important to observe a child's body language as children communicate through their actions as well as words.

Explain any tools you use and drawings etc. You can't tell the difference between fact and professional judgements Records should contain both facts and professional judgements but they should be clearly separated and not mixed up throughout the case notes so that it is difficult to tell which is which. If professional judgements or opinions are accepted as facts then they can unduly influence the management of the case.

Use the sections of the case notes to help you by recording the facts in the detailed notes section, put your professional judgements and analysis see below of the situation in the analysis section and then note any actions in the actions section.

The record is not used as a tool for analysis Case recording is a valuable social work tool, not a casework diary. Do not record simply what has happened but use analysis to move beyond this to hypothesise and explain why particular situations and events are occurring. Using recording for analysis requires you to assess the weight of the information gathered and to do this you need to draw on your knowledge from research and practice together with an understanding of the child's needs.

Record this in the analysis section of the case notes. There is too much to read It is important to maintain a clear focus in your recording. Record significant information, using research and supervision to assist you in identifying what is and what isn't significant. Consider using the structure of the plan for working with the child to structure your recording.

Cross reference rather than duplicate. The larger the record the more difficult it is to locate key information and identify patterns within the child's life. Appendix 2: Adoption Files Adoption records refer to any records about a child. Within 24 hours of Referral Within 2 working days of other decisions being made.

Copy of signed Pre-Proceedings letter to be uploaded within 1 working day of the letter being sent to parents and carers Within 3 working days of the Pre-Proceedings meeting being held. To be recorded on Care Director within 24 hours If notification given then 6 weeks prior to arrangement. Recording is an important task, not just for the Children and Family's Services but for the child and their family or carer, even when what you are writing does not directly involve them.

The child is a person not an object of concern and it is crucial that their wishes and feelings, their views and understanding of their situation are recorded. You can't tell the difference between fact and professional judgements.

Records should contain both facts and professional judgements but they should be clearly separated and not mixed up throughout the case notes so that it is difficult to tell which is which. We looked at a range of sources, from periodical journal articles, to local authority guidelines and sector tools. The following review comes from a selection of the most relevant sources. It should be highlighted this this was deliberately not a full systematic literature, but instead a first delve into the issues to help inform work that we will look to develop in the future.

It was clear from the very beginning of this scoping that there were two very different processes going on, with their own sets of challenges and issues. There is recording practice which encompasses what is captured, collected and written about a person receiving support. This is usually recorded by the social worker.

Then there is access to that information by the person, usually through the process of contacting the local authority. The diagram below tries to show some of the relationships between these:. The initial review highlights that each subject recording and access is influenced by a range of factors that have a powerful impact on the experiences of the individuals care-experienced and social workers involved in each of the processes, and the information that is being collected.

It is, therefore, important to consider when going forward with this exploration that recording and accessing should be considered as individual experiences and processes, but that both influence each other. Over the past few decades the practice of record keeping within the social work profession has changed dramatically. SWS highlights a shift within this period towards evidencing problems for legal and social work processes. Inconsistencies between authorities persist and the range of styles of record keeping is extensive between different practitioners; formal reports, typed or handwritten notes, digital files, drawings, and filmed interviews.

This range of approaches means there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to how records should be recorded and accessed, as suggested in many of the guidelines and much of the literature. Instead, the process should be proportionate to the needs of the individual, and in turn, the practitioner. With regards to accessing records, it is difficult to find more historical notes on how this was undertaken. However, there has been an increased number of agencies — Who Cares Scotland?

This goes hand-in-hand with a move towards an electronic approach to record keeping, and also reflects international studies, notably the Australian Historical Child Abuse enquiry, which highlights some important issues that may be mirrored in Scottish practice. The following notes have been collected from sources that discuss topics pertaining to how practice is recorded in social services in Scotland, with particular emphasis on social work practice.

There is a huge amount of nuance involved in what recording practice is, what it entails and how exactly it is defined. These may take the form of electronic or hard copy files.

Recording therefore involves:. There needs to be accuracy, accountability and information that leads to evidencing decisions that have been made in situations, either to service users and others, or to courts. Alongside this, recording should assist in the reflection and analysis of work. This, therefore, has implications for practitioners, individuals who receive care and support, and organisations. This can be split into different levels and there are a number of outlines that bring together the principles of recording practice that are very much embedded within the values of social work and social care and support.

Social Work Scotland Governance for quality social care in Scotland outline a broader underpinning of the quality to be strived for in overall practice with social care — one that is fundamentally rooted in a strong value and belief system. This takes the view that there should be a:. Much of this can be related to the SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers , and within recording practice the values behind the Codes are often closely aligned with how records are formed.

Records must be kept in a way which is honest, using respectful language, and which differentiates fact from opinion, judgement or speculation. It is expected that the service user will see their record, if possible near the time the record is written, unless a decision is made, at the designated level of authority, to restrict information on the basis of one of the legal grounds for this.