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Social workers facing the digital transformation: between potential and threatened professional values

Published on 15 February 2023
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Summary

Similar to what is happening in many professions, the use of digital technologies is increasing in social work practice. From using instant messaging systems to building databases. Even automated decision-making tools. These technologies are helping to transform the social work profession.

Based on a review of the international literature, Steve Jacob and Seima Souissi analyze the recent transformations characterizing social work in the digital age.

The authors first identify the potential of digital tools for social workers. It then discusses the transformation of tasks and the technical and communicational skills needed to adapt to the new work context. Finally, this state of the art looks at a series of challenges from the users' point of view, but also related to the acceptance and appropriation of these tools by the workers.

In this article, the term "social worker" refers to professionals in the social field, social workers or social coaches.

Référence :

Potential of digital tools for social workers

Studies show that digital technologies in social work promote the availability and sharing of information, as well as compliance with rules and procedures. " This saves time and increases the effectiveness of interventions. In addition, the documentation in information systems of summaries of conversations and actions undertaken with users promotes transparency and traceability of interventions, which facilitates the transfer of cases between professionals. By consulting the virtual file of a user, the interveners have access to all the data and previous interventions.

Sharing information among staff within a facility, but also with other stakeholders involved in the intervention, increases intersectoral collaboration and the effectiveness of services to clients.

In cases of litigation, transparency and traceability also provide protection for stakeholders.

" By providing access to more information about the practices of colleagues in similar situations, digital platforms increase the discretion of social workers. Practitioners thus explain that technology provides greater trust: it allows access to more information and is perceived as more reliable than advice from a colleague.

Digital technologies can also contribute to compliant and consistent decision making in a context of frequent regulatory change. In this sense, technologies can " help reduce uncertainty ". Despite this desire to standardize processes and practices, the authors insist on the need for practitioners to listen and react to the individual needs of users.

Finally, with the automation of requests through self-service solutions, the information provided by users is clearer and easier to analyze thanks to its standardized structure.

Several studies emphasize the possibility for workers to save time by using digital tools to automate routine and time-consuming tasks. This allows workers to focus on more demanding requests and more vulnerable users.

The transformation of the profession and skills of social workers

The use of digital technology implies a reorganization of work. The assumption of tasks by technological tools transforms work routines. Thus, the workers assume new roles and must develop multiple skills in order to meet the current requirements of the profession.

With the integration of digital technologies, practitioners become responsible for the operation of these tools. This requires not only expertise in the field of social work, "but also a good understanding of the technical aspects of the system to evaluate algorithmic decisions and revise them as needed.

The digital transformation of social work also aspires to actively involve and empower users. " Many tasks previously performed by social workers are now performed directly by users via digital platforms. The workers then act as "guides" orienting and assisting the users in the use of digital tools.

Thus, the task of practitioners is no longer focused on problem solving and decision making involving specific professional knowledge. " It is now to provide a service that is largely focused on technical support.

In the past, advocates responded to a wide range of requests through traditional means of communication (mail, telephone or meeting). Messages took different forms: documents prepared by advocates for internal administrative purposes, those used to communicate decisions and formal information about legal rights and obligations, and finally, more informal verbal communication. The studies reveal that " the boundaries between these forms of communication, which were once marked, are blurring with digital tools, as the more direct and informal style used in oral communication is also used to exchange on digital platforms ".

Furthermore, the use of digital tools has the disadvantage of blurring the boundaries between the private and professional spheres and may have repercussions on the work performance and health of workers. Indeed, studies confirm that the accessibility and availability of professionals through these tools often opens the door to new requests for services and increases the number of questions from users.

The instant conversation is an example of a means of communication that gives users direct access to stakeholders. It promotes an informal, close and rapid exchange between the participants. The use of this tool is not without its challenges for practitioners. The interactions, which take the form of immediate and spontaneous responses, are not based on predefined models, such as those used for official correspondence. In addition, officers are concerned about the level of language and tone to be used in these exchanges. In particular, they question the appropriateness in whether or not to use symbols and emoticons or whether to emphasize "we" or "I" when addressing users." Despite the immediacy of exchanges, digital interaction requires caution and careful writing because these are sensitive topics for users who may reuse the speaker's words in other contexts."

