AI tool helping social workers in Dumfries and Galloway manage workloads

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming social work services in Dumfries and Galloway by saving staff an average of nine hours per week.

This region’s social workers have such huge caseloads and last year were working an average of 44.65 hours per week – despite their full-time employment contracts being 36 hours.

However, it’s since been revealed that a new AI transcription tool has been introduced for time-consuming record-keeping tasks, which is proving to be a game-changer for managing workloads.

Stephen Morgan, the region’s chief social work officer, this week insisted that safeguards are in place when using the AI tool, and not only is it saving time – but it’s enhancing relationships social work staff can have with people they support.

Nith Councillor David Slater asked about the use of AI by staff at Tuesday’s social work committee.

Mr Morgan replied: "AI is quite a popular, and sometimes controversial, topic and when it comes to social work I strongly welcome the use of some AI.

"But I also need to make sure we keep that human in the loop. Relationships can only be built from person to person.

"Having said that, we have successfully introduced an AI transcription tool locally, which enables our staff to record meetings and conversations with people – with consent.

"Effectively, it’s a modern-day dictaphone. It’s saving staff an awful lot of time, so we piloted the use of that transcription tool with our adult support and protection team.

"On average, the staff that were using the tool were saving up to nine hours a week.

"So that was giving staff time back. We’re introducing that across the whole of our social work teams. Not everyone is using it, but those that do are recognising a significant time-saving on some of their bureaucratic tasks involving record-keeping etc.

"There are safeguards in place and quality assurances processes.

"So, while AI has potential really assist, we have to be really careful that we use it as a tool. It’s purely a transcription tool right now."

There has been a shortage of social workers nationally, and research has shown that many graduates have been put off the career due to the heavy burden of record-keeping day after day.

Mr Morgan explained: "We found that nationally quite a lot of graduates weren’t entering the profession because primarily because of the bureaucratic overload that they were experiencing on placements.

"Similarly, a significant number of staff were leaving the profession because early – and one of the main factors for that was the bureaucratic load.

"These transcription tools are reducing that and it will hopefully pay dividends in the longer term for giving staff time back.

"What’s critically important here is that, if you’re using a transcription tool, on a one-to-one basis with another human being – as opposed to scribbling down notes and having to interrupt conversations – you’re having a whole conversation that’s really positive in helping to build relationships."

Figures released last year by from Social Work Scotland showed that the caseloads for social workers in Dumfries and Galloway are significantly higher than Scottish targets.

Of the 44.65 hours worked per week on average last year, a breakdown was given for how that time is spent.

Direct time with families accounts for 28 percent, case recordings/admin work is 27 percent, while travelling typically accounts for 21 percent of a social worker’s time.