1. Introduction

Latvia is one of the Baltic countries, neighbouring Estonia and Lithuania, which regained their independence from the Soviet regime in the 1990s. The first social work education programmes were set up in the wake of major socio-economic transformations, alongside the creation of social assistance institutions. This period is generally considered to be the beginning of the social work profession in the Baltic countries.

The first university in Latvia to train professional social workers was established in 1991, and a year later, the first social assistance structures were established in Latvian cities and municipalities.

Looking back over a little more than 30 years of history, it is possible to see how the welfare sector as a whole has been developing in the context of social transformation processes, and how the profession of a social worker is finding and consolidating its place therein. The emergence of a new profession was a social innovation, responding to the need to develop a system of social assistance and services staffed by professionals.

Nowadays, social work in Latvia is a recognised profession in its own right and a field of science. Social work is a wide-ranging field that involves working with different target groups, both as social service providers and as social service organisers, to help individuals, families and groups solve or alleviate social problems by promoting the development of clients’ personal resources and involving support systems.

The development of information and communication technologies (ICT) is having a major impact on life today, both globally and locally. The Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells highlights the emergence of a ‘new culture’ as a characteristic trend of the twenty-first century, in which ‘virtuality becomes an essential dimension of our reality. The constitution of a new culture based on multimodal communication and digital information processing creates a generational divide between those born before the Internet Age (1969) and those who grew up being digital’ [1]. In the internet age, gradually ‘inside each country’, the networking architecture reproduces itself into regional and local centres, so that the whole system becomes interconnected at the global level [1].

It can be said that socio-economic transformation in Latvia was permeated by technological innovation, and to a large extent it can also be said of Latvia that ‘the end of the second millennium of the common era a number of major social, technological, economic and cultural transformations came together to give rise to a new form of society [1].

Modern Latvia can be seen as a country that ‘is growing up being digital’. This can be observed in everyday practical life, as well as in the consolidation of new concepts in the language space: smart technologies, digital technologies, digitalisation, digital transformation, digital ecosystem and others related to technological developments. There will be few people who have not heard the word digitalisation and do not know its meaning in everyday language.

Latvia has adopted a broad programme—the digital transformation guidelines 2021–2027—which ushers in a new phase in Latvia’s socio-economic transformation, providing for accelerated digitalisation across all sectoral policies. Digital transformation can refer to anything from IT modernisation (e.g. cloud computing), to digital optimisation, to the invention of new digital business models. The term is widely used in public-sector organisations to refer to modest initiatives such as putting services online or legacy modernisation. Thus, the term is more like ‘digitisation’ than ‘digital business transformation’ [2].

The impact of digitalisation on the work of social workers in Latvia has not been studied so far.

This article seeks to trace the process of IT use in the profession from its beginnings and to show the gradual transition to digital applications in social services.

2. The development of digitalisation in Latvia in the historical, political and regulatory context

Information and technology (IT) are keywords describing modern life. It is the efficient use of data that can add value not only to manufacturing and the economy but also to public services. Digitalisation is also transforming the organisation and logistics of social services, including a personalised approach to providing people with services.

Digitalisation is the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is the process of moving to a digital business [3].

The reflection of digitalisation in the field of social work can be viewed in the context of digitalisation policy in Latvia. In a strict sense, the words ‘digital policy’ can refer to the overarching national programmes that focus on the development and implementation of information and communication technologies (ICT), such as the digital transformation guidelines 2021–2027. However, as an EU Member State, Latvia has developed its ICT sector in line with the EU Digital Strategy and the Digital Europe 2030 agenda. But it is undeniable that the development of ICT has created the preconditions for digitalisation in today’s Latvia.

2.1 The beginnings of IT development in Latvia

The beginning of digitalisation in Latvia can be considered to be the time when the first information media and the internet were created.

The article from a giant computer to a handy laptop—60 years since the beginning of the computer era in Latvia reads: ‘punch cards—small cards with punched holes—were an essential medium for information almost until the first desktop computers appeared, of course, they were refined and improved from time to time and were made by representatives of a special profession: card punchers. The first computers printed only numbers on narrow tapes similar to the ones used for telegraph. Only the programmer knew what the first ten numbers or the second ten numbers meant. There were no letters. And then there were various machines—the punch card input device, punch tape input device’ [4].

Such cards were the original way of storing and processing information on computers and greatly facilitated data processing. Although these cards were limited to numbers and included no letters, they were a first step towards digitalisation.

Historical sources tell us that the first computer in Latvia was switched on in 1960 in the computing laboratory of the Institute of Physics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. The first digital electronic calculating machine in Latvia, the LM-3, built under the leadership of scientist J. Daube, is considered the father of the modern computer [5].

