2.1 Documents in social work practice
Social work services are delivered to a wide range of people and in many different settings, such as in the community, in hospitals, day and residential services. Within these services, social work writing has multiple functions, including undertaking assessments and reviews of risk and need, contributing to financial assessments and providing services to support service users, their families and carers. This wide range of activity is also reflected in the diversity of documents that social workers produce as part of their daily work. The WiSP research project identified eleven different functions of writing:
Function |
Description |
|---|---|
Administration |
Preparatory, interim or short texts, often as part of/before larger activity, or one offs |
Applications for services, equipment, support checks and referrals |
Document often on a template to provide services/equipment or specific actions |
Assessments |
Document often on a template to check or evidence eligibility or risk, usually in preparation for allowing or preventing service provision or moving onto a next stage in a process |
Case recording |
Ongoing logging of case activity, usually stored centrally on an authority-based IT system |
Communication with others |
Documents that set out formal arrangements, often with sanctions if not adhered to |
Diagrams/drawings/mapping |
Texts that illustrate a process or relationships, often accompanying other documentation |
Documents when working with clients |
Documents often completed whilst with clients, often to aid interaction/inform decisions |
Meeting-related paperwork |
Texts written in preparation for, during and to document meetings |
Reports |
Documents often on a template, with the purpose to evaluate, summarize, and/or state next actions to be done, after an event or process of engagement |
Training/supervision documentation |
Texts aimed at arranging, delivering, evaluating and undertaking training and supervision activities |
Activity 3 Mapping the functions of writing
Look at the clusters of different kinds of writing that social workers do. Map these against the 11 key functions listed in the left hand column of the Table. Select the relevant examples from the drop down menu.
Answer
Functions of writing |
Examples |
|---|---|
Administration |
|
Preparatory, interim or short texts, often as part of/before larger activity, or one offs |
to do lists; online diary entry; annual leave requests |
Applications for services, equipment, support checks and referrals |
|
Document often on a template to provide services/equipment or specific actions |
housing application; third sector support check; referral for emergency home based respite care |
Assessments |
|
Document often on a template to check or evidence eligibility or risk, usually in preparation for allowing or preventing service provision or moving onto a next stage in a process |
assessment of needs and outcomes; parenting assessment; risk profile |
Communication with others |
|
Sharing/requesting information, via different technologies and media |
emails, instant messaging, letters |
Contracts/contractual information |
|
Documents that set out formal arrangements, often with sanctions if not adhered to |
contact agreements; contract monitoring form |
Case recording |
|
Ongoing logging of case activity, usually stored centrally on an authority-based IT system |
case notes; contact log; statutory visit record |
Diagrams/drawings/mapping |
|
Texts that illustrate a process or relationships, often accompanying other documentation |
chronology; genogram |
Documents when working with clients |
|
Documents often completed whilst with clients, often to aid interaction/inform decisions |
social stories; worksheets; flip charts in person-centred review |
Meeting-related paperwork |
|
Texts written in preparation for, during and to document meetings |
agenda; minutes; list of people attending |
Reports |
|
Documents often on a template, with the purpose to evaluate, summarise, and/or state next actions to be done, after an event or process of engagement |
pathway plan; AMHP report; best interest statement |
Training/supervision documentation |
|
Texts aimed a arranging, delivering, evaluating and undertaking training and supervision activities |
report on a student; portfolio; supervision record |
There are also many areas of guidance on different written documents produced by organisations, local areas and national policy which support social workers in their practice. We have included some links in the Additional Resources section of this course, but it is important to check on what your local expectations are in any practice setting.