This document discusses the challenges social workers face with current case management systems not supporting their work with families. It notes that social workers spend 60% of their time on administrative tasks and only 20% directly working with families. The FamilyStory project aims to develop an open platform that allows social workers to spend more time collaborating with families and gives families more ownership over their case. The goals are to improve outcomes for families, enable better decision making, and reduce costs by allowing social workers to spend quality time on cases. An alpha experience is being built to demonstrate the concept.
3. “Case management systems
focus on collecting information,
they don’t support the
interaction with families”
Clare Chamberlain
Director Centre for Systemic Social
Work
4. Process, not people, is dictating social work practice
“The art of being a social worker is becoming lost.
Too often, it is regarded as a process to be followed
– a single track which, once started, trundles along
a predetermined path, usually of escalation”
Ray Jones, Emeritus Professor of Social Work
60%
of practitioner time is spent
writing, recording and
processing data into a
system
is spent on other admin,
speaking to agencies,
information gathering or
travelling
Leaving around 20% of
time to spend working
directly with families
20%20%
5. ‘Social work is not a process,
it is an art, a skill, a way of working
with people in crisis to help them
to see their way through it and
strengthen their future’
Sally Robinson
Social Care Network, The Guardian
7. FamilyStory vision
An open platform that allows social workers to
spend more time collaborating with families,
gives families ownership over their story and
enables everyone involved to work better
together.
8. FamilyStory design principles
Practitioners spend
more time with
families, less time
in front of computers
Technology supports
social care practice,
it isn’t just a
reporting tool
Decisions are
collaborative
and technology
enables this
Families have
ownership over
their story
Families Social workers Partners
9. FamilyStory outcomes
Better outcomes for families
(sustainable, less time in
interventions, owned and
breaking cycles)
Enabling better decisions
around commissioning and
strategic direction
Reduced cost
(processing/admin, less
backend resource, quality time
on cases leading to better
decisions
Radically changing social work
practice and enabling the rest of
the country to join an innovative
marketplace
11. What we’re learning...
The concept is far
scarier than the reality
Show the thing to win hearts
and minds
Communicate and
challenge the purpose
of integration with
legacy systems
And don’t be held back by it
Build a network of
supporters and
champions on the
ground
12. ‘Very exciting development in SW
recording with Partners in Practice, Tri-
borough and @FutureGov.
I think we might crack this yet!’
Isabelle Trowler
Chief Social Worker for England
Notes de l'éditeur
FamilyStory is transforming the way local authorities approach children’s social care case management to better meet the needs of families, young people and practitioners
What we did - interviews, shadowing. Tech discovery etc etc across 3 West London boroughs
Held back by legacy technology built for a different era and way of working, costing over £1m per year in licensing and maintenance
Barrier between the people involved
Outcome for social workers and Children’s services:
Unfortunately, technology along with national policies and an over bureaucratised practice is worsening this - we’ve squeezed out the bit that’s most important - relationships with people
No enough time for the families
Give social workers time back
Outcome for families and young people
"We do a lot of creative work with families but it is so hard to capture it, the technology doesn't match up"
FamilyStory is transforming the way local authorities approach children’s social care case management. We are designing simple digital tools for practitioners and families that supports social care practice and collaborative decision making. FamilyStory gives families ownership over their story through greater transparency of recording and information.
Our vision for change - focus on first 3
We are designing simple digital tools for practitioners and families that supports social care practice and collaborative decision making. FamilyStory gives families ownership over their story through greater transparency of recording and information.
Might be able to skip
The alpha will be tested in January with a small group of social workers and families, enable the following:
- allow social workers to record transparently with families using photos and audio. Then share visit notes with the parent so they understand what was discussed and agreed
- allow the family to comment on the visit note so they are heard
- supports social workers analysis of how things are going
- allow schools to add information to a families record