Study title

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

Dataset ID Number

FSD4009

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4009
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4009

Data Type

Qualitative

Authors

• Niskanen, Hanna (Sosiaalialan osaamiskekus Pikassos Oy)

Abstract

The data consist of transcripts of discussions between social workers or social advisors and their adult clients, as well as ECOMAP maps produced on the basis of these discussions that address the clients' resources and resource drainers. The data were collected as part of the SULAVA project, which examined the quality and effectiveness of social welfare services in the Inland Finland collaborative area in 2024-2025. The project was carried out by the Sosiaalialan osaamiskeskus Pikassos and SONetBOTNIA. It was administered by the Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa and coordinated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The aim was for all worker-client pairs to have two discussions. In the first discussion, factors that increased or depleted the client's resources were mapped. At the same time, an ECOMAP map was drawn based on these factors. The second discussions took place 3-7 weeks after the first, although two clients did not participate in a second discussion. In the second discussion, the ECOMAP map created during the first discussion was reviewed. The focus was on how the resource situation had changed between the two discussions. During the second discussion, some worker-client pairs chose to supplement the map created in the first discussion or draw an entirely new map. Of the employees in the data, three were social advisors and three were social workers. One social advisor participated with three of their clients, and one social advisor and one social worker each with two of their clients. There are ten clients in total in the data.

The data approach resources from various perspectives. Both the first and the second discussions include extensive reflections on the clients' current life situations, past, and future. Recurring themes in the interviews include, for example, alcohol problems, drug problems, financial worries, children, mental health, services, hobbies, and hopes for the future.

Background information in the data includes gender, age group, interview location, interview date, and information on the interview stage.

Keywords

alcoholism; hobbies; mental health; poverty; quality of life; resources; social disadvantage; social work; social workers

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Other (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Social welfare policy and systems (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

• Niskanen, Hanna (Sosiaalialan osaamiskekus Pikassos Oy)

Funders

• European Union, Next Generation EU

Time Period Covered

2025

Collection Dates

2025-03-07 – 2025-05-27

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Inland Finland collaborative area

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Social advisors and social workers working in the Inland Finland collaborative area and their adult clients.

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Non-probability: Availability

The researcher-social worker disseminated information about the study and participation in it at their other workplace within the Inland Finland collaborative area in services for the working‑age population. The total target group of the study consisted of 146 employees (86 social advisors and 60 social workers) and their clients (February 2025). The researcher-social worker trained interested employees in the use of the ECOMAP working method, after which those employees who wished to participate and had received consent from their client(s) contacted the researcher to schedule the research appointment.

Collection Mode

Recording

Other mode of collection (ECOMAP: E-mail)

Research Instrument

Data collection guidelines

Data Files

Sixteen transcripts in ODT format and fourteen Ecomap charts in PDF format. Additionally, the data were organised into an easy to use HTML version and 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

FSD3996 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client Interviews on Social Welfare Services 2024-2025

FSD3997 Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Group Interviews with Employees on Social Welfare Services 2024-2025

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

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

During the automated processing of the dataset, underlinings that indicated particularly emphatic words or passages have been removed from the transcripts.

Clients' gender was assumed, not asked.

The dataset includes conversation transcripts in ODT format and the ECOMAP maps generated from the conversations in PDF format. Each conversation file and its corresponding map file share an identical filename, differing only in the filename extension. However, not all conversations resulted in an ECOMAP map.

For reasons of identifiability, the researcher has anonymised the data by removing or altering information that could have enabled the identification of the participants. Such information included, for example, personal names, places of residence, and specific service names (which could be linked to a particular locality). Names were either replaced with different ones or substituted with descriptors, such as the person's familial relationship. Information concerning less common family situations, hobbies and leisure-time activities, or other similar details was removed or generalised. All modifications made by the researcher are indicated with [square brackets].

The anonymization carried out by the researcher has been further refined by the Finnish Social Science Data Archive. Additional anonymization was performed by removing location information, detailed descriptions of life‑course events, broadening specific age mentions, and generalizing information that appeared in three Ecomap charts. Anonymization performed by the FSD is marked with [[double square brackets]].

Two transcripts are missing from the archived dataset because technical issues occurred during the recording of the discussions, and the resulting transcripts were not suitable for archiving.

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

Niskanen, Hanna (Sosiaalialan osaamiskekus Pikassos Oy): Quality and Effectiveness of Social Work: Client-Employee Discussions 2025 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2025-10-20). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4009; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4009

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.