Importance of recording in social case work
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the importance of good quality recording at every stage of a social work practice and service delivery can not be overstated every inquiry into major instance of there to protect a child has point the communication and recording defects as a major factors
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Social work is a formal activity, with outcomes which may be of enormous significance to service users and others. Much of this activity relies on the successful gathering, understanding, sharing and giving of information. While in the first instance the gathering and sharing of information may rely on high quality verbal communication and interpersonal skills, it usually needs to be captured and codified, ie recorded, in some form if it is to be a useful tool of high quality service delivery.
The importance of good quality recording, at every stage of social work practice and service delivery, cannot be overstated. Every inquiry into major instances of failure to protect a child has pointed to communication and recording defects as a major factor. For instance, consider the following extracts from Lord Laming’s report into the death of 7 year old Victoria Climbie (www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk/finreport ):
In some cases nothing more than a manager reading a file, or asking a straightforward question about whether standard practice had been followed, may have changed the course of these terrible events. (para 1.17)
The tragic consequence of this was that nobody in Haringey - not even [the social worker] - ever read Victoria's case file in its entirety. (para 6.59)We cannot be certain what passed between the two because of the lack of recorded information - indeed in the case of the hospital there was none whatsoever - or whether Ms F simply misunderstood what Dr F was saying. (para 6.177)
However, it is unlikely that Ms R read any of this material because she said she found it illegible and "could not read it". Regrettably, she made no attempt to ask the Central Middlesex Hospital for help in clarifying its contents. If she had, she would have learned that ………. The medical report identified that there were scars of various sizes and ages all over the body from two days to possibly months old. There were also fresh scars on the face, infected cuts on the fingers and bloodshot eyes…. (para 6.185)Resolving this conflict of evidence has not been helped by Ms K’s poor note taking. There is certainly no record of a telephone conversation between Ms A and Ms K in Ms A’s contact notes on Victoria's case file.(para 6.284)
The importance of good quality recording, at every stage of social work practice and service delivery, cannot be overstated. Every inquiry into major instances of failure to protect a child has pointed to communication and recording defects as a major factor. For instance, consider the following extracts from Lord Laming’s report into the death of 7 year old Victoria Climbie (www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk/finreport ):
In some cases nothing more than a manager reading a file, or asking a straightforward question about whether standard practice had been followed, may have changed the course of these terrible events. (para 1.17)
The tragic consequence of this was that nobody in Haringey - not even [the social worker] - ever read Victoria's case file in its entirety. (para 6.59)We cannot be certain what passed between the two because of the lack of recorded information - indeed in the case of the hospital there was none whatsoever - or whether Ms F simply misunderstood what Dr F was saying. (para 6.177)
However, it is unlikely that Ms R read any of this material because she said she found it illegible and "could not read it". Regrettably, she made no attempt to ask the Central Middlesex Hospital for help in clarifying its contents. If she had, she would have learned that ………. The medical report identified that there were scars of various sizes and ages all over the body from two days to possibly months old. There were also fresh scars on the face, infected cuts on the fingers and bloodshot eyes…. (para 6.185)Resolving this conflict of evidence has not been helped by Ms K’s poor note taking. There is certainly no record of a telephone conversation between Ms A and Ms K in Ms A’s contact notes on Victoria's case file.(para 6.284)
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