Thirty years later, the internet arrived. In August 1990, the University of Latvia Institute of Mathematics and Informatics (1959–2009) launched an e-mail service, and a year later, in 1991, individual companies (LvNet-Teleport and Versija) began to offer e-mail services. In 1992, a connection to the World Wide Web was provided. 2 October is the day of the creation of the Latvian internet. The permanent internet connection Riga–Tallinn (2400 b/s) was put into operation [6].

Since 1994, the internet has been available to everyone in our country [7].

This phase, with the use of computers and the internet, can be seen as the beginning of digitalisation, for which the more appropriate term is digitisation, which refers to the transfer of data from analogue to digital format, the process of changing from analogue to digital form, also known as digital enablement [3].

The Latvian Internet Association (LIA) was founded in 2000. The association’s purpose states, inter alia: To support and promote activities aimed at developing people’s digital skills and the safe and meaningful use of digital technologies [8].

2.2 Digitalisation policy: national programmes and projects

Digitalisation policy in Latvia should be seen as a process with a succession of ICT programmes and projects over many years. But this process must also be seen in the context of other important processes of socio-economic transformation in Latvia. In this respect, the period from 1997 to 2000 should be looked at separately.

Latvia had been an EU candidate country since 1997 and was still in the process of becoming a member. At the end of 1999, the Helsinki European Council, on a recommendation from the European Commission, decided to open accession negotiations with Latvia, as well as with the other candidate countries: Malta, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. Section 31 of the provisions of the EU framework agreements also contains, among other things, sections on science and research; education and training; telecommunications and information technology. In each specific section of the negotiations, each country’s readiness to join the EU was evaluated [9].

One of the first national programmes towards digitalisation was informatics. It was a complex targeted programme for the period 1999–2005, consisting of 13 sub-programmes [10].

Emphasising the development of information, computer and telecommunication technologies and the global phenomenon of information society as a new, more organised society, the main task of the programme was to include Latvia in this global development process and to build an information society in Latvia. This programme marked the first step in the process of integrating national information systems (NIS). The programme represents a strategy for the development of the entire country, not just a sector [10].

The main objective of sub-programme 4.12, development of information and telecommunication technologies, was to ensure the widespread use of electronic information services in public administration and their availability to every person in the country within the framework of the universal information service [10]. It included the following sub-objectives: building and developing an information infrastructure; transforming existing administration methods by using the latest technologies and paying particular attention to cooperation and coordination between different departments and institutions; ensuring that the informatics programme interacts with other national development programmes; ensuring extensive public awareness raising and training, etc.

The risk factors for the implementation of the programme were also described, including the ability to use computers, modern information technologies and services. One of the most important criteria emphasised was the understanding of the possibilities of technology and the individual’s preparedness for life in the information society. The risk factor highlighted was that ‘not enabling every member of society to actively use information services creates social inequality, information-rich and information-poor layers of society, which automatically leads to social tension’ [10].

The Latvian e-Government Concept (2002–2010) defined that ‘e-Government is an approach to public service delivery and public administration based on the use of IT capabilities and e-business operating principles to improve the quality and efficiency of public services and increase public participation in public administration’ [11].

Future projects and programmes: information society development guidelines 2006–2013, information society development guidelines 2014–2020, digital transformation guidelines 2021–2027 describe the stages of digitalisation development in Latvia.

According to Brennen and Kreiss [12], the process of digital transformation is how many domains of social life are restructured around digital communication and media infrastructure [12].

The digital transformation guidelines 2021–2027, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, provide for a unified digital development policy for public administration, the economy and society for the programming period until 2027, creating an open ecosystem for a digital society [13].

Digitalisation is seen as one of the ways in which the targeted use of existing and new digital technologies and the environment they create can improve the quality of life of every individual and society as a whole and increase the competitiveness of the country and the national economy [13].

2.3 Legal framework of ICT

Information and communication technologies visibly and rapidly permeated all areas of life, from people’s individual daily lives to institutions and organisations in every sector of the national economy. Working in an electronic environment modifies the way ‘relationships’ are conducted, both in personal and business cooperation and communication, requiring the establishment of certain rules of conduct in the field of information circulation and the creation of a regulatory framework for the ICT sector: laws and regulations. In Latvia, between 1994 and 2004, the Saeima and the government adopted legislation regulating the ICT sector, including the following laws:

Freedom of Information Law (1998): procedure for the disclosure of information held by public administration bodies and local government bodies.
Personal Data Protection Law (2000): procedure for the storage and processing of personal data. The Council of Europe Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data (28.01.1981). (A new law came into force in 2018: Personal Data Processing Law)
Law on State Information Systems (2002): the aim of the law is to ensure the availability and quality of information services provided by state and local government institutions in state information systems.
Electronic Documents Law (2002): determines the legal status of the electronic document and signature.
Law on Information Society Services (2004).
Electronic Communications Law (2022).

