Social workers no longer have to feel they are swimming upstream thanks to the innovative new “SWIMS” (Social Work Integrated Management System).
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 for clients.
SWIMS, a mobile- and desktop-friendly application, was officially launched on Thursday 25 July 2024 in Langa.
Premier Alan Winde and Western Cape Minister of Social Development Jaco Londt were joined by various officials in the Western Cape Government (WCG), such as Provincial Finance Minister, Deidré Baartman and Member of the Provincial Legislature Wendy Philander, along with officials from other departments and the National Department of Social Development (DSD).
The SWIMS application had gone live in April. It was already being used by 1 054 Western Cape DSD social-service practitioners across the province, including social auxiliary workers, social workers, social-work supervisors and social work managers.
In June, workers of the department uploaded 5 698 forms onto the app and 2 157 cases were opened. The mobile accessibility of SWIMS addresses the unique logistical needs of social workers, catering as it does for their busy working days when they are often on the road, at clients’ homes, in communities or in courts.
The app’s benefits include improved record keeping, improvement in compliance with social-work practitioners’ regulatory frameworks and no more repetitions (when a social worker creates one form on the app, the necessary information gets logged onto the subsequent forms as well, and no more repeating information on each paper form).
The automated workflow also means staff can work anywhere.
Rizquah Lucas-Alexander and Liezel Appollis, DSD social workers, demonstrated the app’s functionality at the launch by logging a real case. “I vividly remember as a child being among the vast array of brown files in my mom’s office; she was a social-work manager. I was fascinated by the sheer volume of work that went into supporting clients. Today I’m thrilled to witness the revolutionary impact of SWIMS on our field.
“This system ensures that every interaction, every intervention, and every outcome is meticulously documented,” said Lucas-Alexander. “This not only holds us accountable to our clients but also allows management to track our progress and identify areas where service delivery may be delayed.”
According to Londt the 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 8 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.”
Said Winde: “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.”
DSD funds or subsidises more than 1 200 social-service professionals on varying levels at non-profit organisations (NPOs), and more 700 child and youth care workers across the province. There are plans to offer the SWIMS App to the NPO sector and other WCG departments, such as the Department of Health and Wellness, which employs 219 social workers and the Western Cape Education Department which has 73 social-service practitioners.
DSD is also discussing the possibility of collaborating with the National DSD on the further roll-out of the system.
The app created by the department of the Premier’s Centre for e-Innovation in collaboration with DSD and is the first of its kind in the country. To date, an investment of R6 million has gone into this collaborative project, which was developed in under two years.
