new technology in the human services

NTHS Vol:8(3) pp29-30 1995

Managing Social Services Information is a module in the Management Education Scheme by Open Learning programme, developed under the auspices of the NHS Training Division and the Social Services Inspectorate. Published by the Open University 1994, ISBN 1 85446 271 7.

The Pack may be purchased from:

The Learning Materials Sales Office,
The Open University,
PO Box 188,
Walton Hall,
Milton Keynes MK7 6DH
UK

Normal price £1 60 + VAT. Price for Social and Health Service Organisations (independent, voluntary or statutory) or educational institutions involved in providing courses for staff from these £115 + VAT.

Colin Barnes is a project manager (practitioner inputting to computer development in the Social Services Department, Coventry City Council.

Contact him at:

Coventry City Council Social Services Department,
Room SS.17 Council House
Coventry, CV] 5RS
UK
Internet: barnes@a-dark.demon.co.uk

Managing Social Services Information

Reviewed by Colin Barnes

Presentation:

The course material comes in a smart plastic case which contains:

  • A Guide to the Module 2 audio cassettes,
  • Four books of sessions with exercises to develop competencies,
  • Computer discs (with 'hands on' personal computing supplement)*; this software requires the student to have access to the Microsoft Works package (Ver. 3),
  • A Resource File (for use with some of the exercises),
  • A Resource Book (on presenting and analysing data),
  • A Portfolio Guide (all the student needs to prepare a body of evidence about standards of her/his performance at managing information), Guidelines for mentors*,

(All but the material indicated * has been developed specifically for Social Services' managers. The * material appears to be more general in its coverage and uses example data from health settings)

Comments:

The main finding from the recent SSI inspection of information strategies in Social Services departments was that managers were not confident about their department's information strategy and systems. The inspectors report that to achieve effective information systems requires 'champions' throughout the department, particularly among senior staff (Dept. of Health, 1995).

The SSI inspectors wish to encourage the development of an 'information culture' which will require Social Services staff training on the use of information within their respective roles and responsibilities in the delivery of community care services. They would certainly want to encourage managers to undertake training of the sort included in this module which is now available from the 'Open Business School' (one of six modules which, together, constitute the course work for a diploma in management).

How, then, does it match up to the recommendation in the inspector's report that:

'Training should not be exclusively technical. It should relate the need to collect and use information to staff's roles and responsibilities'?

It is clear from the onset that, although the module has grown out of existing courses for managers in health services, extensive efforts have been made to 'customise' the material to that which Social Services managers will see as relevant to their day-to-day needs. Examples of calculations are based upon analyses of data about phenomena such as the numbers of children on child protection registers or numbers of residential places for people with disabilities. The material, for example, not only conveys the 'nitty gritty' of how to interpret standard deviations and similar mathematical functions, but, by using demonstration data such as 'waiting times' for users before they receive a service, it fires the student's imagination about how to use statistical techniques to make an immediate impact on monitoring service delivery.

This approach is reinforced by the part of the module which seeks to help the user develop a 'portfolio' of material to reflect the evidence of information management tools being used in the managerial job the user normally undertakes. The portfolio work is integrated with the rest of the course and several of the exercises, when completed contribute toward the evidence which the student is required to compile.

The exercises are designed to incorporate 'live' information from whatever information systems are in place at the student's place of work. An example of the thought which has gone into the design of the package are the 'activity previews' which give prior warning of material which is needed later in the course. These allow the student to approach the course work in the sequence most conducive to acquiring the necessary skills.

There are occasional indications within the package that it has developed from one designed for managers of health services. An example is that it is somewhat limited in the list of references it provides. Those that there are will not lead the student toward the specialist literature about IT as applied to Social Welfare. There are no references to journals such as 'Computer Use in Social Services' or 'New Technology in the Human Services' or any links to organisations such as the European Network for Information Technology in Human Services (ENITH). Instead the student is, more often than not, directed to further reading from the field of general management of health services.

Although it is not mentioned in the documentation Fastype, a 'share ware' typing tutor, is included with the course software. This was probably not a good idea as it did not work properly with early versions of DOS. A failure to get the software working could be an unnecessary negative encounter with the PC for someone who may have had little previous experience of using one. The inclusion of the typing tutor, without any guidance in the documentation, might also lead a student to believe that competence at touch-typing is a necessary skill for information management.

On the other hand, the main computer software for use within the exercises is the English edition of Microsoft Works (version 3 is recommended). This is not included within the course material and so the student needs to be able to obtain this software and a machine on which to install it before doing some of the course work. Despite this extra task for the student (or her/his tutor), the advantage of being guided through a real sophisticated integrated suite of software is worthwhile. I am confident that, although the example data supplied to provide a basis for the exercises is very simple, once one has worked on this for a few hours the student will be ready to use applications for data from her/his routine work. Indeed, the straightforward and very readable text (which is very well illustrated) is Rely to create an enthusiasm for managers to want to immediately translate their information problems into scenarios for managerial action.

Conclusions:

I believe that there are two groups of managers in Social Services both of which could benefit from this package. There are those who have found themselves promoted into managerial positions without ever having had the opportunity to deal with aggregated data with any degree of sophistication and would like to understand this alongside the other managerial skills of financial controls and person management. The other group (which may, even, include some information managers) are those more experienced managers who need to take a fresh look at how to make better use of modem technological solutions for the fast changing world of UK Social Services in the 'Community Care' era.

References:

Social Services Department Information Strategies and Systems (with reference to Community Care); Inspection Overview', Department of Health August. 1995.


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Last updated 3 November 2000

The journal has now ceased publication (2003)