The above laws apply to state and local government institutions, including the work of social services and social service providers.

3. Social work in Latvia

In Latvia, the profession of social worker was formed over a period of about 5 years, influenced by several simultaneous processes of socio-economic transformation and modernisation. This included the establishment of the institution of social work education, the establishment of the professional organisation of social work—the Latvian association of professional social and care workers (1994)—and culminated in the legal recognition and inclusion of the profession of social worker in the Latvian classification of occupations in 1996 [14].

In 1995, the law on social security came into force. ‘This Law prescribes the principles for the structure and operation of a social security system, the main social rights and duties of a person, the basic conditions for its implementation thereof, as well as regulating the types of social services, including social and instructional assistance, and promoting social fairness and social security [15].

In Latvia, the understanding of social work is based on the international or global definition of social work: ‘Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. The above definition may be amplified at national and/or regional levels’ [16].

Today, the field of social work in Latvia is wide-ranging. The sector employs four types of social work professionals: social workers, social rehabilitators, social carers and social assistance organisers.

Social work specialists are the main human resource providing social services to people in a wide range of sectors: care and rehabilitation institutions, day centres, crisis centres, hospitals, penitentiary and probation institutions, shelters, schools and other public, municipal and non-governmental organisations. But they mainly work for local government authorities. Social work is one of the most important social services provided by municipal social service facilities (90.6%) [17].

The autonomous function and responsibility of local governments under the law is (9) to provide support to people in solving social problems, as well as the possibility to receive social assistance and social services [18]. The law also requires each municipality to have at least one social worker per 1000 inhabitants.

In 2018, 2128 social work specialists were employed and provided social services in municipal institutions (including social service facilities, their structural units, social care centres, and day centres) in Latvia [19].

4. Digitalisation in the field of social work

The digitalisation of the welfare sector in Latvia has been a journey of growth over many years: from learning about computers and acquiring basic skills to creating a unified welfare policy information system and digital services.

The use of IT in the field of social work evolved naturally from the earliest days of the profession, guided by national policies on the use of information services in public administration at all levels. The emergence of the profession of social worker, the definition of one’s identity and the structuring among sectors coincided with the development of information technologies in Latvia and the introduction of the national programme informatics.

The way in which information technology (IT) achievements are reflected in the field of social work can be seen from two perspectives:

How IT is used in social services and social work practice;

How IT knowledge and skills are reflected in specialist knowledge and skills standards and social work education programmes.

They show the development and efforts to be part of the overall process of building an information society in Latvia.

Today it is difficult to say which of the applications of technology, sometimes through experimentation, can be seen as the first and decisive event, the impetus for the modernisation of the field of social work and social services.

In retrospect, three major developments that have been targeted at modernising data management and the organisation of social services in Latvia clearly stand out:

The welfare reform launched in 1995,
The first applications: CMS (case management system) and SOPA (social assistance administration system),
The unified welfare policy information system,
The following article therefore focuses on these events.

As part of the reform, a pilot project on development of a model for the administration of social service work and the administration of social services and social assistance was carried out between 1997 and 2003 with the support of the Ministry of Welfare and the World Bank.

It can be considered that this pilot project in Latvia also marks the beginning of the development of data management applications, specifically in the field of social work and social services.

The pilot project was implemented by the social service of a small municipality in the Kurzeme region (Kandava). The main objective of the project was to develop a case management system (CMS) and additional data registers, including information on social service staff, available services and social service clients in a unified electronic system. This facilitated the circulation of information in the territory overseen by the municipality and made the work of social workers much easier through practical use of the CMS computer software [20].

In 2003, the Riga Welfare Department started to implement a unified social assistance administration system (SOPA) [21], later also the electronic social care planning system (APSis) and other electronic applications in the social system.

SOPA was quickly implemented in Latvian municipalities and is still in use today. The social assistance administration programme (SOPA) was originally intended for:

Keeping track of social service clients,
Recording the data needed to assess the financial situation of clients,
Preparation and recording of clients’ declarations of subsistence means,
Calculation of municipal benefits,
Keeping track of benefits issued/denied,
Reporting, including to the Ministry of Welfare, for the preparation of national statistical reports [22].

The introduction of SOPA marks a change in the work culture of social workers.

It has been 20 years since SOPA was introduced. During this time, it has become a basic tool for municipal social services and institutions, with a wide range of functions and diverse links to various national registers. SOPA is not a mechanical repository of fixed data. SOPA functionality gives data the ability to be integrated live into social work case practice, case management and the logistics of social service provision.

