e-Social work in practice: a case study

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a theoretical reflection on e-social work by considering a case study: an intervention programme with vulnerable people, included in the services catalogue of a non-governmental organization (NGO), Zaragoza Red Cross Assembly. This programme cares for older people with a home assistance system mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). The digital convergence of the Spanish Red Cross and the digitalization of internal processes were accelerated by the use of ICTs as a tool in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis: first, to manage bureaucratic matters; second, to coordinate professionals and third, to interact with users. The text is divided into five sections including an introduction and final remarks. The first section describes the intervention programme and its evolution from a traditional social work vision to an e-social work perspective. The second section describes and analyses the intervention programme and the incorporation of ICTs in this NGO, over more than two decades. The third section describes professional contributions to the implementation and adaptation of social work to new social and technological circumstances and users’ requirements based on these intervention experiences.

RESUMEN

El presente artículo propone una reflexión teórica sobre el trabajo social electrónico considerando un estudio de caso: un programa de intervención con personas vulnerables, que se incluyó en el catálogo de servicios de una organización no gubernamental (ONG), Cruz Roja de Zaragoza. Este programa se ocupa de las personas mayores por medio de un sistema de asistencia domiciliaria que se implementa a través de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC). La convergencia digital de la Cruz Roja Española y la digitalización de los procesos internos se están acelerando mediante el uso de las TIC, como una herramienta de primer orden a partir sobre todo de la crisis económica y social que se desencadenó en 2008, con tres objetivos princiaples: primero, para gestionar asuntos burocráticos; segundo, para coordinar profesionales; tercero, para interactuar con los usuarios. El texto está dividido en cinco secciones, incluida una introducción y comentarios finales. La primera sección describe el programa de intervención y su evolución desde una forma más tradicional de Trabajo Social a una perspectiva de e-Trabajo Social. La segunda sección muestra y analiza el programa de intervención y la incorporación de las TIC en esta ONG en las últimas dos décadas. La tercera sección muestra las contribuciones profesionales a la implementación y adaptación del Trabajo Social a las nuevas circunstancias sociales y tecnológicas y las principales demandas de los usuarios en función de estas experiencias de intervención.

KEYWORDS:

• e-social work
• Spanish Red Cross
• home care
• ICTs

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• e-Trabajo Social
• Cruz Roja Española
• atención domiciliaria
• TIC

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Antonio Eito Mateo, social worker and sociologist, is professor of Social Work in the Department of Psychology and Sociology at the University of Zaragoza, teaching in several degrees and master. He is also Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Achademic Coordinator of the Social Work Degree (2014–2018).

M. José Gómez-Poyato has a Master in Social and Public Policies. She is working as Social Worker in Red Cross Zaragoza since 1998, and teaches Social Work the Department of Psychology and Sociology at the University of Zaragoza, Spain. She preparing a PhD research on ‘e-Social Work’.

Chaime Marcuello-Servós teaches Social Work and Social Services in the Department of Psychology and Sociology at the University of Zaragoza. He is also a professor on the Inter-Doctoral Programme in Science and Humanities for Interdisciplinary Development at the CEICH of the UNAM (Mexico) and the Autonomous University of Coahuila. In addition, he is Coordinator and co-founder of the Interdisciplinary Teaching Innovation Group (GIDID) member and co-founder of the Third Sector Social and Economic Studies Group (GESES). He is President elect of the RC51 on Sociocybernetics for the period (2014–2018).

ORCID

Antonio Eito Mateo http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0997-5931

Chaime Marcuello Servós http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0187-2754

Notes

1 One of the main networks is the Plataforma de ONG de Acción Social: http://www.plataformaong.org/.

2 To clarify that, the use of the concept of ‘proximity’ is not so much a purely physical and spatial matter, but in an all-encompassing sense. The first protocols and digital processes were related to the ‘proximity’ that was offered in the services, but this has changed and since 2013 is oriented to respond to the desirable conditions to improve a set of resources that serve people.

3 Social Technologies Foundation/‘Fundación de TECnologías SOcialeS’. The TECSOS Foundation combines the technological excellence of the Vodafone Spain Foundation and the social experience of the Spanish Red Cross, with the mission of solving and improving problems related to social intervention with users through the application of new technologies.

4 This term refers to the communication and data system that the Red Cross has that allows the unified and automated management of services from any post that has a computer and phone and, by using an application with a simple execution, can be readily used by the volunteers.

5 When we refer to this term, we do it in the sense that each programme is made up of users with a similar profile and similar needs. In this way, the action response is very similar and easy to run by volunteer staff. Also, in the same way the technicians classify the lines of action to be carried out at each point, working along the intervention plan established with the same parameters.