Using data in social services is a pressing challenge of the sector. When deployed effectively, data can be harnessed in both the planning and delivery of person-centred programmes, yet most public administrations lag behind in the use of data.
Existing best practice around data can be a catalyst for social services improvement to help widen their reach and target those most in need of services. Nevertheless, there are significant concerns related to cost effectiveness and distrust of data-sharing between public authorities.
Against this backdrop, data application across social services took centre stage at a European Social Network (ESN) webinar in October. Hosted by ESN’s Chief Executive Officer, Alfonso Lara Montero in partnership with EY, the session aimed to demonstrate how data can facilitate the work of social services professionals while also improving the quality of the services provided.
Significantly, the group explored how data can be used to identify needs in specific environments as well as how it might be leveraged to improve cooperation between services. The role of data in crafting person-centred programmes was a key feature of discussions.
Illustrating how data can work for social services
The collection of robust data and the possession of a clear picture of what it can contribute are essential to improving services.
This too was stressed at the webinar. Notably, the competent use of data in the creation of a "system made to prevent rather than react" as Jessica Chamba, EY Global Social Services Leader, pointed out, can allow social workers to apply their expertise ahead of a crisis thanks to data-backed evidence. Furthermore, the use of data can help professionals with the administrative side of their jobs, leaving more room for them to strengthen a personalised relational bond with the users of social services.
Erja Ailio, Chief Specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare explained how the adoption of Kanta Fi, a standardised system to store client data, has paved the way for the creation of a social welfare data repository, a tool that opens up a range of possibilities for social services providers, including mapping and monitoring social services needs across Finland.
Teresa Leonard, Deputy Secretary General at the Irish Department of Social Protection, explained how MyGov digital platform enables citizens to interact with public services. The system provides a single storage point for data, fostering the proactivity of social services and assisting departments with identifying entitlement needs.
Social services delivery supported by data
In conclusion, the webinar showed how the right kind of data in the hands of the right agencies widens the reach of social services, timely informing them on the needed interventions therefore increasing efficiency in delivery to meet people’s needs.
Indeed, efficient data collection and management could lead to renewed trust from the public in services as well as fresh impetus for person-centred provision due to the completeness of information it can provide on each individual.
Finally, instead of using technology to standardise practices which may depersonalise social services, it provided a clear argument for leveraging data efficiently and effectively to enhance personalisation while better supporting social services professionals in their day to day work with people using services.
