3. Recordings

            Record-keeping has always been an important part of the social worker's job.  The type of record-keeping has changed over time due to new practice demands and new technologies.  Records have many different purposes that range from improving the worker's competence to obtaining data for the purpose of accountability and research. It is important for social work students to develop the capacity in accurately and efficiently maintaining records as required by the agency concerned. They should also find out what textual forms they should adopt in recording their practice such that they can communicate their practice experience to their fieldwork instructors.

            Social work recording takes many forms. Process recording is a narrative account of all that happened during a client contact, including the worker's feelings and thinking about what has happened. Process recording has received great emphasis in field training. It is based on the process recording prepared by students that fieldwork instructors evaluate the work of their students and provide them corrective feedback as well as guidance. In this light, it is especially useful for helping social work students to learn about their practice and develop skills in handling difficult situations.

            The usefulness of process recording depends to a considerable extent on the ability of students to recall what had happened and to reflect on the meaning as well as their affective experience. Students must be willing to honestly record what they observed, what they did, and how they deliberated on what to do. They need to have trust in the relationship with their field instructor.  As it is time-consuming to prepare process recording for work carried out by a student in the placement, such recording should be used with carefully selected tasks suited for the student's own development and learning.  When process recording is used, confidentiality must be preserved.  The written record must be kept in a secure place and should only be seen by those directly involved with the client or by the fieldwork instructor. If process recording is to be used for other purpose such as case study in teaching, the identity of the client should be disguised.

            Another type of recording often used by social workers is summary record.  Though this type of record takes various forms depending on agency practice, it essentially includes entry data, often the social history, a plan of action, periodic summaries of significant information and actions taken by the worker, and a statement of what was accomplished at the point the case is closed.  The periodic summaries may be made at specified periods of time (e.g., every week) or they may be made when it is necessary to document some facts or actions.  The summary record is shorter and easier to prepare.  It is focused more on what happens with client than on the worker's input and sifts out the important elements, discarding the superfluous.

            Summary records are most important in situations where long-term, ongoing contact with a client and a number of workers may be involved.  These records provide a picture of what has happened in the past with a particular client.  Agency policy often specifies the form and content of such records.  This policy reflects the agency's needs for information both to protect itself when questions about handling of a particular case are raised and to provide specific information needed for accountability purpose.  As summary records may be subject to review by a number of people, questions of how to deal with confidentiality are important.  It is usually good practice to include in summary recording only that which is required to be in the record and only verifiable information - not impressions, feelings, or information that can be misinterpreted.

            It is recommended that students keep a daily log of experiences in field and reactions to them. A student may only spend 15 minutes on each placement day to reflect on his or her own experience on that particular day. Students may prepare their daily log in Chinese. They are encouraged to develop items for discussion or agenda for weekly supervision. Instructors are expected to provide feedback to the students.