Greenwich Digital Pens
When social workers at Greenwich Council wanted to spend more time with clients and less time form filling they turned to Serco for help.
We introduced them to new technology that will enable them to reduce admin time, increase data accuracy, eliminate lost paperwork and significantly improve efficiency.
Councillor Jagir Sekhon, OBE, Greenwich Council's Lead member for Adult Services welcomed the new technology saying, "Here in Greenwich Council we are consistently finding ways of cuttingred tape and improving services for our residents so I am delighted that our social workers are involved in this pioneering trail of Digital Pen and Paper technology. It will enable social workers to spend more time caring for their clients and less time filling in forms. This technology has the potential to have a very positive impact on our work."
None of the elderly clients visited by their social workers noticed anything untoward about the pens being used for note taking during their interviews conducted as part of the Single Assessment Process.
Yet these were no ordinary writing implements, but high tech digital pens equipped with a camera, processor, memory and transmitter. The sophisticated devices have the ability to electronically transmit the information recorded to back office systems in a matter of seconds. At the same time, the social worker's handwritten notes can be instantly converted into a typed document so that clients' social care records are constantly kept up-to-date.
Ten of Greenwich Council's social workers were taking part in a trial to road test the technology and assess its usefulness in a real life setting. The results were conclusive. Councillor Jagir Sekhon, OBE, "The real advantage of Digital Pen and Paper is that very little training is needed. The social workers using the Digital Pens do not have to work any differently.
The pens are really easy to use as they look just like markers and write as normal. The pens have an advantage over a laptop, which can form a physical barrier between a social worker and a client, particularly with the elderly who can be suspicious of new technology. The social workers have also noted that as the pen slips into a pocket or briefcase, they don't feel vulnerable as they are not visibly carrying expensive technical equipment." Not only did the social workers find the pens practical, unobtrusive and easy to use, but as client information is stored electronically it can be shared more effectively, reducing duplication. In fact, the productivity benefits resulting from this trial were so marked that the Council is convinced of the technology's potential to dramatically improve joint working between Health and Social Services Departments.
The Council now plans to roll out the pens to all its social workers - and ultimately, where there is a strong business case, other council mobile workers too. Councillor Sekhon, OBE, who is responsible for adult social care at Greenwich, is an enthusiastic convert. "The pen features many practical and user-friendly touches such as a battery indicator. More importantly though, I believe this technology will be hugely valuable to Greenwich in helping us meet government targets for the electronic recording of information and provision of joined up services."
How DPP technology works
Slightly larger than the average pen (about the size of a marker), the digital pen works in the same way as a normal pen but enables the user to capture electronically anything they write or draw. It is designed to write on special paper printed with a tiny dot pattern. The inbuilt camera 'sees' the dots, enabling it to determine where the pen is positioned on the page. The pen tracks and stores the pen strokes until the user sends them, either wirelessly using a mobile phone or via a PC with a docking cradle, simply by ticking a box on the paper. Once the data reaches its destination, an exact electronic copy of the pen strokes is produced and the handwriting is translated into typed text, which can then be stored in an IT application. The pen itself can store over 40 A4 (or 80 A5) pages of text.
Serco's technology partners in the DPP trial are Ubiquitous Systems (Ubisys), Nokia and CoreLogic.
The pens have an advantage over a laptop, which can form a physical barrier between a social worker and a client, particularly with the elderly who can be suspicious of new technology. Councillor Jagir Sekhon, OBE