15 March 2007

Wakefield Council's partnership with Microsoft has been helping to transform social care services in the area, it has claimed.

The council is set to boost flexible working for social workers by using new functions in applications such as Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007.

As a result, social workers will be able to carry out work more efficiently when meeting with colleagues, visiting families and carrying out in-office work.

Council chief executive John Foster has said that he plans to share this technology with other departments, including those involved with schools and environmental health.

Richard Fawcett, social work team manager for Wakefield Council, commented: "This technology gives the social worker the opportunity to input information electronically and directly into the system instead of filling out forms, reducing the amount of repetition."

Last month, the Audit Commission found that satisfaction with Wakefield Council's services has significantly improved in a number of areas, bucking the overall decline in national satisfaction.

© Adfero Ltd

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