The challenges of dematerializing social work

Privacy, data protection, algorithmic biases and technology limitations

Social workers are required to protect the information they process. " However, they have less control over the conditions of information sharing. Digital technologies therefore raise challenges related to professional secrecy, control and protection of information.

Moreover, while they have proven effective in areas such as processing and synthesizing large amounts of data, digital technologies, including those with artificial intelligence (AI), still have significant limitations. " Translating human thinking into mathematical rules is a major challenge for the dematerialization of this field of activity and risks discriminating against users due to algorithmic bias."

Professional values under threat

The role of social workers is defined largely in terms of their ability to provide individual support to clients by exercising discretion. " Guided by a professional ethic, they deploy their practical judgment to ensure a balance between services based on individual case management and the application of complex administrative procedures and legal frameworks. With the advent of digital technologies, this flexibility appears to be diminishing. The ability of practitioners to make individualized decisions is diminished because they are forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital systems.

Virtual interactions also risk creating distance and leading to the commodification of the user. With digital technology, service providers are called upon to deliver services to more impersonal users. They no longer have individual narratives to develop in the course of their encounters with users. Collecting data in the form of a structured list does not allow for a deep and contextualized understanding of cases. It gives access to often reductive information about the users.

"In general, the studies reviewed reveal that the reduction of the role of practitioners and their alienation from digital tools can cause frustration and alter their professional fulfillment. These feelings affect job satisfaction as well as the quality of services and the effectiveness of interventions."

Strategies for bypassing digital tools

Studies show that social workers use digital technologies in varying ways without necessarily complying with instructions, which poses a significant challenge for organizations. " Social workers are often willing to work around the barriers set by digital technologies, so as not to compromise their professional beliefs."

However, " stakeholders appreciate the technology tool when it confirms their views and expectations. They are also willing to reconsider or modify a decision based on the information and suggestions provided by these tools. Their attitude varies according to their general perception of the technology's capabilities and limitations as well as their understanding of the tools' specific operating rules."

These findings illustrate major problems arising from inequalities in the use of technologies according to the experience and personality of the stakeholders, which could be remedied by focusing on the digital mediation processes of these professionals.

The risk of losing the link with the users

" Although there seems to be a consensus on the positive effects of digital technologies for users and practitioners, " conclude Steve Jacob and Seima Souissi, this international literature review highlights several challenges related to the use of digital technologies. " The shift to digital communication requires not only an effort of adaptation on the part of practitioners to ensure that they are well understood by users, but also a great deal of caution in a context where the confidentiality of content is difficult to preserve. The dematerialization of social work also affects the professional values of the workers. " Forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital technologies, they lose the link with the users ".

The transition to digital communication requires not only an effort of adaptation on the part of those involved to ensure that they are well understood by users, but also a great deal of caution in a context where the confidentiality of content is difficult to preserve.

"Because of their digital incompetence, some users are at risk of being denied access to social services. Similarly, digital technologies still have significant limitations that can lead to unreliable decisions. The dematerialization of social work also affects the professional values of social workers. Forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital technologies, they lose the link with users. These effects vary widely depending on the technology used and the degree of automation of tasks.

The articles selected by the authors in this review of international scientific literature focus on various examples of practitioners, such as employment counsellors and social workers working with children and their families, substance abusers or vulnerable or disabled people. Most of the examples of dematerialization described take place in Europe.

In the majority of the articles analyzed in this literature review, the dematerialization of social work is carried out using electronic case management systems. These tools make it possible to gather and centralize data on users, to process the follow-up of cases and, in some cases, to facilitate communication. Recently, more developed technological tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) have begun to be used in Denmark, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to automate decision-making in the social field.

This article was published by the Revue des politiques sociales et familiales as part of a dossier devoted to the " Dematerialization of public services and access to rights".

