"Det kommer alltid behövas en socionom som sitter bakom" - Socialsekreterares upplevelser av automatiserad biståndshandläggning
(2021) SOPA63 20211School of Social Work
- Abstract
- Sweden is aiming to become world-leading in utilizing the possibilities of digitalization and is expanding automated government decisions with the use of algorithms and robots. A project sponsored by the Swedish government was initiated in 2017 to spread “Trelleborgsmodellen”, the model of the first municipality to introduce automated income-support processing, to other municipalities in Sweden. While automating services in income-support processing may lead to increases in efficiency and objectivity, there is little research about its effects. There is a risk that automation may increase the alienation between case workers and clients and thus impede on the relationship, which is a crucial factor in achieving successful results. The aim... (More)
- Sweden is aiming to become world-leading in utilizing the possibilities of digitalization and is expanding automated government decisions with the use of algorithms and robots. A project sponsored by the Swedish government was initiated in 2017 to spread “Trelleborgsmodellen”, the model of the first municipality to introduce automated income-support processing, to other municipalities in Sweden. While automating services in income-support processing may lead to increases in efficiency and objectivity, there is little research about its effects. There is a risk that automation may increase the alienation between case workers and clients and thus impede on the relationship, which is a crucial factor in achieving successful results. The aim of this research was to study automation in relation to income-support processing work, from the perspective of caseworkers. This was done by interviewing five different caseworkers who all have automation involved in their daily practice. The study concluded that caseworkers experienced an increase in efficiency. At the same time they also experienced an increase in caseloads, which may affect time available for discretionary actions. The data was analyzed through the use of Lipsky’s theory regarding discretion, with concepts such as street-level bureaucracy. Which among other things showed that case workers experienced a reduction in monotonous and repetitive tasks, reducing the extent of an alienting aspect of their work. Caseworkers expressed that as part of introducing automation, the government showed increased trust towards recurring clients, through dispensing with previous requirements on proving the authenticity of information provided in applications for income-support. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9064358
- author
- Jonsson, Joakim LU and Agetorp, Joel LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOPA63 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Social work, income-support service, automation, discretion, street-level bureaucracy.
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9064358
- date added to LUP
- 2021-08-31 12:15:12
- date last changed
- 2021-08-31 12:15:12
@misc{9064358,
abstract = {{Sweden is aiming to become world-leading in utilizing the possibilities of digitalization and is expanding automated government decisions with the use of algorithms and robots. A project sponsored by the Swedish government was initiated in 2017 to spread “Trelleborgsmodellen”, the model of the first municipality to introduce automated income-support processing, to other municipalities in Sweden. While automating services in income-support processing may lead to increases in efficiency and objectivity, there is little research about its effects. There is a risk that automation may increase the alienation between case workers and clients and thus impede on the relationship, which is a crucial factor in achieving successful results. The aim of this research was to study automation in relation to income-support processing work, from the perspective of caseworkers. This was done by interviewing five different caseworkers who all have automation involved in their daily practice. The study concluded that caseworkers experienced an increase in efficiency. At the same time they also experienced an increase in caseloads, which may affect time available for discretionary actions. The data was analyzed through the use of Lipsky’s theory regarding discretion, with concepts such as street-level bureaucracy. Which among other things showed that case workers experienced a reduction in monotonous and repetitive tasks, reducing the extent of an alienting aspect of their work. Caseworkers expressed that as part of introducing automation, the government showed increased trust towards recurring clients, through dispensing with previous requirements on proving the authenticity of information provided in applications for income-support.}},
author = {{Jonsson, Joakim and Agetorp, Joel}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{"Det kommer alltid behövas en socionom som sitter bakom" - Socialsekreterares upplevelser av automatiserad biståndshandläggning}},
year = {{2021}},
}