Purpose of Recording

Purpose of Recording

According to experts, recording in social casework

serves the following purposes:

It aids practice

It aids administration

It aids teaching and supervision

It aids research

As an aid to practice

The fact that recording has improved/the practice of

social casework is now well accepted and is considered

as the most important device to develop one’s skills in

this area. Records help in diagnosis and treatment. It

enables the caseworker to analytically reflect upon and

improve his or her practice thus enabling efficient

interviewing and intervention. As the caseworker gives

the information collected, an organised and structured

form, analysis and critical thinking becomes easier.

Case records are essential for refreshing the memory,

especially when cases stretch for too long and the

worker may lose track of detail. They also enable better

planning for the next interview and provide the

opportunity to rectify previous mistakes. This knowledge

when passed on to a new worker ensures that the same

mistakes are not repeated.

As an aid to administration

Records, also serve as important tools of administration.

They serve as an index for the correction of policies

and practices. Further they also give an insight into

the caseworker’s ability and ensure continuity if the

caseworker is transferred, or resigns. They help the

agency in not only evaluating the caseworker but also

in the evaluation and reappraisal of the existing and as

well as future services. Records are also of great

importance when client is referred from one agency to

another for specialized services, as they ensure

continuity. Further they allow sharing of information

between agencies.

As an aid to teaching and supervision

Recording as a teaching and supervision device is

indispensable. Records aid teaching and supervision in

that they add to the body of knowledge of social work

and make this knowledge communicable. They provide

an opportunity to the students to organise and present

information and observations, reflection and action in

a systematic manner. It is useful for reflecting on one’s

role and reactions in an interaction. Recording serves

as a tool for supervision and evaluation whereby a

teacher can encourage students to analyze and

interpret data, expressing their individuality through

it. Supervision encourages the cultivation of better

recording skills and better casework as a result. It can

be used in systematically training the students and is

an important device to introduce students to practice.

As an aid to research

Records can be used for social research and planning

they are the chief source of material for research done

on such important subjects as the effectiveness of

casework as a social work method. Records contain

accumulated experience of social workers which can

be translated into statistical form and thereby help in

finding solution to social problems.