Référence :

Sources

Linked articles

    Social work in the digital age

    One of the 21 measures of the Poverty Plan, announced by the President of the Republic on September 12, concerns "the renovation of social work to better accompany people's lives"and to take into account, in particular, " the digital transformation of access to rights".The High Council for Social Work (HCTS), convened a " Digital Use in Social Work" working group in 2018 to address the following issues: "Why and how do social workers take (or need to take) hold of the digital issue? How can social workers contribute to addressing the digital divide without replacing the actors in charge of this issue? How can the social worker contribute to accompany people in the use of digital technology, on the positive aspects that these tools can bring them but also in response to the problematic aspects linked to the use of the Internet (addictions, putting sensitive personal data online, exposure of a vulnerable public to certain risky practices such as radicalization or pornography for minors...)? What benefits can social workers gain from digital tools to improve their professional practices?" On July 3, the High Council for Social Work (HCTS), meeting in plenary session, approved a guideline text on the digital transition in social work, which will be made public after a final round of discussions with partner organizations. It will be progressively completed by practical sheets dealing with the different facets of digital intervention in social work.The departmental councils of Seine-Saint-Denis, Loire-Atlantique and Isère, for their part, have undertaken to reflect together on thefuture of the social professions from the dual perspective of human resources and solidarity. The Department of Calvados, for its part, organized a day devoted to the articulation between social work and digital technology last May.Social work in the digital age This is the theme of a special report published by the Revue française de service socialAs an introduction to this dossier, Joran le Gall, President of the National Association of Social Service Assistants (Anas), observes that "social work has long been at a distance from the computer tool. In fact, in the core business of helping people, computers do not seem to be indispensable. Nevertheless, computerization is gradually penetrating social work in two ways: the dematerialization of administration (e-administration) and the computerization of social files.This dossier aims to provide answers to the following questionsThe first part of the dossier(Information technology in social work, state of the art and challenges) sets out the general framework of computerization and its challenges, both in terms of the design of a tool and its daily use in a professional setting.The second part(the dematerialization of administrations: new conditions for access to rights?) deals with the dematerialization of administrations and the questions it raises for access to rights for the public, as well as certain proposals currently being implemented in order to limit the non-use of rights by the people being supported.The third part(IT as seen by professionals) deals with the relationship between professionals and the tool, a source of many questions for professionals in the field. How to protect the personal data of the persons accompanied?  The dematerialization of public services leads social workers to repeatedly ask the people they accompany to provide them with personal data in order to help them carry out their procedures online, or even to carry them out for them: declaration of quarterly situations on the CAF website, sending an email to a social organization, creating an email account, tax declaration, etc...Social workers are thus increasingly asked to create e-mail boxes and make appointments in conditions of confidentiality that often raise questions: it is not uncommon for the access codes to the various accounts to be found in the drawers of the agents of the structures.The HCTS Ethics and Deontology Commission had developed, in 2017, with the participation of the CNIL services, recommendations on "personal information about supported persons: data to be protected and sometimes shared".To this end, the National Plan for Digital Inclusion provides for the creation of a " digital caregiver charter" . It also provides for the experimentation of a toolcalled "France Connect Aidants"which will allow social workers to identify themselves as a third party carrying out a procedure for someone else. This tool will secure the digital caregivers as well as the data of the people they are supporting. The renovation of social work The presence of social workers will be strengthened for the entire population in order to better support life paths, limit non-use and intervene before difficulties or breakdowns occur.This implies working both on the places of social intervention, which must be more open and mutualized with services to families concerning the whole population, and on the missions of social workers, which are changing significantly due to the new place taken by users, the digital transformation in access to rights, as well as the evolution of forms of poverty.This new approach will require transforming training and certain social work professions in order to develop "outreach" practices, adapt to real needs and intervene in the event of events and breakdowns that can lead to exclusion. Summary of the file Le travail social à l'épreuve du numérique of the Revue française de service social Joran Le Gall : Editorial : IT in social work ?Computers in social work, state of the art and challenges Thibault Jouannic : Incursion into the world of software development Joran Le Gall, Sandrine Dumaine: Interview with Adrienne Charmet, campaigns coordinator at La Quadrature du Net Didier Dubasque: When digital technology takes over our lives Second part: the dematerialization of administrations: new conditions for access to rights? Pierre Mazet: Implicit conditionalities and the production of inequalities: the hidden costs of administrative dematerialization Reconnect team: Reconnect, digital technology for the autonomy of precarious people Matti Schneider : The conditions for adopting digital technology in social services Vincent Meyer, Audrey Bonjour, Élise Daragon : The digital social assistant and the socionaut Part 3: IT as seen by professionals Patrick Milhe Poutingon: Getting involved rather than undergoing, social work tested by the digital versus the digital tested by social work Olga: Paths of a thought in computer country Joëlle Arneodo, Mathilde Legrand : The social file in the digital age, the experience of a social café Véronique Cornu : In social work, ethics should be an OCD Muriel Bombardi, Keltoum Brahna When computerization rhymes with reification

