Plans are afoot to offer the app on a national level to improve efficiencies and further the roll-out of the system.
Cape Town - Dubbed a game-changer for social workers, the Social Work Integrated Management System (SWIMS) has nearly halved the time it takes for practitioners to complete paperwork.
The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) officially launched the app at its office in Langa yesterday, after 1 054 social service practitioners were introduced to the desktop and mobile versions in April.
Managers, supervisors, and auxiliary workers were all on-boarded.
MEC Jaco Londt said it usually took around 15 minutes for a social worker to complete the forms for a child protection case, and SWIMS has cut it down to eight 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,” he said.
SWIMS was developed by the Department of the Premier’s Centre for e-Innovation and DSD.
The joint venture, which was created in less than two years, has received investments totalling R6 million to date. The programme also helps social workers comply with case management regulations.
They can collect forms and finish paperwork required to track the services provided to clients. A total of 2 157 cases were opened, and 5 698 forms loaded onto the app last month.
Rizquah Lucas-Alexander, a DSD social worker, and her colleague logged a real case showing off the app’s usefulness during its introduction.
“This system ensures that every interaction, every intervention, and every outcome is meticulously documented. 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,” Lucas-Alexander said.
In attendance at the launch was Premier Alan Winde, including other local and national dignitaries.
“To improve the work our government does for our residents, especially the most vulnerable in society, we must embrace and utilise innovation and technology,” Winde said.
The department is now planning to roll out the SWIMS App on a national level.
Cape Argus