Study title

Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client Interviews on Social Welfare Services 2024-2025

Dataset ID Number

FSD3996

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3996
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3996

Data Type

Qualitative

Authors

• Puuronen, Anne (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Tuominen, Tuula (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Nyman, Katrina (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Lindroos, Sanni (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Taipale, Mikko (SONet BOTNIA Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)

Abstract

The data consists of interviews with working-age people, families with children, and older people, in which social welfare services are examined. The data was collected as part of the SULAVA project, which studied the quality and effectiveness of social welfare services in the Inland Finland cooperation area in 2024-2025.

The interviews examined clients' views on service processes, including how smoothly services were accessed and the changes hoped for as a result of the client relationship. The next theme focused on the actors involved in the service process and cooperation between different professionals. In addition, the significance of support received from, or hoped for from, close relations was explored. Finally, the impact of the services on the interviewees' life situations was addressed.

Background information includes gender, age group, welfare area, and social services area.

Keywords

customer service; customers; quality of life; social care; social interaction; social services; social work; social workers

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Specific social services: use and availability (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• General health and well-being (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Nyman, Katrina (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Lindroos, Sanni (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)
• Taipale, Mikko (SONet BOTNIA Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare)

Funders

• European Union. NextGenerationEU (VN/29599/2023)

Time Period Covered

2024 – 2025

Collection Dates

2024-05-30 – 2025-03-04

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland, Inland Finland collaborative area

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Clients of social services for working‑age people, families with children and older people in the Inland Finland collaborative area

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

The data was collected as part of a larger project, in which a questionnaire was sent out with a participation form attached, allowing social welfare clients to express their interest in participating in the interview. The questionnaire and participation form were sent to just under 5,000 adult clients of adult social services and family services in the Pirkanmaa, Kanta-Häme, and Etelä-Pohjanmaa welfare regions. Of these, 1,200 were sent as paper forms. Social welfare workers were also asked to distribute interview invitations to their own clients, which was also used as the main means of reaching clients of services for the older people.

Collection Mode

Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Web-based interview

Research Instrument

Interview scheme and/or themes

Data Files

33 linterview transcripts in odt format. The data were organised into an easy to use HTML version and includes also a CSV version.

Data File Language

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

Qualitative data are available in their original language only and are not translated.

Data Version

1.0

Related Datasets

FSD3997 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Group Interviews with Employees on Social Welfare Services 2024

FSD3998 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Peer Reflection Discussions of Research Social Workers 2024-2025

FSD4008 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Working-Age Client Survey 2024-2025

FSD4009 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client-Employee Discussions 2025

FSD4010 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client Survey for Families with Children 2025

FSD4018 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Employee Survey 2024

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Researchers have anonymized the data by removing or categorizing personal data and other information that could identify the interviewees, such as names, ages, welfare areas, places of residence, service and organization identification details, information on rare diseases or unusual family situations, hobbies, job titles, and educational background.

To prevent identification of respondents, information referring to the wellbeing services county and other places or events, as well as information related to the child's age, was removed from the data at FSD. Changes made at FSD are marked with [[double square brackets]].

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Puuronen, Anne (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare) & Tuominen, Tuula (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare) & Nyman, Katrina (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare) & Lindroos, Sanni (Pikassos Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare) & Taipale, Mikko (SONet BOTNIA Centre of Excellence on Social Welfare): Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client Interviews on Social Welfare Services 2024-2025 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2025-12-22). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3996; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3996

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

The application procedure differs from the one normally used for data archived at FSD and has two stages. The applicant needs to submit separate applications to both FSD and the Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa (Pirha).
The application to Pirha - for a university-level thesis or research project - is completed through the Researcher’s Digital Service Portal: https://www.pirha.fi/ammattilaiselle/tutkimus. Please note that the portal and the related webpage are available only in Finnish. Applicants who do not speak Finnish are advised to contact Pirha’s research coordinators directly for assistance: pirhatutkimus@pirha.fi. A preliminary research plan must be attached to the application.
Pirha will inform FSD of its decision. Once the decision has been made, FSD User Services will notify the applicant whether permission to download the data has been granted.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

FSD has not been informed of any publications related to the data.