    • Inclusion

    Published on 09/10/18

    High Council of Social Work: Why and how do social workers seize digital tools?

    Social workers are on the front line when it comes to the millions of French people who are far from or in difficulty with digital technology (see, in this regard, " social work and the digital challenge.On July 3, the High Council for Social Work (HCTS), meeting in plenary session, approved a policy paper on the digital transition in social work.Didier Dubasque, co-leader of the working group that produced this text, summarizes and the key ideas of this text. "Digital technology impacts professional practices and work organizations and can increase the lack of access to rights. It encourages the implementation of new services Communication and exchange tools must be secured in compliance with the law, but also with ethical principles and deontology Access to and maintenance of rights must be strengthened. Social workers cannot carry this dimension alone. Digital technology forces us to enrich our professional thinking by recognizing and relying on the power to act and the skills of the people we support. The HCT concludes with a series of recommendations. For the State and communities Social services cannot deal alone with issues related to the difficulties of our fellow citizens in their use of digital technology. Social workers must be able to intervene in conjunction with other professionals, in particular: social mediators whose primary mission is to "conduct mediation actions with the public or institutions in order to contribute to strengthening social cohesion". These mediators should be able to be present in greater numbers throughout the territory. The skills they have developed in the mastery of digital tools allow them to carry out missions to help people access their rights by contributing to improving relations between people and institutions. digital mediators. As recommended by the report of the national strategy for an inclusive digital world, it is necessary to structure the offer of digital mediation and training by creating a common national reference system and by developing specializations in "digital support and mediation" in existing professional fields. The State must ensure that the interfaces and their modes of access are consistent between the different administrations. Its services are working in this direction, but it would be desirable for all the organizations dealing with social rights to be coordinated at the national level by the State's services. For institutions developing online services 100% of the population will not be able to use digital tools independently. The social organizations whose mission is to administer rights must draw the consequences in order to allow equal access to rights for all. They have the responsibility in this logic to commit means to take into account the needs of people in difficulty with digital tools.Institutions and organizations providing social benefits must ensure that: Involve social workers and supported persons in all stages of their tools from design to use, updating, testing and ongoing evaluation of online services that concern them. Develop user-friendly, efficient and relevant interfaces and a reception policy with the possibility of maintaining a face-to-face relationship for complex situations. Implement training to master the tools they develop. "To offer methods of access to services and information that are complementary to those developed via the Internet, otherwise users who are the furthest from this tool will be condemned to exclusion. Physical places, allowing people who wish to meet the agents of public administrations and services, represent a guarantee of accessibility that must be protected" as recommended by the Defender of Rights20. Coordinate their actions on these subjects with their partners For social workers, their supervisors and employers The inevitable evolution of professional practices linked to the digital transition implies that this reality be included in service projects with a policy of support for change, the involvement of the people supported and the implementation of dedicated resources. The aim is to develop synergies between means, resources and skills at the territorial level via communities of practice, working groups and training exchanges. A continuous evaluation must be carried out on the impacts, consequences and skills to be consolidated.The services that provide assistance to the population must take into account the issue of coordination of the different actors of digital inclusion by being vigilant on the quality of the cooperation process.The law must be applied: the accessibility of files to all the personnel of a structure, whatever their status, and lists of passwords stored by social services are prohibited, even if these uses may seem practical. The HCTS and the CNIL remind us that professionals should only collect information that is useful and necessary for the performance of their duties. Consequently, professionals must ensure that the use of digital tools allows them to comply with their legal obligations or at least, that their use does not hinder the respect of their obligations.The professional position must be able to be questioned on the place that the tool and the computer input take during the interviews with the persons. Messaging and social networks require a measured and thoughtful practice. They are certainly useful, but they cannot be avoided without thinking about what their use implies for both the persons accompanied and the professionals.Social workers are invited to bring their expertise on digital practices as soon as they concern their fields of competence: the help to the effective access to fundamental rights, the support to autonomy, the prevention and the protection of childhood and vulnerable people, the development of solidarities and social development...Social workers learn about the potential of the tools and their limitations. They are on the lookout and alert when they notice dysfunctions.Social workers cannot and should not substitute their own responsibility for that of the managers of online services, but they do have a responsibility, within the framework of their missions and fields of competence : to fight against the lack of access to rights of the people they meet. to guarantee the respect of privacy, confidentiality and professional secrecy in the use of digital tools by taking into account the legal rules, ethical and deontological frameworks. to be trained in all technological evolutions as soon as they have an impact on the persons accompanied as well as on their professional practices and working conditions. to alert the institutions that develop online services when certain situations cannot be handled via digital devices, and also when they observe with individuals and groups the malfunctioning of these tools. to propose and promote solutions and responses involving all the actors concerned by digital inclusion. See also: Summary of the 21 measures of the Poverty Plan The renovation of social workHCTS: Terms of Reference for the Working Group on "Digital Use in Social WorkFirst recommendations of the HCTS on the digital transition Revue française du travail social: "Le travail social à l'épreuve du numérique The digital, a new societal paradigm: a call for contributions from the journal "Les Cahiers du Travail SocialSocial action professionals shaken up by the digital age

