How Much Time Do Social Workers Spend on Paperwork?

In the world of social work, paperwork is an inevitable part of the job - and may be the biggest challenge faced by social workers. With that said, a question that we often hear is - how much time do social workers actually spend on paperwork? The answer might surprise you. From case notes to reports, assessments, and more, the administrative side of social work can be time-consuming, often taking away from the crucial face-to-face time with clients that is the most important aspect of human services professions.

Let's take a closer look at the specifics of how paperwork impacts the daily routine of a social worker with a quick overview created by NCT Inc.!

What Is the Most Time Consuming Part of Social Work?

Paperwork, legal documentation, and administration may be the most time consuming aspect of social work and may prevent social workers from spending time with the people who need them most. A casefile management system and workflow automation solution - like NCT CaseWorks - can help social workers minimize the amount of time spent on paperwork and documentation. The amount of time that social workers spend on documentation and with their clients will vary based on the program they are involved in.

Recent research performed in England by the County Councils Network (CCN), the Association of County Chief Executives (ACCE), and a consultancy firm that focused on workers in child support programs found that social workers spent just 20% of their time with children and families. The research was based on a study of more than 100 social workers logging their time within a week and indicated that more than 50% of their time was spent on case recording, paperwork, documentation, IT tasks, and meetings. With innovative casefile management solutions, case recording and documentation become more efficient and can lead to an estimated 45% increase in time spent with children and families.

You may ask how that impacts patient care and the number of patients in need of care - and similar research done by the British Association of Social Workers may have the answer. The current climate points to a sharp increase in the number of children in need of care in child support programs by 2025. With the implementation of innovative workflow automation software, the study claims that costs can be reduced by as much as 95% and that the number of children in need of care could be reduced by as much as 30%.

How Much Time Can Casefile Management Software Save Social Workers?

Casefile management software and workflow automation solutions like NCT CaseWorks provide a suite of innovative solutions that can significantly reduce the time social workers spend on administrative tasks. By automating processes such as document routing, form filling, and document modification, CaseWorks can save social workers several hours each week. This time can then be redirected towards direct client interaction and care, which is the heart of social work. The exact amount of time saved can vary, but the impact on efficiency and productivity is substantial.

To wrap this up, a variety of studies indicate that social workers spend a significant portion of their time on paperwork - but with the help of casefile management software, like NCT CaseWorks, this time can be drastically reduced. NCT CaseWorks streamlines administrative tasks, allowing social workers to focus more on their clients and less on paperwork. The result is not only increased efficiency but also improved quality of care.

If you're a social worker looking to reclaim your time and enhance your level of care, don't hesitate to contact NCT Inc. for more information on how CaseWorks can transform your workflow!