Every social services organization wants the best outcome for their clients. The only way to ensure improvement is to track and measure progress diligently. Data collection unlocks strategies that social workers can use throughout case management. Many government organizations, such as the Children's Bureau, require rigorous data collection. Looking at their website, a person gleans key insights: there was a 25% decline in young children placed in group homes from 2018-2022, 88.4% of children exiting foster care went to a permanent home in 2022, and there was a 1.4% decline of children reentering foster care from 2018-2022.
Information like this is collected through case management systems, interviews, observations, and various forms. Effective forms are critical for the case management process. However, they can be challenging to create. Complex "inside baseball" jargon for social services makes it hard for the client to understand, especially if English is their second language. Confusing and ambiguous questions make it difficult for respondents to answer in the way that the organization needs.
Forms are critical to the day-to-day work of social workers--but how do you create one that actually drives the results you're looking for? In this article, we'll outline the eight principles you need to know to build a form that leads to robust data for your organization.
What Is the Purpose of Forms in Social Services?
Forms work as social services data collection tools, helping providers understand the problems their clients are having and finding a solution. They give social workers the information they need to create case plans that help their clients.
Some of the most common forms seen in social work and related fields are:
- Client Intake Forms: Used to gather initial client information such as personal details, emergency contact information, reason for seeking services, and relevant medical and treatment history.
- SDOH (Social Determinants of Health) Forms: Collects information about a person's social and economic factors.
- CAGE: A substance abuse screening tool.
- Needs Assessment Forms: Gather information about an individual or community's needs, challenges, and strengths.
- ANSA: A needs and strengths assessment.
- GAD-7 and PHQ-9: Mental health assessments.
- Case Summary Forms: Used to document identified issues and concerns, goals and objectives, and tasks and timelines for the social worker and the client.
Why Are Well-Designed Forms in Social Services Important?
Effective forms for social services are critical. When questions are written the right way, they improve data accuracy, allowing social workers to create better systems within their organization. Well-designed forms reduce administrative burden, avoiding issues like double-data entry and gaps in critical information.
Most importantly, well-designed forms lead to better service delivery. When social workers accurately understand their client's needs, they can create plans that solve their problems.
Well-designed forms are so necessary for social services that California created a Structured Decision Making project in 1998. For 20 years, this team has launched assessment tools and protocols used in 40 states across the US, as well as states in Canada and Australia.
8 Key Principles for Designing Effective Forms
Designing forms for nonprofits may seem simple, but it's a complex task that requires proper planning and implementation. Follow these data collection best practices below to create more effective forms for your nonprofit.
1. Understand the Purpose of the Form
First, the form needs a specific reason to exist. Consider the forms listed above: all have a specific goal in mind, whether it's client intake, needs assessment, or substance abuse screening. Define the specific goal of this data collection in one sentence.
Then, consider the outcomes of the form. Build your questions based on the results that you want to achieve. First, make a list of the information that you want to collect from the form. Then, write the questions with that information in mind. This helps guarantee that the questions will give the intended response.
2. Keep it Simple and Focused
Respondent fatigue happens when survey participants grow tired of answering questions, so the data becomes less reliable. In fact, when considering a two-hour vs. three-hour long survey, the likelihood of a respondent to skip a question increases from 10% to 64%.
To avoid this phenomenon, be concise. Only ask for information that is relevant and necessary to your objectives. Use conversational language and avoid industry jargon that's difficult to understand. Keep the form as short as possible, limiting questions to only what is absolutely necessary to achieve your goals.
3. Organize the Form Logically
Organize questions into sections with clear headings so that the reader knows what to expect. Make the headings a different size than the questions, making the form easier to read. Arrange fields in a natural flow to aid comprehension and reduce confusion, such as demographic information first, followed by program-specific questions.
4. Use a Mix of Question Types
Change up the flow of questions to help the reader remain focused. There are a variety of question types you can use, such as:
- Multiple Choice: Respondents select one option from a list of predefined answers.
- Dropdowns: Presents a list of options in a compact menu format, ideal for long lists of choices.
- Yes/No Questions: Only two possible answers, yes or no.
- Short-Answer Fields: Typically a few words or a single line of text.
- Checkbox: Allows selection of multiple answers from a given set of options.
- Picture Choice: Like multiple choice, but uses images instead of text
For forms, avoid long open-ended questions unless they are critical for qualitative or quantitative insights.
5. Implement Conditional Logic
When using a digital form builder, you can implement conditional logic. This means that if a person answers a question a certain way, it will skip or add a series of following questions. For example, if a person filling out a form says they are a "student," then a series of questions about being a student (what grade they are in, what school they attend, etc.) will follow.
6. Ensure Accessibility and Inclusivity
Accessible form design means a form is accessible for people with disabilities. Best practices for accessible form design include:
- Label form inputs
- Ensure they're screen-reader compatible
- Highlight input element
- Break forms into sections
- Include error messages
- Provide clear instructions at the beginning of the form
- Use appropriate color contrast and typography
If you serve a diverse community, be sure to provide multilingual options that correspond with your client's needs.
7. Incorporate Data Validation
Data validation ensures that you receive the information you actually need. Use mandatory fields and real-time validation for critical information. To ensure vital data is correct, have the user implement it twice and require them to match. This prevents errors like duplicate entries and incomplete submissions.
8. Test the Form Before Deployment
Before implementing the form, test with users. These users can be people within your organization who didn't work on the form or close friends and family members. Ask them a short series of questions about the form to gain feedback and refine it as needed for usability.
What Are the Benefits of Using Digital Tools for Form Creation?
Paper forms are cumbersome to store and lead to inaccurate data entry. Instead, use a digital tool for form creation. The form automation software market is so popular, it's expected to grow to $26.03 billion by 2026. Digital tools automate client intake, automatically populating client information into case management systems. Plus, forms often offer real-time data analytics. Your team can look at a dataset of different answers, gleaning insights to improve outcomes.
Tools like PlanStreet's customizable form builder allow you to create a survey or form in a few easy steps. Once clients have filled them out, you can use reporting and analytics tools to create tailored reports that match your objectives, helping your team make better decisions.
Tips for Analyzing and Utilizing Collected Data
Data collected from forms can inform decision-making, but it must be reviewed regularly to ensure your team always has the most accurate information. Follow the tips below to use data to maximum capacity in your organization.
- Implement real-time processing: Use real-time analytics-- 77% of organizations reported a better financial performance.
- Integrate data sources: Consolidate information from CRMs, surveys, and social media into a unified system to avoid data silos.
- Create customizable dashboards: Tailor visualizations for different audiences, such as program managers or leadership teams.
Simplify Form Creation and Data Collection With PlanStreet
Create customizable forms for nonprofits and improve outcomes through reliable data with PlanStreet. Our easy-to-use case management system offers simple form creation that powers client intake, needs assessment, case forms, and more. Data collected can automatically be viewed through data analytics tools, reducing administrative stress and promoting data-driven decision-making. We've implemented top-of-the-line security features so you can focus on doing the work that changes your client's lives.
See how PlanStreet can elevate your nonprofit and book a live demo with our team today.