Social workers’ perceptions on clients’ service needs and social work practices during the COVID-19 pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v16i2.396Keywords:
social work, Covid-19, access to servicesAbstract
Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the specialized health-care resources have been the main focus of political attention in any country. However, the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have also had a major impact on social services. The pandemic increased service needs among those who were already adult social work clients before the pandemic; it also created needs among new groups of clients, while the operating environment for service provision changed dramatically.
In our study, we examine social workers’ perceptions on: 1) how well social services were able to respond to clients’ needs during the pandemic; and 2) examine practices in adult social work that were used and developed during the outbreak of the pandemic. For the analysis, we use national survey data obtained from social workers in the Social Barometer survey collected in May 2020 (n=496) and in January 2021 (n=412). The findings show that according to social workers, during the first year of the pandemic social work in Finland succeeded in responding to clients’ rather clear and concrete problems, such as difficulties in applying for social benefits and a lack of housing, while more complicated problems, such as unmanageable debts, loneliness and mental health problems, were not adequately responded to. At the same time, social workers assessed that people suffering from these problems were the most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
Adams-Prassl, A., Boneva, T., Golin, M. & Rauh, C. (2020). Inequality in the impact of the coronavirus shock: Evidence from real time surveys. Journal of Public Economics 189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104245
Alppivuori, K. (2021). Mitä kertovat ruoka-apua hakevat ihmiset. Espoolainen ruoka-apu, avun tarve ja palvelukokemuksetruoka-avun hakijoiden näkökulmasta. Espoon kaupunki. https://www.espoo.fi/download/noname/%7BD45A3321-914A-4933-A24C-731ADC4C8964%7D/138181
Alstadsæter, A., Bratsberg, B., Eielsen, G., Kopczuk, W., Markussen, S., Raaum, O. & Røed, K. (2020). The First Weeks of the Coronavirus Crisis: Who Got Hit, When and Why? Evidence from Norway. NBER Working Paper No. 27131. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27131
Blomgren, S. & Kivipelto, M. (2012). Valtaistus: Valtakunnallinen aikuissosiaalityön kartoitus. Helsinki: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Blomgren, S., Karjalainen, J., Karjalainen, P., Kivipelto, M., Saikkonen, P. & Saikku, P. (Eds.). (2016). Sosiaalityö, palvelut ja etuudet muutoksessa. Raportti 4/2016. Helsinki: Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. https://www.julkari.fi/handle/10024/130515
Beaunoyer, E., Dupéré, S. & Guitton, M. J. (2020). COVID-19 and digital inequalities: Reciprocal impacts and mitigation strategies. Computers in Human Behavior, 11, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106424
Christensen, T. & Laegreid, P. (2007). Transcending New Public management: The Transformation of Public Sector Reforms. Ashgate.
Crawford, C. A. (2021). Studying social workers’ roles in natural disasters during a global pandemic: What can we learn? Qualitative Social Work, 20(1–2), 456–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325020973449
Devlieghere, J. & Roose, R. (2018). Electronic Information Systems: In search of responsive social work. Journal of Social Work, 18(6), 650–665. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017318757296
Dutta, A. & Fischer, H. W. (2021). The local governance of COVID-19: Disease prevention and social security in rural India. World Development, 138, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105234
European Social Network (2021). Investing in Social Services, Investing in Europe. Social Services Essential for Europe’s Recovery. https://www.esn-eu.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/ESN_European%20Semester%202021_Interactive_spread_compressed.pdf
Ferguson, I. (2020). Neoliberal social work and COVID-19. In M. Lavalette, V. Ioakimidis & I. Ferguson (Ed.), Social Work and the COVID- 19 Pandemic International Insights. Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1850gc4.8
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (2020). Far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on people’s well-being and social and health care services. https://thl.fi/en/web/thlfi-en/-/far-reaching-impacts-of-the-covid-19-epidemic-on-people-s-well-being-and-social-and-health-care-services
Grekula, E. M., Järvinen, A. & Saarinen, E. (Ed.). (2020). Poverty Watch. Poverty Watch Report Finland 2020. EAPN-Fin 2020. http://www.eapn.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EAPN-FIN-PowertyWatch-Poverty-Watch-Report-Finland-2020.pdf
Greve, B., Blomquist, P., Hvinden, B. & van Gerven, M. (2020). Nordic welfare states—still standing or changed by the COVID-19 crisis? Social Policy Administration, 2020(55), 295–311. https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12675
Haikkola, L. & Kauppinen, E. (2020). Nuorten korona-ajan yksinäisyys ja näkemykset koronan vaikutuksista tulevaisuuteen. Poikkeusolot – nuorten arki koronan keskellä -kirjoitussarja. Helsinki: Nuorisotutkimusseura. https://www.nuorisotutkimusseura.fi/nakokulma66
Harrikari, T., Romakkaniemi, M., Tiitinen, L. & Ovaskainen, S. (2021). Pandemic and Social Work: Exploring Finnish Social Workers’ Experiences through a SWOT Analysis. The British Journal of Social Work, 51(5), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcab052
Healy, K. (2001). Reinventing Critical Social Work: Challenges from Practice, Context and Postmodernism. Critical Social Work 2(1). https://ojs.uwindsor.ca/index.php/csw/article/view/5618
Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. & De Neve, J. E. (Eds.). (2021). World Happiness Report 2021. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Holte, B. H., Swart, I. & Hiilamo, H. (2019). The NEET concept in comparative youth research: The Nordic countries and South Africa. Journal of Youth Studies, 22(2), 256–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2018.1496406
Jamaluddin, S. Z., Wah, F. Y. & Taher, M. A. (2021). Covid-19: A preliminary assessment on the social security framework for an aged Malaysia. Commonwealth Law Bulletin, 47(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050718.2020.1834421
Jokela, M., Jauhiainen, S., Korpela, T. & Tuori, S. (forthcoming). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment and the receipt of social benefits in Finland. Zeitschrift für Sozialforschung.
