Dubasque, Didier

The reflections, productions, and recommendations of the Higher Council for Social Work’s “Digital Technology and Social Work” working group - 2020.


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This article aims to inform the reader of the state of the reflection carried out within the Higher Council for Social Work on the digital transition and the upheavals it brings to this sector. It presents the work of its Digital Technology and Social Work Commission and endeavors to describe the content of the documents produced. The group first drafted an opinion paper entitled “Why and How Do Social Workers Use Digital Tools?” It raises both concerns and proposals. The concerns include the risk of increasing the non-take-up of rights for those who do not understand or use the internet, risks of invasion of privacy, and risks of loss of autonomy. The proposed responses require resources that are included in a series of recommendations to government departments, local authorities, and institutions that develop online services. Several guide sheets were then created. The first concerns the challenges and conditions for the success of a digital transition adapted by the various actors of social work. As such, a specific document addresses the necessary links between the actors of social work, social mediation, and digital mediation. It recommends the creation of “digital solidarity networks” in the region that are as close as possible to the needs of the population. Finally, two specific fact sheets presented here deal in detail with the issues of access to rights and social and educational support.