The Social Work Way
Supporting Social Workers with Voice-Activated Note Taking
The Social Work Way is an established mobile application that supports the wellbeing and efficiency of social workers by streamlining their daily tasks. Built around values of compassion, accessibility, and empowerment, the platform already helps thousands of users manage reflective practice, professional learning, and emotional regulation. Recognising the growing need to reduce the administrative burden of manual note-taking during or after sensitive meetings, the team approached CEMET to explore how speech-to-text technology could be integrated into their app to better serve the needs of frontline professionals.
What Did We Do?
CEMET collaborated closely with Social Work Way and their digital partners at Copper Bay Digital to design and implement a meeting notes module that could capture speech in real time and convert it into editable, sharable meeting records.
The project focused on integrating speech-to-text functionality directly into the existing app framework. This included developing a new module that allows users to create, view, and manage notes, using either typed or voice-based inputs. Voice recordings are transcribed on the fly using online Azure speech services when internet is available, with an offline fallback using on-device processing for improved accessibility and reliability in remote or low-connectivity environments.
User flows were built to reduce friction, offering multiple access points to the new tool and enabling seamless switching between typing and speech input. Real-time streaming with intelligent cleanup handling ensures users aren't left waiting or confused while their words are processed. Every transcription is editable and can be safely stored or deleted, giving users full control over their records.
Throughout the collaboration, CEMET worked in agile sprints, delivering builds for testing and gathering feedback from the Social Work Way team to refine the experience. Once development was complete, all digital assets—including code and design artefacts—were pushed to their live repository for further use and future development by Copper Bay Digital.
Outcome
The integration of AI-powered note taking into Social Work Way has transformed how social workers can log meeting notes—whether during sessions, after calls, or as part of reflective practice. The module empowers users to speak freely and focus on their client, with peace of mind that accurate, editable records are being created in real time.
By minimising administrative workload, the tool helps reduce burnout, increase documentation accuracy, and improve engagement. It also enhances accessibility by offering features that assist those with hearing, mobility, or processing difficulties.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the application of real-world technology in frontline social work settings. With this prototype now fully integrated, the Social Work Way team is well-placed to continue developing tools that work hand-in-hand with the lived experience of their user base—empowering professionals to spend more time supporting others and less time on paperwork.
CEMET is proud to continue to support Social Work Way through the development of this app. To find out more about their latest work visit their website
This project is jointly funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.