Kangas, O. (2020). Finland: Policy measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ESPN Flash Report 2020/59. https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?advSearchKey=ESPNFlash&mode=advan cedSubmit&catId=22&policyArea=0&policyAreaSub=0&country=0&year=0
Karjalainen, P. (2016). Sosiaalityön uusi asento: paikka, rooli ja orientaatio. In S. Blomgren, J. Karjalainen, P. Karjalainen, M. Kivipelto, P. Saikkonen, & P. Saikku. (Eds.), Sosiaalityö, palvelut ja etuudet muutoksessa. Raportti 4/2016 (p. 119–136). Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. https://www.julkari.fi/handle/10024/130515
Karjalainen, P., Metteri, A. & Strömberg-Jakka, M. (2019). ROADMAP. Report on the future of social work with adults. Reports and Memorandums of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2019:41. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN
Kestilä, L., Jokela, M., Härmä, V. & Rissanen, P. (Ed.). (2021). Effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on well-being, the service system, and the national economy: Expert evaluation, Spring 2021. THL Report 3/. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Kivipelto, M. & Koponen E. (2021) Osallistavan sosiaaliturvan mallin vaikuttavuus. In A.-L. Matthies, A.-R. Svenlin, & K. Turtiainen (Eds), Aikuissosiaalityö. Tieto, käytäntö ja vaikuttavuus (p. 233–249). Gaudeamus
Kivipelto, M., Blomgren, S., Karjalainen, P. & Saikkonen, P. (Eds.). (2013). Vaikuttavaa aikuissosiaalityötä – arviointimalleista mittareihin. Tutkimus- ja kehittämishankkeen loppuraportti, Raportteja 8. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Kuuskoski, R. (2020). "Voin kertoa miten paljon ärsyttää ruokaohjelmat": ulkopuolisuus Nälkä-kirjoituskilpailun teksteissä. Master’s thesis. University of Jyväskylä. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202003312609
Laihiala, T. & Nick, R. (2020). Koronakriisin vaikutuksen ruoka-apuun keväällä 2020. Ruoka-apu.fi. https://ruoka-apu.fi/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Koronakriisin-vaikutukset-ruoka-apuun_Laihiala-ja-Nick-2020-1.pdf
Lavalette, M., Ioakimidis, V. & Ferguson, I. (2020). Conclusion: No return to ‘business as usual’. In M. Lavalette, V. Ioakimidis, & I. Ferguson (Ed.), Social Work and the COVID-19 Pandemic International Insights. Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1850gc4.26
Linnavirta, S., Kroll, C, & Blomberg, H. (2020). Ruoka-avun saajien näkemykset toimeentulotukiuudistuksesta. In T. Korpela, H-M Heinonen, M. Laatu, S. Raittila & M. Ylikännö (Ed.), Ojista allikkoon? Toimeentulotukiuudistuksen ensi metrit (p. 152–185). Teemakirja 18. Kela.
Lipsky, M. (2010). Street-Level Bureaucracy. Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services. 30th anniversary expanded edition. Russell Sage Foundation.
Marjanen, P., Spolander, G. & Aulanko, T. (2018). Neoliberalism, welfare state and social work practice in Finland. In M. Kamali, J. H. Jönsson (Eds), Neoliberalism, Nordic Welfare States and Social Work: Current and Future Challenges. Routledge.
Martin, A., Markhvida, M., Hallegatte, S. & Walsh, B. (2020). Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Household Consumption and Poverty. Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 2020(4), 453–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41885-020-00070-3
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2020a). Guidelines for Corona. https://stm.fi/en/guidelines-for-the-prevention-of-coronavirus
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (2020b). Preparedness for the COVID-19 disease. https://stm.fi/en/coronavirus-preparedness
Mishna, F., Milne, E., Bogo, M. & Pereira, L. F. (2020). Responding to COVID-19: New Trends in Social Workers' Use of Information and Communication Technology. Clinical Social Work Journal, 49, 484-494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00780-x
Mäntysaari, M. & Ylistö, S. (2021). Työllistymistä edistävän monialaisen palvelun vaikuttavuus. In A.-L Matthies, A.-R. Svenlin & K. Turtiainen (Ed.), Aikuissosiaalityö. Tieto, käytäntö ja vaikuttavuus (p. 250–266). Gaudeamus.
