Good record-keeping is an essential element of the social care task. The manner in which the record is captured matters and experts now recommend the use of electronic and computer based data collection and recording systems in lieu of note-taking and paper records.
According to an article in Public Technology.net, recording, transcription and archiving of meetings could remove unnecessary barriers between communities and their social workers. This can make interactions more productive and trustful and better protect both caregivers and care receivers for the long term.
In the social care environment, it is important to record and preserve communication records at various levels. Caregivers use daily logs to communicate with each other to know what took place during their shifts and to discuss the day’s events. What is even more important is the recording of interactions or meetings with service users. Once recorded, these social work meetings can be documented using an audio transcription service. The advantages of recording and transcribing social work interactions are:
- Creates a comprehensive and precise history of care provision
- Enables care assessment and planning
- Improves quality of care
- Allows caregivers to review their work
- Helps caregivers identify any patterns and get performance information
- Makes staff accountable
- Provides evidence for legal proceedings, enquiries and reviews
- Promotes smooth flow of care
- Creates a record which the person who received care can read at a later stage
Recording in a quiet environment with a good digital recorder will provide an accurate recording and help the social worker to focus on the care receiver. A professional transcription company with experience in meeting transcription can provide a full verbatim transcript of the conversation. Verbatim transcripts capture the meeting exactly as it took place, including all types of nonverbal communication, including every filler word, hesitation, verbal cue and stutter. Keeping accurate, verbatim records is crucial for legal purposes, to protect the interest of the care receiver, and to provide evidence of proof of care on the part of the social worker.
It is better to record using a digital format and have a digital transcription service company transcribe in to a legible, accurate record of social care interactions. Properly organized and archived transcripts will ensure that information is easily available when required.
