Digital competence as core professional skill of social workers
To understand the role and relevance of the COMHOM project in this context, it is first necessary to examine the broader technological changes reshaping social work. Digitalisation is increasingly embedded in the everyday practices of the profession and is changing not only how social workers carry out their work but also the competencies required of them. Digital technologies are now used to facilitate effective communication, maintain documentation, support decision-making, and strengthen the relationship between clients and social workers (Bruheim-Escobar, Aasback & Kvakic 2026, 1).
Digital skills are therefore needed not only to respond to current demands, but also to prepare for future developments in the field. The Future of Jobs Report (2025, 35) emphasises that technological literacy is a core requirement for all professionals, including social workers. Digital competence is a multidimensional phenomenon that includes knowledge, skills, and abilities (Oberländer, Beinicke & Bipp 2020). In the context of social work, competence includes both the use of tools and, above all, its ethical dimension in relation to client work (see example, Steiner 2021)
Digital tools in social work: benefits and risks
Digital technologies encompass a wide range of tools – such as information and communication technologies, electronic information systems, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. These are used in different contexts and for somewhat different purposes, for example for client communication and therapeutic interventions (Bruheim-Escobar, Aasback & Kvakic 2026, 1). Mostly, digital tools are used in case documentation, information sharing, and organizing services.
In social work, digital interaction offers especially new ways to support people emotionally, and social workers can use emotions to build a connection with clients in digital environments (Løberg & Egeland 2023). Furthermore, digital tools create new opportunities to reach clients, especially those who are difficult to contact (Westwood & Larkins 2021). In addition, digital tools can help social workers be in contact with clients more easily. This is particularly beneficial for people with mobility difficulties, those who live far away, or those who are facing emotional challenges to seek services in person at an office.
Although digital tools can improve access, communication, and efficiency, we should be aware that they also bring challenges. For instance, it is often challenging to make sure that new systems suit the realities of everyday social work. The growing use of digital tools has also raised ethical concerns and has been linked to increased worker stress (Bruheim-Escobar, Aasback & Kvakic 2026, 1). It can also be difficult to maintain professional boundaries in digital settings, and there are continuing concerns about clients’ privacy and confidentiality.
The overall impact may remain uncertain (Westwood & Larkins 2021), but it is clear that digital technology has become an integral and everyday part of social work that significantly influences practice (Bruheim-Escobar, Aasback & Kvakic 2026, 3).
From tools to transformation: towards a “phygital” paradigm
Since digital technology is here to stay and to mitigate the risks, digital development work in the field requires that social work professionals commit to continuous learning in the area of digital technology. However, this is not only about adopting new digital tools and methods, but also about a new mindset – digital transformation. In this context, the so-called “phygital environment” is increasingly discussed. It refers to an environment in which social, physical and digital dimensions intersect (Karhapää, Rikala, Pöysä-Tarhonen & Hämäläinen 2024).
The ongoing digital transformation makes the work environment highly complex; it creates new forms of collaboration, but also interdependencies and vulnerabilities (Vial 2019). To address these challenges, the COMHOM project funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) was launched with the aim of developing a common European framework and a shared digital platform for services related to combating homelessness. The project involves 23 pilot organisations from nearly 20 different European countries.
In the context of this ongoing digital transformation and as the work environment becomes increasingly “phygital,” the COMHOM project emphasizes that the development of digital services should be approached as a systemic learning process. Continuous learning in digital technology is not only an individual responsibility of social work professionals, but also a question of organisational support and enable or hinder development (Illeris 2018). By offering professionals real opportunities to participate in co-creation processes and influence both the shared European framework and the concrete digital platform, COMHOM seeks to strengthen their optimism and positive attitudes toward digital services (Nadav et al. 2021; Grindell et al. 2022). In this way, the development of digital competence, co-creation, and the shift in professional thinking toward digital transformation are closely linked, creating a foundation for more sustainable and impactful digital practices in the field.
Capacity Building and Mentoring for Digital Transformation in Homelessness Services
COMHOM’s Capacity Building and Mentoring (CB&M) programme supports the digital transformation of homelessness service units across Europe. Involving the 23 pilot organisations – social sector actors working in the field of homelessness – the programme will help integrate the digital COMHOM platform into everyday practice. Through training and mentoring, the broader COMHOM project aims to strengthen the capacity of service providers and develop digital tools – including data lake, AI models and centralised platform – to improve service quality, decision-making and resource allocation. The platform will be ready at the end of the project (2027).
Within the CB&M program, monthly training sessions and accompanying monthly mentoring meetings have been organised, together building a foundation for the successful implementation of digital transformation in the social sector. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has organised the training in collaboration with the project’s thematic content experts.
The training sessions have focused particularly on themes related to the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework, such as:
- theory of change and a feasible set of variables (developed at Sant Joan de Déu Valencia )
- data protection and compliance with GDPR requirements (supported by Chino.io)
- data integration using a standardisation and harmonisation tool (Sant Joan de Déu Valencia)
- interface solutions and access to data (Social IT Socialit – From ideas to impact).
In addition, the mentoring groups have supported participants in deepening their understanding and incorporating what they have learned into their daily work.
Looking ahead: building capacity for sustainable change
In the COMHOM project, professionals have participated in concrete development work at a practical level through the CB&M programme (Building capacity for change: the COMHOM Capacity Building & Mentoring programme takes shape across Europe – COMHOM) The next phase of the project will focus on harmonizing and integrating data into the COMHOM platform, while CB&M activities will continue. The goal is to enable comprehensive and timely support, increase awareness, and foster a positive attitude toward change. In particular, the focus is on a collaborative mindset and peer support from other organizations. The best, most impactful, and sustainable results of this development work are achieved through close cooperation and open discussion.
Practical recommendations for sustainable digital transformation
The following considerations may offer a useful starting point for any organization involved in a similar initiative aiming at developing digital practices and staff competencies. The recommendations are meant to support the transformation process and ensure that digital transformation is successful, impactful, and sustainable.
- Use shared approaches, not just individual tools:
Agree on common rules for how data is used, how ethics are respected, and how results are checked. This helps make sure digital tools work well for both staff and people using services. - Build skills and confidence:
Offer simple, regular training that everyone can join. Encourage colleagues to help each other so people feel safe to try out new “phygital” (physical + digital) ways of working. - Keep people at the centre:
Involve frontline workers and service users when you design and test digital tools. Keep checking whether technology is building trust, making it easier to get support and leading to better results. - See digital change as ongoing:
Treat digitalisation as a long‑term change in how people think and work, not a one‑time project. Take time to talk about how technology affects privacy, professional boundaries, and what the work looks like in practice. - Work together to make change happen:
Connect with other organisations, share what you learn (including what doesn’t work) and look for joint solutions. That way, progress in one organisation can help improve the whole sector.
In the COMHOM context, we have seen that when digitalisation is considered not only as a technical matter, but as a shared, carefully considered and people-centred process of change in practice, social work organisations can build the digital mindsets and competencies social workers need to do their job well and support sustainable change.
References
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Author
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Eija Raatikainen
Principal Lecturer (PhD, Associate Professor) and Project Manager, Metropolia UASEija Raatikainen is Principal Lecturer (PhD) and Project Manager in the School of Well-being, Metropolia UAS.
About the author