In describing the functionality of SOPA, some of the functions are mentioned here: keeping records of social service clients—families and persons, assessing the client’s financial situation, creating and keeping records of agreements and social rehabilitation plans, recording and reporting on inspections, consultations and other activities carried out by the worker [23].

In 2013, a project was launched to develop a unified information system of the national social policy (SPOLIS). The assessment of the situation at the time concluded that the systems used by municipalities to collect social block information were disparate and not interconnected, resulting in a generally low quality of data in Latvia. The new unified social policy information system was built up from the already mentioned social services information systems SOPA, LIETIS and CMS, and the SPOLIS system [24].

Since 2014, the regulations of the national social policy monitoring information system (SPOLIS) have been in force. They define ‘the structure of the national social policy monitoring information system; the data to be included in the information system; the rules and procedures for processing (submitting, updating, storing, requesting and issuing) the data included in the information system; the rules for cooperation between institutions’ [25]. This ensures the exchange of data between local governments and the Ministry of Welfare, its subordinate public administration bodies and each local government and reduces the fragmentation of the structure and management of social assistance and social service provision by creating automated support for social service provision processes.

Innovative solutions have been found in the field of social services through the use of smart devices (e.g. a video visit using a tablet installed in the client’s home ensures remote monitoring and daily communication for persons receiving home care services, with the aim of enabling them to maintain as independent a lifestyle as possible and preventing deterioration in their emotional state), smart client monitoring systems (SCMS) has been introduced in municipal social care centres (Riga), etc.

Effective exchange of information between social services and other institutions is important for the provision of social services to clients in high quality. The challenge in the coming years is to integrate data systems from other sectors (e.g. eHealth) into a unified information system.

4.1 COVID-19 challenges for social service providers

The Covid-19 pandemic, which was experienced around the world, made it feel for a moment as if the world had stopped, but at the same time—life goes on. For almost 3 years, from 2018 to 2021, social distancing was the basic condition for the organisation of all social life.

Looking for ways to respect the requirement of social distancing and at the same time how to meet needs, how to provide help, how to cope with difficulties, how to raise children and how to overcome the pain of loss, and many more ‘how to?’, made it necessary to think about transforming the logistics of social services. It was IC technologies that gave the answer.

The skilful use of technology and technological innovation in the work of social services were crucial to the provision and accessibility of services:

Alternative and creative ways of delivering services were developed;

Face-to-face communication was replaced by remote communication with clients;

The format of inter-institutional cooperation changed—using new IT tools and platforms. Remote communication on Zoom or Microsoft Teams soon became commonplace [26].

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw intensive learning in the use of technology. Regular training was organised for social service workers. The best solutions for the use of modern technologies were studied and implemented.

However, the main finding of COVID-19 was that online communication was severely limited by the availability of technology and the lack of digital skills for both social service providers and clients, especially in certain client groups such as the elderly and people with mental disabilities.

Many of the forms of remote communication and service delivery established during Covid-19 are still in use after the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘Digital solutions in social work are already a part of everyday life and will only become more important in the future. It is up to each of us to choose when and how I will do it’ [27], this is how A. Bērziņš, Head of the Samaritans Association of Latvia, expressed his assessment during the discussion on digital solutions in the provision of social services.

4.2 E-services

It can be said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, digitalisation accelerated strongly not only in the field of social services. The restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have made it necessary to review working practices and assess how to provide services to the population in such circumstances, where face-to-face meetings are not always possible.

The new forced reality was the catalyst that accelerated the adoption of remote solutions: digitalisation is an inevitable development trend around the world in the twenty-first century, even regardless of emergencies. At the same time, experience over the past year has shown that digitalisation is a great help, but it will never replace the importance of a direct personal presence in contact with the client. Digitalisation offers many opportunities, but it also requires new knowledge and poses new challenges. The growing importance of digital and remote solutions in all spheres of life was highlighted by LALRG President Gints Kaminskis at the international seminar digital solutions in social work (29.04.2021).

For 96% of the conformity assessment bodies(CABs), digital technologies have helped cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic [28].

At the national level, there are increasingly persistent efforts to achieve the use of e-services both in mutual communication between institutions and between institutions and residents.

Since 2018, every resident of Latvia has had the opportunity to create an official e-address on the State Administration Services portal, which serves as a digital mailbox, enabling state and local government institutions to correspond with individuals and legal entities electronically.

At the national level, there is a steady move towards making the use of e-addresses the primary means of communication between legal entities (as a mandatory requirement since 1 January 2023) and eventually also between natural persons and state and local government authorities. In addition, an application to a local government will have to be signed with a qualified electronic signature.

