ABSTRACT
In most social services departments (SSD) the deployment of information technology has centred on two main areas: a client database/index and word processing. Three main arguments of SSDs are SSDs have an information management problem; information technology to date has failed to make an impact on that problem; and if information technology is to be valued, then radical changes in information management and the deployment of the appropriate technology is required. That SSDs collect and store too much information is almost self evident. The clear implication is that information and knowledge are not seen as a priority in order to know how to practice. Managers quickly delegate decisions concerning information technology and have little real understanding of information management. Directors are mostly drawn from social work managers who in turn were all once social workers, who all trained as social work students.
