Regulator commissions AI in social work research as tool claims to halve paperwork

Social Work England has announced two pieces of research into the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in social work practice and education.

The research announced consists of a literature review, and direct engagement with social workers, employers and education providers to discover how AI is currently being used across health and social care and the areas of professional standards that may be impacted and other ethical concerns.

“Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop quickly and is becoming increasingly prevalent in social work. We need to understand the challenges and opportunities AI presents to social workers, social work employers and social work education providers, as well as its potential impacts on public safety, public confidence and public trust in the social work profession,” a statement on the Social Work England website read.

The research was announced following an initial discussion with a range of sector leaders to consider the use of AI in social work, discussing the opportunities and risks AI can bring to the profession and the ethical implications of AI, particularly regarding equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Writing on social media after the discussion, Sarah Blackmore Executive Director, Professional Practice and External Engagement for Social Work England, said that many in the profession are “grappling with the opportunities and challenges the fast moving developments in AI are bringing”.

“As the social work regulator, we are particularly concerned at what this means for how social workers, and social work students are able and equipped to meet their professional, and education and training standards, and the potential impact on the public.

“While already in use, this is a new area for social workers to get to grips with. We are also keen to develop our knowledge through connecting and working with the experts.

“Holistically, there is real value in the tech and social work sectors working together with the potential for real positive impact on people across the country.”

The announcement comes just days after research from a Warwick University academic finds that social workers at one third of UK councils using the AI tool ‘Magic Notes’ are spending 50% less time on paperwork.

Developed by the social enterprise Beam, Magic Notes allows social workers to record their meetings on a smartphone or laptop and, after the meeting is over, use generative AI to create the paperwork they need and email it directly to the social worker.

Carried out by Professor Rob Procter, a Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI and Professor of Social Informatics in the Department of Computer Science at Warwick University, the research analysed meta-data from more than 900 recordings made by the tool and conducted in-depth interviews with social workers.

“The Government's ambitions of improving public services rest heavily on AI being able to deliver significant increases in public sector productivity,” Professor Rob Procter said.

“My research into Magic Notes provides evidence that this is attainable providing a genuine effort is made to involve the people who will be using AI: and demonstrates the potential benefits that can be achieved when investment in technology is grounded in an understanding of the work it is intended to assist. For social workers, the AI tool is having a clear impact on the number of people they can support, but also on the quality of services delivered to clients and the wellbeing of frontline staff.”

One social worker interviewed for the report called the tool a "godsend", while others added that it had improved their wellbeing, reduced workload, and enabled them to focus more on engaging with service users.

Joanna James, a social worker at Ealing Council, said: “All of us got into this line of work because we want to support people. What Magic Notes has done is let us really focus on that part of the job: cutting down the time I spend doing paperwork to give me more time with people. It's hard to imagine my job without it, now.”