    • Inclusion

    Published on 05/12/18

    Dematerialization raises questions for social workers about the scope of their activity and the updating of their professional practices

    Pierre Mazet and François Sorin report in an article published by the journal Terminal on a survey conducted in the context of the delivery of professional training to more than 200 professionals in the field of social work (community agents, social workers).They point out the " disturbances imported into the professionalism of social workers by the demand for digital assistance (...) The obligation of connectivity imposed on users of public services by dematerialization has thus come to impact the daily work of social workers, by importing a digital dimension into the relationship of assistance and social support (who) must now deal with a strong and recurrent external demand for digital assistance from the users they accompany in the context of their intervention (.... They are thus forced to take on a new dimension, which is in fact unavoidable if they want to be able to carry out their missions of access and support towards rights, but which has not, however, been the subject of any clear definition by their institution" . Agents may find themselves in the same situation as users The two researchers point to a series of difficulties: " Digital assistance is not part of the social work reference system, and digital support has not, for the time being, given rise to a specific theme within social work interventions. "Social workers do not have in their curriculum, learning or approach to digital issues, which would allow them to situate requests for help in the broader framework of "digital cultures". "The agents are not involved in the production of the interfaces they have to deal with, and these interfaces are imposed on them by the users' requests for rights. More often than not, it is in and through their daily work, during requests for assistance, that they discover the sites, the interfaces and their functionalities, the different access and navigation paths, their new features and developments. From this point of view, agents are in the same situation as users: " they must know and be able to master the digital interfaces that are imposed on them externally by the dematerializing institutions, and yet are an integral part of their work.The two researchers thus distinguish two levels of disorders in practice. Digital help is becoming a non-choice in the helping relationship A large number of the professionals we met questioned the appropriateness of taking charge of people's digital difficulties in the context of the aid relationship: "should we help? Shouldn't it rather be up to the social administrations, communities and state services that are massively dematerializing to assume this task?" "And if social work has to play its part in assisting with administrative procedures, for what type(s) of needs, situations, or publics is it appropriate or legitimate to get involved? It is the perimeter of the professional activity that is questioned here by the professionals."In most situations, digital assistance is described as time-consuming and many professionals deplore the growing importance in their activity of preventing the risk of a breakdown in social rights and managing the situations of people who have lost their "administrative autonomy". "Carrying out or assisting with online administrative procedures takes up the time available, to the detriment of a more global approach to people's situations".The question of resources is the second recurring reason for questioning by professionals: computer resources that restrict digital practice (fixed workstations, immovable screens, browsing restrictions, etc.); but also unsuitable reception or interview areas that do not allow "digital practice together" or guarantee the confidentiality of exchanges and information on the screen."Despite these constraints and uncertainties, professionals can hardly remain deaf to the requests of the users they receive. Access to rights and the prevention of non-use are an integral part of their missions and role. Without