Plan for the improvement and development of social services 2022–2024 provides for a comprehensive set of measures along two defined lines of action:

A modern and accessible system of social services that, among other things, improves people’s chances of living independently and living in society, and of entering education and the labour market;
Strengthening the governance of the field of social services.

Important components that characterise a modern and accessible social services system are:

Trained and competent social workers—the human resource and professional capital for ensuring social services;
Technologies and digital solutions that are relevant to today’s realities and the field of social services—resources to ensure availability of social services and people’s opportunities for independent living, including education and integration into the labour market;
Research and innovation in social services—research- and data-based decision-making is the basis for ensuring effective governance of the social services system.

5. Promoting the digital competence of social work specialists

Digital literacy involves the confident and critical use of a full range of digital technologies for information, communication and basic problem-solving in all aspects of life. It is underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the internet [29].

5.1 Education

The Latvian Council for Higher Education has noted that ‘one of the most worrying aspects is the technology and knowledge gap, which has the greatest impact on the most vulnerable groups in society, exacerbating poverty and social exclusion. As higher education institutions develop their digital ecosystems and offer to acquire high-level digital skills in all fields of study, they must also offer solutions to reduce digital exclusion’ [30].

The requirements for obtaining a professional higher education diploma in Latvia are set out in the national education standard. This also applies to social workers and specialists—social rehabilitators, social assistance organisers and social carers.

The existing national standards (in force until June 2023) for first- and second-level professional higher education required ‘to ensure that programme graduates are able to choose and use information technologies responsibly and safely in their professional activities, research and lifelong learning, as well as in the acquisition, creation and sharing of digital content’.

Latvian higher education institutions have a modern, up-to-date study environment, with rich information resources: book databases, bibliographic and citation information databases of publications, and news and reference databases for study and research work. In cooperation with employers, during study placement, students have the opportunity to get acquainted with the possibilities of various databases (SOPA, APSIS, etc.) used in social services and other institutions, to participate in interprofessional team meetings, to get acquainted with certain types of municipal social services and social assistance, to participate in the preparation and implementation of an intervention plan and to get acquainted with digital tools used by institutions to work with clients, etc.

In recent years, the field of social work has experienced a significant shortage of social work specialists. There are several reasons for this: the prestige of the profession of social worker is quite low, with low and uncompetitive salaries. This is largely why young people are reluctant to choose social work studies. The inflow of young specialists into the field is slow.

Based on the 2016–2017 ex-ante study [31], more than 18% of social work specialists are aged 56+, and around 31% are aged 46–55. This reflects the rapid ageing of the specialists involved in the profession and the need to find solutions not only to attract and motivate new specialists to work in the field of social work but also to promote the further modernisation of the social services system. In this respect, future investments aim to enhance the digital competences of direct public administration and local government staff in areas such as change management, service management, data analytics, application of artificial intelligence and other modern technologies to modernise operations and services, flexible information and communication technology (ICT) project management, cyber security, use and management of modern digital infrastructures [32].

5.2 Requirements for digital skills in the SW professional standards

Technology usage skills and e-skills have been a hot topic since technology became available to the Latvian population.

Several programmes have been implemented in Latvia related to the acquisition of technology usage skills. One of the first was a computer-training classroom set up in 1995 within the EU Phare project Public Administration Reform in Latvia and lecturers trained to use computers. In the mid-1990s, computer training was one of the most sought-after programmes in adult education. It was the active working age group (19–40) that was most interested in professional development [33].

The assessment of the e-skills of the population from 2007 to 2010 concluded that Latvia has a low rate of use of services, as well as a low percentage of usability of e-services. The problem can be explained by the lack of motivation to use the internet, a lack of information on the availability of training materials and a lack of knowledge on how to apply existing e-skills and where to acquire new ones.

Several national programmes have been adopted for the acquisition of IT skills, including the electronic skills development plan 2011–2013; education development guidelines 2021–2027.

The content of social work education is determined by the requirements defined in the professional standard. In Latvia, three standards for the profession of social worker have been adopted in the last 30 years: in 2002, 2010 and 2020. The standard of senior social worker was also adopted in 2021.

Comparing the standards shows how the understanding of the need for digital technologies in social work is developing. This is also reflected in the terminology used in all the professional standards.

The professional standard of 2002 has only two requirements. The first one—comprehension-level knowledge of computer science and technology. The second one—comprehension-level knowledge of the internet as a method of building public relations (electronic media).

The professional standard of 2010 has a more specific requirement in the description of the knowledge required to perform the basic tasks of the professional activity—the use of information technologies (Microsoft Office, databases, internet browsers).