Napier, D. (2020). Rethinking vulnerability through Covid-19. Anthropology Today, 36(3), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8322.12571
Nelimarkka, S., Maijala, S., Eriksson, P. & Heino, T. (2021). Koronapandemian vaikutuksia lastensuojelun palveluihin ja asiakkaiden hyvinvointiin vuonna 2020. Työpaperi 5/2021. Helsinki: Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-343-623-7
Pettinicchio, D., Maroto, M., Chai, L. & Lukk, M. (2021). Findings from an online survey on the mental health effects of COVID-19 on Canadians with disabilities and chronic health conditions. Disability and Health Journal, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101085
Ohisalo, M. & Saari, J. (2014). Kuka seisoo leipäjonossa? Ruoka-apu 2010-luvun Suomessa. Kunnallisalan kehittämissäätiö.
Oreffice, S. & Quintana-Domeque, C. (2020). Gender Inequality in Covid-19 Times: Evidence from UK Prolific Participants. IZA Discussion Paper No. 13463. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3648803
Patel, J. A., Nielsen, F., Badiani, A. A., Assi, S., Unadkat, V. A., Patel, B., Ravindrane, R. & Wardle, H. (2020). Poverty, inequality and COVID-19: The forgotten vulnerable. Public Health, 2020(183), 110–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.05.006
Platt, L. & Warwick, R. (2020). Are some ethnic groups more vulnerable to COVID-19 than others?. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, Nuffield Foundation. http://www.ifs.org.uk/inequality/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Are-some-ethnic-groups-more-vulnerable-to-COVID-19-than-others-V2-IFS-Briefing-Note.pdf
Power, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy,16(1), 67–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561
Prime Minister’s Office (2020). PMO’s Corona Management was Strengthened. https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/10616/valtioneuvoston-koronajohtamista-vahvistett iin
Salin M, Kaittila A, Hakovirta M, & Anttila M. (2020). Family Coping Strategies during Finland’s COVID-19 Lockdown. Sustainability 12(21), 9133. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219133
Sen, A. (2001). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (2020a). Unemployment benefit in the coronavirus situation. https://www.kela.fi/web/en/unemployment-benefit-corona
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (2020b). Two temporary benefits available from Kela amid the coronavirus outbreak. https://www.kela.fi/web/en/press-releases-about-the-coronavirus-situation/-/asset_publisher/u3rOjDyugFv4/content/two-temporary-benefits-available-from-kela-amid-the-coronavirus-outbreak
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (2020c). Social assistance in the coronavirus situation. https://www.kela.fi/web/en/social-assistance-in-the-coronavirus-situation
Suvisaari, J., Kärkkäinen, J. &Vorma, H. (2021). Koronaepidemialla vaikutuksia psykiatriseen erikoissairaanhoitoon, mutta vaikutuksissa alueellisia eroja. In Koronaepidemian vaikutukset hyvinvointiin, palveluihin ja talouteen. THL:n seurantaraportti, viikot 2–3/2021, 27.1.2021, 17–18.
THL, Avohilmo (2021). Perusterveydenhuollon käynnit ja käyntisyyt. Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos. https://thl.fi/fi/tilastot-ja-data/ohjeet-tietojen-toimittamiseen/perusterveydenhuollon-avohoidon-hoitoilmoitus-avohilmo/raportit
Tiirinki, H., Tynkkynen, L. K., Sovala, M., Atkins, S., Koivusalo, M., Rautiainen, P., Jormanainen, V. & Keskimäki, I. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic in Finland - Preliminary analysis on health system response and economic consequences. Health Policy and Technology, 9(4), 649–662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.08.005
Tiitinen, L., Ovaskainen, S., Harrikari, T. & Romakkaniemi, M. (2020). COVID-19 and social work: A collection of country reports: Finland. In L. Dominelli, T. Harrikari, J. Mooney, V. Leskošek & E. Kennedy Tsunoda (Ed.), COVID-19 and Social Work: A Collection of Country Reports (p. 40–44). The International Association of Schools of Social Work. https://www.iassw-aiets.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IASSW-COVID-19-and-Social-Work-Country-Reports-Final-1.pdf
Tuikka, A. M. (2019). Evaluating Digitalization of Social Services from the Viewpoint of the Citizen. In I. O. Pappas, P. Mikalef, Y. K. Dwivedi, L. Jaccheri, J. Krogstie & M. Mäntymäki (Ed.), Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society in the 21st Century (p. 23–30). Springer.
Tuominen, T. (2021) Arjen toimijuus aikuissosiaalityön nuorilla miesasiakkailla. In A.-L. Matthies, A.-R. Svenlin & K. Turtiainen (Eds.), Aikuissosiaalityö. Tieto, käytäntö ja vaikuttavuus (pp. 101–117). Gaudeamus.
Van Winkle, B., Carpenter, N., & Moscucci, M. (2017). Why Aren’t Our Digital Solutions Working for Everyone? AMA Journal of Ethics, 19(11), 1116–1124. https://doi.org/10.1001/journalofethics.2017.19.11.stas2-1711