a clear mandate or explicit institutional positioning, the decision to take charge of digital difficulties therefore rests essentially with the professionals."The pressure that is exerted in their concrete work situation is all the stronger because a refusal or inability to respond to this request for digital assistance would have the immediate effect of leaving the user without a response, and most often outside of his or her rights."If the realization of the digital help has a cost, not answering the request also has a cost for the professional who can have the feeling of abandoning the user to his difficulties and failing in his function and mission ".In this sense, conclude Pierre Mazet and François Sorin, "the help relationship engages social workers and the handling of digital difficulties often appears as a non-choice". Hijacking and tinkering in the context of shared digital practices The second level of questioning concerns the effective implementation of digital aid: how to help, what postures to adopt, what methods and means to mobilize, and for what objectives.The digital help provided by social workers can, in fact, take several forms.It can be to carry out an administrative procedure in the place of a third party, under his control or under his guidance, to explain "how to do it", to familiarize or reassure the user through a demonstration or to "make the person do it", to bring him to carry out "himself" the procedure, following the advice or instructions of the helper."In each of these cases, digital assistance requires looking at a common screen together, and therefore being able to move the screen (turn it) or to be able to move oneself in the interview space, while taking care to keep the information displayed confidential. This is not always easy or even possible when the help is provided in busy or public spaces. "Today, however, neither the hardware configurations nor the design of the platforms to which professionals connect lend themselves to shared use."In the same way, the digital spaces that must be accessed to carry out an online procedure are individual, secure spaces, which are accessed via an identification process and which do not provide for the intervention of a third party."Professionals can thus put themselves in a position of strong responsibility with regard to the administrative situation of the user, while increasing a situation of dependence which they know is antinomic to the ideal of autonomy which they must nevertheless work towards."Faced with requests for digital aid, professionals often appear to be caught up in the tensions of doing: "they know that they should not "do instead", but "do with" or even "let the users do"". Until when, how far should we help? For social workers, "it is a question of positioning themselves professionally in the face of a phenomenon (the increase in requests for digital assistance), in the absence of instructions or a clearly established mandate; and of adopting a professional practice (the implementation of digital assistance) without these objectives (to make people feel secure or to make them independent) being clearly defined. In this respect, digital assistance appears to be largely undefined, in both senses of the word: it seems to have no end in sight (until when/until where should it be provided?), but also without a specific purpose (what should digital assistance aim to achieve?)."Although it has come to impact and upset the terms of support for many, the "digital" does not manage to emerge as an institutional subject that must be defined and framed in general terms - contrary to the constant announcements of the necessary "digital transition" in public organizations.

    • Inclusion

    Published on 14/12/20

Social workers facing the digital transformation: between potential and threatened professional values

Similar to what is happening in many professions, the use of digital technologies is increasing in social work practice. From using instant messaging systems to building databases. Even automated decision-making tools. These technologies are helping to transform the social work profession.