However, the requirements regarding digital knowledge, skills and competence are not elaborated in both professional standards. This is done in the professional standard of social worker adopted in 2020 and the professional standard of senior social worker in 2021.

The following requirements regarding technology usage skills have been adopted in the professional standard of social worker (2020).

Knowledge:

To ensure respect and confidentiality in digital communications;

To use digital technologies.

Skills and attitudes:

To use detailed information search strategies. To evaluate the validity and reliability of information using different criteria. To use different communication tools and their additional online features. To create digital content in different formats using digital content creation tools (presentation, photography, video, etc.). To use the applications required for social work or social pedagogy research and professional activity. To ensure data protection according to documents regulating data protection.

Professional knowledge at usage level:

Information search techniques and strategies. Methods of evaluation of information available online. Digital technologies are required in social work and usage thereof. Applications needed in the work of social worker, including SPSS or R. Databases and usage thereof in social work. Security of digital devices and technologies. Data protection.

Competence:

Ability to use digital technologies confidently, critically and securely in professional practice and communication to carry out social worker’s duties, including for research, education and information purposes.

The senior social worker standard (2021) provides for the following digital literacy.

Knowledge:

To promote the integration of digital technologies with the aim of improving the organisation and availability of social services.

Skills and attitudes:

To use information and communication technology programmes and tools. To use social media and forms of remote work.

Professional knowledge:

At comprehension level: Ethical aspects of technology use.

At usage level: Personal data protection requirements. Digital literacy and media literacy. General principles of database usage and creation.

Competence:

Ability to use and evaluate the latest information communication technologies in the social work and social welfare sector according to clients’ needs. Ability to analyse and interpret information responsibly.

6. Issues and challenges in the context of digitalisation

Equal access to high-quality social services for people living in Latvia’s rural areas is one of the most pressing issues. Resource constraints, and in particular distance constraints for people with limited resources, maintain existing inequalities in access to services. Remoteness has a marginalising effect. Remoteness, interacting with the lack of other resources, reinforces the marginalisation of certain groups with limited resources, including resources to overcome distances [34].

According to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), Latvia had a total population of 1,875,757 at the beginning of 2021. Of these, 1,274,586 live in urban areas [35] and 601,171 in rural areas (31.8%) [36]. Over the past 30 years, the population of rural Latvia has declined by more than 202,000. (By comparison, in 1990, there were 820,507 people living in rural areas.)

What is considered a rural area in Latvia?

A rural area is usually contrasted with an urban area (city). Areas beyond the city limits are considered to be rural [37]. However, the term ‘rural area’ has many meanings and can be applied to different places outside the city.

The generic term ‘rural area’ is often used synonymously with ‘countryside’ and ‘rural environment’ to refer to the economic and social interactions that characterise rural areas as a whole, as well as to include the natural and cultural values of the rural landscape [38].

Latvia’s Network of Regional and National Development Centres also uses the term ‘rural space’ to refer to rural areas: rural space also includes small towns [39]. After the administrative territorial reform, which ended in 2021–2022, 375,102 people (19.81%) lived in rural areas considered sparsely populated in 2022 [40]. (There are more than 4800 places in Latvia that cannot even be classified as villages because of the lack of dense groups of constructions and infrastructure.)

The reform aimed to consolidate local governments into more sustainable and economically stronger units by 2021, creating a more homogeneous division of local governments across the country, ensuring the right of citizens to receive services of comparable quality wherever they live, and ensuring efficient and effective use of public funds [41].

The expansion of municipal territories has expanded the socio-spatial boundaries, affecting the organisation and logistics of the provision of social services and social assistance, as well as the forms of social work in response to the needs of the municipality’s population. The population of the newly created municipalities also increased. The new circumstances require social workers to be more mobile in identifying people’s needs and providing services, to take initiative and innovate. Digitalisation is becoming increasingly important for overcoming remoteness.

Rural social work is still not a separate field in Latvia, although social workers have from time to time highlighted the differences that exist when working in rural environment. The reform has created a situation where, in the newly created municipalities, part of the social workers is in the centre of the municipality and the other part work in rural territories. How to ensure equal service availability across the municipality is one of the biggest challenges in social work. But at the same time, the answer is to be found in the question itself. As socio-spatial scales expand, it is becoming increasingly clear that people’s ability to organise themselves in shaping their local living environment and finding solutions to problems such as availability of health and social services, culture, education, availability of food, mobility, employment and other areas is becoming more important.

