Workshop 1.6 - Deutscher Verein für öffentliche und private Fürsorge

3) Improved information for service managers:
The use of IT could also open a new world for managers in terms of getting a much more transparent agency. More extensive use of IT
can be an important tool for monitoring and ensuring quality at all stages of service-delivery.
4) A more practice- and knowledgebased research in social services:
Information technology allows much more research on what is often called „the black box“ i.e. research that is focusing on what goes
on in the user-case work interaction. This might possibly lead to better answers to what are good interventions and which interventions
people lead to a better life.
3. The case of Norway
Even if the number of personal computers per capita in Norway is among the highest in Europe this does not reflect the way social
services are delivered. Even if most social service authorities have installed information technology mechanisms that allow greater
access to services for users and improved exchange of information, very few local services have gone so far to communicate with the
clients through Internet. Business is done more or less in the traditional way with restricted opening hours, where the user has to come
to the office, wait in line, ask for an appointment, fill out a form, hand it in and wait for some weeks to get an answer or get an
appointment
There are however signs indicating that some major changes will happen soon with consequences for the way social services will be
delivered in the future. In the autumn of 2001 the parliament asked the government to consider a stronger coordination of the three main
public services and to consider integrating them into one single frontline organisation. The present system has been heavily criticised
for being fragmented and inaccessible. On May 13 the Norwegian Parliamentary Assembly will discuss a white paper prepared by the
Norwegian government proposing a merger between the municipal social assistance services, public employment services and social
security offices into new and united front-line service on the local level. In case there is a majority in favour of this major public service
reform it will have huge implications on a number of levels. A major element of the reform will be to enhance client participation and
effectiveness at all stages of service delivery through the use of computerbased information technology from improved access to all
kinds of information, filling out of forms, case processing and dialogue and feedback to and from clients This development must not
replace the professional one-to-one contact with the case manager, but has to be implemented as tools that adds value to the dialogue
between the user and the social worker .
In a few municipalities we have started some pilot projects aiming at testing a new internet based system called Q-linx in a few pilot
projects. This system looks quite promising. It has been developed in Philadelphia, USA, in close cooperation with practitioners and
researchers and has been tested out in Germany, Japan, Canada, as well as in the US.
4. Concluding comments and future steps
Social services systems across Europe face many challenges. One of the main challenges are at least in Norway related to the role of
users in social services and their possibilities for participation. Information technology could prove to become an important additional
tool for an improved dialogue with users in danger of being socially excluded.
Nevertheless, the jobs ahead of us are immense and in order to succeed we might need some building blocks, that future development
has to rest on:
• User participation as a central value of social work has to be restored in social services, such a process must include both the pitfalls
and advantages of information technology.
• Introducing IT must ease the bureaucratic burden of social workers. Information technology must allow more time for direct dialogue
and contact with the user.
• Access to IT must also include vulnerable groups and individuals. We have to provide access where ever you live. Whether it is on
the streets, in jail or at home.
• Exchange of experience, innovation and research are needed.
Zurück zum Inhalt
349