As her husband contemplates accessing his care records, social work trainer and consultant Sophie Baker discusses how practitioners can ensure children reading their files later in life will find their story recorded with clarity and care.
For some years now, my husband has been thinking about accessing his social care records.
The files were written more than thirty years ago and, if I am honest, I hold some real reservations about what he might find because recording practice was very different then. Files from that time may be brief and written using language we might now consider to be blaming or judgmental.
It is these conversations I’ve been having with my husband that have led me to reflect on the quality of case recording today. How would children experience reading case notes written more recently?
My work around social work consulting and training, alongside current research, has led me to believe that more can still be done to ensure case recording captures the authentic voice of the child and meaningfully evidences their lived journey through services.
Slow progress around case recording
The 2019 MIRRA (Memory, Identity, Rights in Records, Access) project included interviews and focus group data from more than 80 care leavers, social work practitioners and information professionals. The study found that, despite evidence highlighting the importance and value of effective record keeping for care experienced young people, there was little recognition or understanding of this within local authorities.
It identified that the voices of children and young people were often entirely missing from records, causing “significant distress and upset” whenever any sought to revisit their experiences.
Case recording shouldn’t be viewed just as admin. It isn’t about covering our backs, and it isn’t only about evidencing risk, parenting capacity or outcomes. It should help trace back how decisions were made, chronicle children’s experiences and reflect their voices in a way that is recognisable should they revisit them as adults.
Here are some ways to help ensure that, should a child one day read the case records you have written, they will find their story recorded with clarity, compassion and care.
Get the child’s name right!
This seems obvious but I cannot express how important it is to ensure you are spelling the child’s name correctly.
Someone’s name is fundamental to their identity and using the correct name, importantly the one they identify with, shows that we are paying attention.
In a memorable open letter to her social worker, Rebekah Pierre, now deputy director at charity Article 39, noted her named had been misspelt over 100 times in her records.
Recording a child’s name correctly is one of the simplest ways we can show care and respect. Slow down and get it right.
Consider writing directly to the child
Writing directly to the child may not be appropriate in all situations, such as chronologies, court reports or supervision notes.
However, doing so in case notes, child and family assessments or when completing pen pictures or life story work can keep our focus on them, evidence their voice and opinion, and helps us best explain to them why decisions and/or plans were made.
Try using simple language and short sentences as you direct your writing to the child. Explain anything a non-professional would not understand.
Using common words does not mean being patronising or missing out important information, but understanding our own thinking well enough to explain it clearly, simply and honestly to someone else.
Case recording example
A record of a home visit may sound like this:
“Savannah, I came to see you at home today. You were drying up with your mum in the kitchen and I could hear you both giggling as I reached the front door.
“You and I sat in your bedroom for a while, and you told me that mum had been sticking to the plan and Dan hadn’t been at the house since the argument. You told me that mum had cried a couple of times, missing him, but that she had told you he isn’t a safe grown-up to be around.
“You also told me that your nan had come over to your house to give your mum a hug. Nan reminded you that you are to call her (or the police) if Dan comes to the house.
“You even showed me your school English book and read me a poem you had recently written. It was so impressive that you had been given a special award by your teacher. Well done you!”
Be accurate and separate fact from opinion
In my recent roles, there have been times when I have seen recording that lacks precision about observations and is written using vague language. For example, noting that “the kitchen was in a filthy state” does not offer an accurate or true depiction of what has been witnessed. This type of statement is opinion based.
Instead, try detailing exactly what your worries are. For example: “The kitchen smelt like rotting food and the bin was overflowing with mouldy food and dirty nappies. The sink was piled with approximately 12 dishes, all of which had mouldy smelly food stuck to them. The cat litter tray was dirty, with cat mess piled within it.”
Accurate, factual records help when we need to make informed decisions about a child or family, both when risk is present and, importantly, when improvements have been made. Detailed records also reduce the danger of confusion, and leave no space for assumptions, bias or misplaced judgment.
Avoid jargon
Many social work education publications and policy documents are riddled with technical language. Combined with the subtle pressure to sound ‘professional’, a practitioner can fall into the trap of absorbing jargon and carry it into everyday recording.
Jargon makes records confusing for non-professionals. Technical terms and acronyms can be misunderstood, and they can dehumanise children and families.
Using simple, clear language ensures that everyone reading the record can understand what happened, and what decisions were made and why.
Beware of victim-blaming language
It’s also important that we ensure no victim-blaming creeps into the language we use in social care records.
Phrases like “the child didn’t follow the rules”, “the parent allowed x abuse to happen” or “the teenager chose an adult boyfriend” all unfairly shift responsibility of the harm from the perpetrator onto the person who has been harmed.
Reading case records with victim-blaming language can be deeply painful and retraumatising, shifting the fault for what happened to the person who was most harmed by the events. Instead, records should reflect their experiences accurately, respectfully and with compassion.
Use supervision to discuss your record-keeping skills
Supervision provides a reflective space for social workers to discuss their work and slow down their thinking when it comes to case recording.
Don’t be afraid to turn to your supervisor for assistance on spotting vague wording, jargon or victim-blaming language that might have unconsciously snuck into your notes.
Their role is to ask you to clarify your meaning, encourage you to question whether the child you’re writing about – and for – would understand what you have written, and challenge any unconscious bias or assumptions in your reporting.
The importance of getting recording right
Over the years, I have learnt that good recording requires time, attention and reflection.
While time isn’t always afforded to practitioners, social care records may be the only place where people like my husband and those interviewed for the MIRRA project can find information about what happened to them and why.
Clear, respectful recording ensures that the child’s story is told with care. It is the least they deserve.