Based on a review of the international literature, Steve Jacob and Seima Souissi analyze the recent transformations characterizing social work in the digital age.

The authors first identify the potential of digital tools for social workers. It then discusses the transformation of tasks and the technical and communicational skills needed to adapt to the new work context. Finally, this state of the art looks at a series of challenges from the users' point of view, but also related to the acceptance and appropriation of these tools by the workers.

In this article, the term "social worker" refers to professionals in the social field, social workers or social coaches.

Référence :

Potential of digital tools for social workers

Studies show that digital technologies in social work promote the availability and sharing of information, as well as compliance with rules and procedures. " This saves time and increases the effectiveness of interventions. In addition, the documentation in information systems of summaries of conversations and actions undertaken with users promotes transparency and traceability of interventions, which facilitates the transfer of cases between professionals. By consulting the virtual file of a user, the interveners have access to all the data and previous interventions.

Sharing information among staff within a facility, but also with other stakeholders involved in the intervention, increases intersectoral collaboration and the effectiveness of services to clients.

In cases of litigation, transparency and traceability also provide protection for stakeholders.

" By providing access to more information about the practices of colleagues in similar situations, digital platforms increase the discretion of social workers. Practitioners thus explain that technology provides greater trust: it allows access to more information and is perceived as more reliable than advice from a colleague.

Digital technologies can also contribute to compliant and consistent decision making in a context of frequent regulatory change. In this sense, technologies can " help reduce uncertainty ". Despite this desire to standardize processes and practices, the authors insist on the need for practitioners to listen and react to the individual needs of users.

Finally, with the automation of requests through self-service solutions, the information provided by users is clearer and easier to analyze thanks to its standardized structure.

Several studies emphasize the possibility for workers to save time by using digital tools to automate routine and time-consuming tasks. This allows workers to focus on more demanding requests and more vulnerable users.

The transformation of the profession and skills of social workers

The use of digital technology implies a reorganization of work. The assumption of tasks by technological tools transforms work routines. Thus, the workers assume new roles and must develop multiple skills in order to meet the current requirements of the profession.

With the integration of digital technologies, practitioners become responsible for the operation of these tools. This requires not only expertise in the field of social work, "but also a good understanding of the technical aspects of the system to evaluate algorithmic decisions and revise them as needed.

The digital transformation of social work also aspires to actively involve and empower users. " Many tasks previously performed by social workers are now performed directly by users via digital platforms. The workers then act as "guides" orienting and assisting the users in the use of digital tools.

Thus, the task of practitioners is no longer focused on problem solving and decision making involving specific professional knowledge. " It is now to provide a service that is largely focused on technical support.

In the past, advocates responded to a wide range of requests through traditional means of communication (mail, telephone or meeting). Messages took different forms: documents prepared by advocates for internal administrative purposes, those used to communicate decisions and formal information about legal rights and obligations, and finally, more informal verbal communication. The studies reveal that " the boundaries between these forms of communication, which were once marked, are blurring with digital tools, as the more direct and informal style used in oral communication is also used to exchange on digital platforms ".

Furthermore, the use of digital tools has the disadvantage of blurring the boundaries between the private and professional spheres and may have repercussions on the work performance and health of workers. Indeed, studies confirm that the accessibility and availability of professionals through these tools often opens the door to new requests for services and increases the number of questions from users.

The instant conversation is an example of a means of communication that gives users direct access to stakeholders. It promotes an informal, close and rapid exchange between the participants. The use of this tool is not without its challenges for practitioners. The interactions, which take the form of immediate and spontaneous responses, are not based on predefined models, such as those used for official correspondence. In addition, officers are concerned about the level of language and tone to be used in these exchanges. In particular, they question the appropriateness in whether or not to use symbols and emoticons or whether to emphasize "we" or "I" when addressing users." Despite the immediacy of exchanges, digital interaction requires caution and careful writing because these are sensitive topics for users who may reuse the speaker's words in other contexts."

