Well done, you made the correct decision.
In your reflective activity, you should have covered all of these points:
- You have done the right thing by recognising the problem and speaking to your manager to identify how to catch up with and better manage your case recording in the future.
- You know recording is a crucial part of daily social work practice and will take up a substantial amount of your time. Good records are an essential tool for you to reflect on your ongoing work with people and plan future work. When shared with the person whose file it is they encourage transparency.
- You are familiar with the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers and know you are expected to get help if you do not feel able or adequately prepared to carry out any aspect of your work. First line managers have a key role in assuring the quality of practice. Your manager knows he has a duty to support you and develop your skills.
- As a social service worker you know you must be accountable for the quality of your work and take responsibility for maintaining and improving your knowledge and skills. This includes maintaining clear and accurate records as required using established procedures.
- You appear to understand the advantages of electronic record keeping. You know it allows information to be shared more effectively, the information is easier to access and read, it makes it easier for a number of workers to add information and it allows information about things like unmet need and service performance to be gathered.
- As well as support from your manager to manage your workload, you seek useful sources of guidance which can help you, for example, the Social Work Inspection Agency Practice Guide, On the record – getting it right: Effective management of social work recording (2010).
- You know good recording forms the basis of an accurate up to date record of work, which is regularly reviewed and summarised. You know case records should be drawn up in partnership with the person whose record it is and their views on it and information on the permissions given for details to be recorded should be included. You know that accuracy in case recording is of central importance.
- You know you must act in a way that demonstrates you are trustworthy and reliable. Through your actions you earn the trust of colleagues, people who use services, and the wider community.
- You are aware if you had not done the right thing, it could have called into question your suitability to be a social work professional and that an investigation by your employer could have resulted in disciplinary action.
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