Over the last 3 years, the smart village movement in Latvia has been growing rapidly. According to the definition developed by the European Commission’s pilot project on smart eco-social villages: smart villages are communities in rural areas that use innovative solutions to improve their resilience, building on local strengths and opportunities. They rely on a participatory approach to develop and implement their strategy to improve their economic, social and/or environmental conditions, in particular, by mobilising solutions offered by digital technologies. Smart villages benefit from cooperation and alliances with other communities and actors in rural and urban areas. The initiation and implementation of smart village strategies may build on existing initiatives and can be funded by a variety of public and private sources [42].

In 2023, there are 18 smart villages in Latvia. The smart villages concept forces the transformation of social work from a micro-social work perspective to a community work perspective and makes social workers initiators and mediators of co-creation platforms between local community groups on the one hand and the rural-urban nexus on the other. With the increasing intensity of information and communication, the effectiveness of social work in the community depends on digitalisation: the availability of digital infrastructure, technologies and tools to all people in the community.

6.1 How can we assess the digitalisation in the field of social work and social services in Latvia?

This article described the journey of digitalisation in the field of social work, from the introduction of the computer to a comprehensive information system for the social welfare sector in Latvia. It mainly describes the use of IT in the organisation of social services by service providers.

The field of social services is always about interaction and cooperation with service users—the clients. The digitalisation of social work services should lead to a higher level of self-organisation in service availability. Social services are provided to people with different social functioning abilities. That’s why digital solutions for services need to be designed in a way that is also easy to use for the recipients—the clients.

The availability of IT and relevant skills is important for professionals and lay people alike. The availability and quality of social services often depend on digital competence.

Latvia ranks 17th among the 27 EU Member States in the 2021 edition of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). Latvia ranks 20th among the 27 EU countries for human capital, below the EU average. Only 43% of the population aged 16–74 have at least basic digital skills, versus the EU average of 56% [43].

This DESI score is representative of the overall situation in Latvia. The digital transformation programme 2021–2027 shows that there is a clear understanding at the national policy level that people’s digital literacy will largely determine socio-economic growth and well-being.

So far, there has been no separate research in Latvia on how digitalisation affects social work and the organisation of social services, what is the digital competence of specialists in the field and how service users assess the ‘digital logistics’ of social services.

A study carried out as part of the National Research Programme 2019–2021 shows a general picture of digitalisation and the use of IT in the field of social work and social services: ‘Life with COVID-19: An Assessment of the Management of the Coronavirus Crisis in Latvia and Proposals for Future Societal Resilience’.

The project’s WP2 provides an assessment of the effectiveness and coverage of social protection measures provided by the state and local governments, their impact on supporting different socio-demographic groups in crisis situations and in ensuring the well-being of the population.

The study repeatedly stressed that the main challenge is the lack of skills in using technology. The study concluded that with the increasing use of new technologies for providing and receiving services, there is a need ‘to improve the digital skills of social service providers (state, local government and NGOs) and social service users by promoting the use of the latest technologies and communication tools in work practice’. The benefits of a unified information system for data exchange are also mentioned here: ‘(1) cooperation among institutions and among professionals would be timely and available to social service users; (2) digital personal files would not be physically vulnerable, for example when working remotely from home; (3) the ability to use multiple reliable sources of information data to make an impartial decision would be increased’ [17].

The introduction of digitalisation is a hot topic of discussion among social workers even after the pandemic. Benefits and disadvantages, advantages and burdens, and other aspects of using IT applications and tools in the logistics of social services are the topics that social workers in Latvia ask about in professional and public discussions, focus groups and conferences.

6.2 Experience of social workers

IC technologies have contributed to the automation of many processes in the organisation of social work services. And this is forcing social service providers to change along, above all in the management of information—acquisition, use and storage of information, which includes data security and personal data protection.

Digitalisation in the field of social services is largely accepted as an inevitable reality. The experience gained during COVID-19 has further highlighted the issue of knowledge and skills in the use of IT. In the field of social work, this was reflected in the revision of existing professional standards, introducing a range of IT literacy requirements.

In spring 2021, the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments and association ‘Centrs MARTA’ in cooperation with the Norwegian Embassy in Latvia organised seminar ‘Digital Solutions in Social Work’.

In her seminar presentation ‘Digital Interactions in Social Work Practice’, Anne Wullum Aasback from Norway shared her experience on digital solutions in social work in Norway and presented the findings of her research on the impact of digital technologies on social work: how digitalisation should influence the curricula of social work students, whether the digital society itself creates a demand for new solutions in social work, how digital tools affect social worker-client relationships and workers’ professional freedom of action [41].

During the seminar, participants highlighted several strengths of digitalisation in social work and the organisation of social services:

IT systems facilitate optimal planning solutions,

e-case ensures that all client documents are available in one place, can be stored and archived,

The system maintains the routine; the specialist does the specialist’s job.

