Computers in Social Work

152 Pages·1985·15.817 MB·English

by  Bryan Glastonbury (auth.)

PRACTICAL
SOCIAL WORK
Series Editor: Jo Campling
(BASW)
Editorial Advisory Board:
Terry Bamford, Malcolm Payne, Peter Riches
and SueWalrond-Skinner
Social work is at an important stage in its development. All
professions must be responsive to changing social and economic
conditions ifthey are to meet the needs ofthose they serve.This
series focuses on sound practice and the specific contribution
whichsocial workerscan make to the well-being ofoursociety in
the 1980s.
The British Association of Social Workers has always been
conscious of its role in setting guidelines for practice and in
seeking to raise professional standards. The conception of the
Practical Social Work series arose from a survey of BASW
members to discover where they,the practitioners insocial work,
feltthere was the most need for newliterature.The response was
overwhelming and enthusiastic, and the result is a carefully
planned, coherent series of books. The emphasis is firmly on
practice, set in a theoretical framework. The books will inform,
stimulate and promote discussion, thus adding to the further
development of skills and high professional standards. All the
authorsare practitionersand teachersofsocial workrepresenting
a wide variety of experience.
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Computers in Social Work
Bryan Glastonbury
M
MACMILLAN
©BritishAssociationofSocialWork 1985
Allrightsreserved.Noreproduction,copyortransmission
ofthispublicationmaybemadewithoutwritten permission.
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Firstpublished 1985
Published by
Higherand FurtherEducationDivision
MACMILLANPUBLISHERSLTD
Houndmills,Basingstoke,HampshireRG212XS
and London
Companiesand representatives
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FilmsettingbyVantage PhotosettingCoLtd,
Eastleighand London
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
Glastonbury,Bryan
Computersinsocialwork.
\.Publicwelfare-GreatBritain-Data
processing
I.Title
361'.941'02854 HV245
ISBN978-0-333-37671-3 ISBN978-1-349-17902-2(eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-17902-2
Contents
Preface VII
Introduction
ComputerMythand Reality 10
Whatisacomputer? 10
Whatcan computersdo? 14
Why shouldsocial workers usecomputers? 18
2 The Growth ofComputinginSocialWorkServices 21
Computersin the personalsocial services 22
Whatsortofcomputersystems? 25
Arationalapproach to computeruse 28
Installingcomputersystems 30
3 Computing inOne SocialServices Department 33
Originsofthe computersystem 34
The managementinformationsystem 38
Goingon-line 41
FromMIS to SWIS 42
Securityandthe CodeofPractice 46
Comment 48
4 ComputersinSocialWorkPractice 50
Informationsystems andpractice 55
Computersascalculators 59
Computersinclient assessmentand treatment 63
vi Contents
5 HandsontheComputer 67
Fearoftrying 69
Socialworkersand programmers 73
6 TheRightsandWrongsofComputing 79
Power and the computer 82
Rights and the computer 86
Socialwork standardsand the computer 91
Someproposals 94
7 ComputersandtheDailyLifeofSocialWorkers 98
The dehumanisingcomputer 102
Extrawork, productivityand the computer 106
8 KeyinginSocialWorkPractice 112
Individualcase-files 114
Compositedataanalysis 120
Resourcefiles 122
Repetitivetasksandcalculations 126
General trends 128
9 TheRobotSocialWorker 132
Bibliography 139
Index 142
Preface
Computershave been used inthe personalsocialservicesfor over
a decade now. Most social services departments use them, as do
many probation servicesand larger voluntary organisations. Yet
they have not impinged much on the daily activities of social
workers, perhaps because they have been seen as tools of
management, or perhaps because it has been assumed that
bringing practitioners and computers together would be a recipe
for upheaval. After all, computers are more than just pieces of
equipment - they represent highly charged controversies.
The decision to write this book reflectsthe observation, which
must be clear to all of us, that computers are moving fast into
many aspects ofour lives- into offices,schools, homes and the
contactswehave with 'officialdom'.The computerseems unstop
pable, and is already starting to wind its way into professional
socialwork. Wecannot,and indeed may not,want to bringit toa
halt, soinsteadweneed to understanditand putitto sensibleuse.
Computing can be studied as a separate subject, to be kept at
arm'slength byallbut theenthusiastsand those whocannotavoid
it.Thatmay bea viable approach to computerscience,but it will
not servefor computerapplication,and it has provedchallenging
tohavetheinvitationfrom Macmillanand the British Association
of Social Workers to write about computers in a series on social
work practice.
I am grateful to several colleagues from the Department of
Social Work Studies at Southampton University, and to many
staff of government and local authority services for help in
gathering material. Mike Gardner from Hampshire Social
Services Department and Allan D. Maclean of the Home Office
Vlll Preface
Research and Planning Unit have been especially helpful.
However, three people have made major contributions. Charles
Whaley, from Cornwall Social Services Department, gave me a
flyingstartbylettingmehave acopyofhisstudyofcomputersina
local social servicesoffice(doneaspartofapost-qualifyingcourse
at Plymouth Polytechnic), and with it an extensive bibliography.
David Ward, from Hampshire Social Services Department, gave
me time and documents for the case-study of Hampshire's
computersystem,and latermade valuablecommentson the draft
ofChapter 3. Sheena Kimberley talked to many social workers
about their attitudes to and experiences ofcomputers, and has
also been a dependable 'second opinion' on the script.
Ihave tried to presentabalancedviewofthe issuessurrounding
the useofcomputersinthe personalsocial services, butIshouldbe
counted as a computer buff, who believes firmly in the creative
potential ofthe new technology within social work practice.
Southampton BRYAN GLASTONBURY
1985
Introduction
Can computersdo socialwork?Thisisaspertinentaquestionnow
asitwasoveradecade ago whenitwasfirstposed asthe titleofan
article in a social workjournal (Abels, 1972).The fantasy should
not betaken too far into the realms ofsciencefiction,to portraya
vision of redundant social workers, and area offices full of TV
screens.Ratheritisa practicalquestion- whatcan computersdo
to help inrunningsocial work agenciesand providingservicesfor
customers?
The purpose of this book is to answer such a question, and
many others which inevitably arise from it. As a society and a
work force weare right in the middle of a massive technological
metamorphosis. The young people coming up through schools
and universities are the first generation educated, however
skimpily,for the computerage.Today's social workers,even the
youngones, come from the tailend ofan era when afileislocated
inside a manila folder,not in a data-base. Leaving aside the vital
questionofhowfarthe transitionwillgo,itislikelythatany move
towardsnew technology in social work willbe uncomfortable.It
will involve new learning; it will continue to raise political and
ethical dilemmas; and the change itself will create more work,
especiallyduring the years when old and newsystems run side by
side.
Much ofthe handling of computing has been designed or had
the effect of making adults feel inferior. On TV advertisements
smug 'Acorn'-fed children look indulgently at their stone-age
parents;thenewspapersbombarduswithreviewsofthecontinual
flow of new systems; and the magazines show that computing
would win any prize for the speediest development ofthe most