Tekijät

• Kuusisto, Katja (University of Tampere. School of Social Sciences and Humanities)
• Tampere University
• City of Tampere
• SOS II project (City of Tampere, Kaste programme by Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM))

Asiasanat

customer service, social security, social security benefits, social services, social work

Sisällön kuvaus

This survey charted client satisfaction with adult social work and basic social assistance services provided by the Sarvis service point in Tampere. Themes of the survey included applying for basic social assistance, visits to the Sarvis service point, effectiveness of services, and the respondents' sources of information on social work services.

First, the respondents' experiences of applying for basic social assistance were examined. Questions included, for example, whether the respondents thought the application for basic social assistance was clear and obtaining the necessary supporting documents had been easy for them. The respondents were also asked whether they thought they had been treated fairly during the process and whether they had understood the contents of the decision they had received regarding basic social assistance. Additionally, the respondents were asked whether they would prefer to apply for basic social assistance online, by post, or face-to-face during an appointment.

Opinions on visiting the Sarvis service point were surveyed next with questions concerning the accessibility of the service point and the availability of services (e.g. whether they thought it was easy to book an appointment and whether enough time had been reserved for the appointment). Further questions examined the interaction and relationship between the client and social work employee during client meetings (e.g. whether the respondents thought the interaction had been empathetic and attentive in nature, they had received information on relevant services, and they could discuss difficult matters with the employee).

The respondents' views on the effectiveness of social work services were charted with questions on whether their situation in life had improved or worsened after becoming a client of social work services and whether the services had met their expectations. The respondents' confidence in their future and future expectations were also surveyed. Finally, the respondents' sources of information on social work services (e.g. the Internet, service point employees, school/educational institution, newspaper) were investigated.

Background variables included the respondent's age group, gender, level of education, household composition, number of children aged under 18 living in the household, economic activity and occupational status, length of possible unemployment period, and mother tongue. Information was also collected on the respondent's social services clienthood.