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Swindon Borough Council's experience of giving time back to social workers
How Swindon Council reduced admin by 63% and created more space for person-centred care.
For human services workers, time matters. Even a few extra minutes with someone can make a real difference. Whether that's asking one more question or giving someone space to be heard.
At Swindon's Community Led Support team, caseworkers wanted to spend more time with clients, but were increasingly pulled into paperwork.
So, over four months, they piloted Notes across 184 frontline meetings to see if they could reduce the amount of time spent on documentation.
The challenge
Documentation was taking time away from care
Caseworkers were trying to capture key details during conversations, then spending hours afterwards turning those notes into formal write-ups. Completing assessments manually added to the documentation load. As a result, less time was spent on direct care with the people they support.
Some caseworkers faced bigger barriers
For practitioners with learning disabilities, visual impairments, or for whom English isn't their first language, the process could take even longer. Documentation was adding extra pressure, making it harder to keep up and feel confident in their work.
The approach
Between April and July 2024, 19 caseworkers and a leadership support officer from Swindon's Community Led Support team piloted Notes.
Staff used Notes for needs assessments, capacity evaluations, and other supporting conversations.
To make sure the tool fit into their existing workflows, two custom templates were developed specifically for the team.
The impact
More time for what matters
By reducing documentation time by 63%, Notes gave caseworkers more time to focus on the person in front of them.
Tasks that once took up most of the day became far more manageable. Needs assessments dropped from around an hour and a half to just 35 minutes, and write-ups were reduced from up to four hours to closer to an hour and a half.
Higher quality assessments
With Notes capturing the conversation, caseworkers could be more present, listening closely and asking follow-up questions. This resulted in better-quality assessments that more accurately reflected the client's voice.
A better experience for caseworkers
Caseworkers reported feeling less stressed by documentation and more able to focus on the parts of the role that played to their strengths. 100% of practitioners who took part in the pilot said they want to continue using Notes.
"I love Notes, it makes write-ups much less stressful. There will be lots of distressed caseworkers if we lose it!"
"This tool has made me feel on equal terms with my colleagues."
Caseworkers with learning disabilities or visual impairments described feeling more able to keep up with their caseload and more confident in their output.
"I'm dyslexic — I'm much more productive with Notes. It helps my thoughts not get stuck, takes away confusion and reduces anxiety."
It also supported those working in a second language, making it easier to communicate and capture information accurately.
"It's good where English is not your first language. It helps people from diverse backgrounds and supports diverse communication and communities."
Give your team more time for what matters
Book a demo to see how Notes can help your agency spend less time on documentation and more time with clients.
