Some 1 054 social service practitioners in the Western Cape have switched to a mobile- and desktop-friendly automated system that aims to improve their recordkeeping process.
This is according to the provincial Department of Social Development (DSD), which officially launched the system last week.
Named the social work integrated management system (SWIMS) application, it aims to make administration of cases easier and faster for Western Cape social workers.
It was created by the Western Cape premier’s centre for e-innovation department, in collaboration with the DSD. To date, R6 million has been spent on the collaborative project, which was developed in under two years.
The app is designed to assist social service practitioners across the province, such as social auxiliary workers, social workers, social work supervisors and social work managers.
Says the DSD: “This app addresses the immense administrative burden on social workers, who on a daily basis have to fill in forms as per the regulatory framework for case management. On the app, they can securely capture forms and complete the necessary ‘paperwork’ for the tracking of social service practitioners’ interventions to clients. In June, 5 698 forms were loaded on the app and 2 157 cases were opened.
“The mobile accessibility of SWIMS addresses the unique logistical needs of social workers, as it caters to their busy working days, where they are often on the road, at clients’ homes, in communities, or in courts.”
Western Cape minister of social development Jaco Londt adds: “The SWIMS app is a game-changer. On average, it takes about 15 minutes for a social worker to fill in the relevant paper forms for a case of child protection, for example. With SWIMS, this time is cut down to eight minutes. That is a seven-minute per case saving. If we multiply that by an average of 60 cases per social worker in a month, that’s 420 minutes being saved per month per social worker.
“When we multiply that with the number of DSD social workers in the province – 745 – that brings you to 312 900 minutes saved every month for DSD social workers across the province if each one used the app. Social workers thus have more time doing what they love: focusing on therapeutic interventions. This is a win for staff and for the vulnerable citizen who needs their support.”
According to the DSD, other SWIMS benefits include improved compliance with social work practitioners' regulatory frameworks, no more repetitions, improved monitoring and reporting, and automated workflow. The app can also be used offline.
Western Cape premier Alan Winde remarks: “To improve the work our government does for our residents, especially the most vulnerable in society, we must embrace and utilise innovation and technology.
“If we are to pull more people out of poverty, help residents in need and get them back on their feet, we must keep innovating. At the same time, this application is helping to ease the administrative burden of our dedicated social workers.”
The DSD funds or subsidises over 1 200 social service professionals on varying levels at non-profit organisations (NPOs), and over 700 child and youth care workers at NPOs across the Western Cape.
There are plans to offer the SWIMS app to the NPO sector and other Western Cape government departments – such as the Department of Health and Wellness, which employs 219 social workers, and the education department, which has 73 social service practitioners.
Furthermore, the DSD is discussing the possibility of collaborating with the national Department of Social Development on the further roll out of the system.
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