© British Association of Social Workers
Open Records: The Client's Right to Partnership
graduated from Oxford and trained in social work at the University of Hull. He worked as a social worker in Suffolk, and a caseworker in a child welfare agency in Philadelphia prior to working in Sheffield. He now works four days a week as a social worker and lectures one day a week on the Applied Social Studies course at Sheffield University
graduated from Nene College, Northampton, and worked in London's East End and Sheffield before training in social work at the University of Sheffield. He is now a community social worker in Wakefield
Summary
Many Social Services Departments have opened their files to their clients or intend to do so. This reflects the incoming tide of concern about citizens' rights and client participation, but what effect might the opening of records have on the practice of social work?
The paper summarizes the findings of a small scale study in which a team of social workers opened their case recording to a selected number of clients. The workers’ and clients‘ views of this process are described, along with the implications for practice. The study suggests that a focus on shared recording can begin to alter the kind of work done by the social worker, helping to promote a partnership between the worker and the client.
Finally, the paper argues that a policy of client access enforced only as a right is prone to sabotage or a fall into disuse. A seven point training programme is outlined in order to help social workers use Open Records as an opportunity to promote a partnership in their work with clients.
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