The challenges of dematerializing social work

Privacy, data protection, algorithmic biases and technology limitations

Social workers are required to protect the information they process. " However, they have less control over the conditions of information sharing. Digital technologies therefore raise challenges related to professional secrecy, control and protection of information.

Moreover, while they have proven effective in areas such as processing and synthesizing large amounts of data, digital technologies, including those with artificial intelligence (AI), still have significant limitations. " Translating human thinking into mathematical rules is a major challenge for the dematerialization of this field of activity and risks discriminating against users due to algorithmic bias."

Professional values under threat

The role of social workers is defined largely in terms of their ability to provide individual support to clients by exercising discretion. " Guided by a professional ethic, they deploy their practical judgment to ensure a balance between services based on individual case management and the application of complex administrative procedures and legal frameworks. With the advent of digital technologies, this flexibility appears to be diminishing. The ability of practitioners to make individualized decisions is diminished because they are forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital systems.

Virtual interactions also risk creating distance and leading to the commodification of the user. With digital technology, service providers are called upon to deliver services to more impersonal users. They no longer have individual narratives to develop in the course of their encounters with users. Collecting data in the form of a structured list does not allow for a deep and contextualized understanding of cases. It gives access to often reductive information about the users.

"In general, the studies reviewed reveal that the reduction of the role of practitioners and their alienation from digital tools can cause frustration and alter their professional fulfillment. These feelings affect job satisfaction as well as the quality of services and the effectiveness of interventions."

Strategies for bypassing digital tools

Studies show that social workers use digital technologies in varying ways without necessarily complying with instructions, which poses a significant challenge for organizations. " Social workers are often willing to work around the barriers set by digital technologies, so as not to compromise their professional beliefs."

However, " stakeholders appreciate the technology tool when it confirms their views and expectations. They are also willing to reconsider or modify a decision based on the information and suggestions provided by these tools. Their attitude varies according to their general perception of the technology's capabilities and limitations as well as their understanding of the tools' specific operating rules."

These findings illustrate major problems arising from inequalities in the use of technologies according to the experience and personality of the stakeholders, which could be remedied by focusing on the digital mediation processes of these professionals.

The risk of losing the link with the users

" Although there seems to be a consensus on the positive effects of digital technologies for users and practitioners, " conclude Steve Jacob and Seima Souissi, this international literature review highlights several challenges related to the use of digital technologies. " The shift to digital communication requires not only an effort of adaptation on the part of practitioners to ensure that they are well understood by users, but also a great deal of caution in a context where the confidentiality of content is difficult to preserve. The dematerialization of social work also affects the professional values of the workers. " Forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital technologies, they lose the link with the users ".

The transition to digital communication requires not only an effort of adaptation on the part of those involved to ensure that they are well understood by users, but also a great deal of caution in a context where the confidentiality of content is difficult to preserve.

"Because of their digital incompetence, some users are at risk of being denied access to social services. Similarly, digital technologies still have significant limitations that can lead to unreliable decisions. The dematerialization of social work also affects the professional values of social workers. Forced to follow the procedures imposed by digital technologies, they lose the link with users. These effects vary widely depending on the technology used and the degree of automation of tasks.

The articles selected by the authors in this review of international scientific literature focus on various examples of practitioners, such as employment counsellors and social workers working with children and their families, substance abusers or vulnerable or disabled people. Most of the examples of dematerialization described take place in Europe.

In the majority of the articles analyzed in this literature review, the dematerialization of social work is carried out using electronic case management systems. These tools make it possible to gather and centralize data on users, to process the follow-up of cases and, in some cases, to facilitate communication. Recently, more developed technological tools based on artificial intelligence (AI) have begun to be used in Denmark, the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to automate decision-making in the social field.

This article was published by the Revue des politiques sociales et familiales as part of a dossier devoted to the " Dematerialization of public services and access to rights".

Référence :

Sources

Labo Société Numérique

Labo République Française Agence nationale de cohésion des territoires
Social workers facing the digital transformation: between potential and threatened professional values