At the same time, it was acknowledged that the introduction of technology does not diminish the client’s need for communication and face-to-face contact.

It was concluded in the seminar that, ‘despite all the digital solutions that are a good support, social work will remain at the forefront. Technology is just a tool to do social work better. Now we need to find a way to help all those in a very vulnerable situation remotely and with digital tools’ [41].

Technology and people are common key topics in almost any discussion about digitalisation in social work.

As services are increasingly digitised, opportunities for human contact are becoming scarcer [42]. The changing forms of work raise concerns about the future of social work, that the dominance of technology could overwhelm human relationships and alienate from the values of social work. Once again, social workers are revisiting the much-debated question of the identity of the social work profession: what is social work?

In an interview, the head of social service of a large municipality in Latvia said: ‘the digitalisation: e-mail correspondence, e-services submission, getting a reply regarding a resolution, everything is sent via e-mail… does it not lead to the situation where we do not talk to each other, and that is the biggest reason why social problems arise and develop. … I sometimes walk past staff offices, this feeling… that the employee is sitting at the computer, doing a lot of things electronically, sitting at their desks… …. and I fear that we will lose the values of professional social work in the great fascination with digitalisation. I agree that 30% of our work is digitalisation, only the rest is social work’.

However, there are also realistic optimists who say that ‘the profession of social work is one of the few that is recognised by specialists as a profession that will survive in the long term, and that automatisation, robotisation and modernisation will not completely replace it. At the same time, it is predicted that traditional services will be replaced by modern and personalised services that, together with modern technologies, will be able to ensure individual’s independence and self-determination. I invite you to be creative and get out of Excel and other spreadsheets to start planning services that can deliver service’ [44].

The issue of digitalisation in social work can be seen from several perspectives, which can be captured in the term ‘digital divide’:

On the one hand, the promising opportunities of digitalisation, and on the other, the insufficient digital literacy and staff capacity of the service provider (social worker);

Low digital literacy of service recipients (clients) limits their ability to fit in the digital ecosystem of social services. If the social worker has to act on behalf of the client, the level of self-organisation in service provision does not increase, but on the contrary, decreases, increasing the social worker’s workload. But this goes against the very nature of digitalisation;

People are not always sufficiently aware of the specifics of the services and assistance available. This makes it difficult for people to use the e-environment (digital ecosystem) independently.

The provision of the necessary digital infrastructure, as well as the technological literacy of service providers and customers, largely maintain unequal availability of services in rural areas.

The e-Index is one of the indicators of the use of modern technologies in the work of public institutions and local governments and in the provision of public services. The e-Index is a measurement of digital government policy performance carried out annually in Latvia by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development to assess the ‘maturity level of public administration e-index’, where the measurement is expressed on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest maturity level) [44]. The 2022 measurement showed that ‘no public and local government authority has reached the highest levels of maturity—4 and 5’ [45].

In spring 2023, IT company Tietoevry together with market research company Norstat conducted a study on the importance of digital solutions and labour market trends, interviewing 1008 Latvian residents aged 18–74 [46].

When asked in which fields digital solutions should be improved in Latvia, ‘more than half (52%) of respondents highlighted the public and local government sector. This is the second most common answer’ [46]. This answer also makes an indirect reference to the field of social services, which are the direct responsibility of local governments.

It is not always the lack of technology infrastructure, or the limited availability of technology, that causes dissatisfaction. Often, the technical solution is not user-friendly and user-oriented, with sufficient performance and time savings.

The results of these studies show that, despite a generally dynamic and in many ways good performance in the use of IT and digital solutions in service management in Latvia, ‘growing up being digital’ is and remains a challenge for social service providers.

But there is another important aspect of social work.

Information and technology are essential factors in today’s information society, permeating all socio-economic life and culture, and creating a specific social structure—the network society, as M. Castell called it.

The use of technology, the ability to use it, is important. However, one cannot fail to notice that alongside this, new kinds of social practices are emerging, where everyone is a co-creator and participates in the creation and shaping of this new kind of society—the information society. This is accompanied by the cultivation of new habits and new responsibilities. Technology not only makes life and work easier, but it also creates new opportunities and new ways in which we communicate, collaborate and share information.

The use of technology also encourages going deeper in theoretical exploration. In social work, it is important to see where technology is going and how it affects people’s lives and society as a whole.

Social workers keep alive the principles that underpin social work: principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities.

It is important to understand the new era and to be able to see and conceptually grasp the developments that reconstruct (renew, restore) the understanding of the core values of social work and the role of social work in modern society.

Erick Sánchez-Flores

Chapters authored

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