Session 2: EPR Annual Conference 2021 - Digital Transformation - Learning from COVID19, looking to the future

1. Digitalisation in the Social Services Sector
Opportunities, Challenges & the Role of Social Partners
Alina Pavicevac
Project & Policy Officer
alina.pavicevac@socialemployers.eu
EPR Annual Conference
30 September 2021

2. Content
• Presentation of the Social Employers
• Joint Position Paper with EPSU: presentation of key points
• Impact of Covid-19 on skills and training needs
• The DDSkills Project
• Conclusions

3. The Federation of European Social
Employers
• European employers organisation in social services
• social services: care and support services for older
persons, persons with disabilities, children, and other
excluded or disadvantaged persons
• Objectives:
• Strengthen the position of employers in social services
• Guide & influence European legislation
• Establish common positions and negotiate with European Trade
Unions
• Stimulate the exchange of promising practices

4. Joint Position Paper with EPSU: presentation
of key points
Impact of digitalisation on the social
services sector
• Digital information & documentation
systems
• Connected help and monitoring
systems
• Training possibilities
• Robotics and artificial intelligence Pictures: EU-OSHA, Actiz.nl

5. Joint Position Paper with EPSU: presentation
of key points
Opportunities for social services
• Promote independence, quality of life and wellbeing of
service users
• Protect and empower workers, ease physical and
mental strain = avoid early exit from work
• Improve work organisation, better workload
management
• Increasing the attractiveness of work in the sector

6. Joint Position Paper with EPSU: presentation
of key points
Challenges for social services
• New forms of work – questions of quality standards,
work organisation and social security schemes
• Data management (ethical and legal implications)
• Additional skills and training needs
• Financing

7. Joint Position Paper with EPSU: presentation
of key points
The role of Social Dialogue
• Active involvement of employers and workers representatives
crucial to organise introduction and use of new technologies.
• Social partners can help make full use of opportunities and
mitigate possible negative effects.
• The Social Employers and EPSU will continue their cooperation
on the topic as EU social partners in social services.
See Joint Position Paper on Digitalisation

8. Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on
skills and training needs
• Drastically increased need for digital skills:
• using digital communication & collaboration tools,
• attending online trainings and webinars,
• using smartphone applications, etc.
• Difficulties in accessing funding for training
• Enhancing social dialogue to better address needs in
this area

9. The DDSkills Project
• Teach competences and skills in new technologies and services
• Survey with 68 professionals on training needs (in Cyprus,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Lithuania).
• Commonly used: digital devices such as a PC or tablet, switches,
controls, motorised wheelchairs and mobile Apps
• Uncommon: Virtual and Augmented Reality, robotics & Smart
Home technology

10. The DDSkills Project
• 60% reported not to attend regular professional
training (no training per year)
• Reasons: Lack of interesting courses, lack of time, high
costs
• All participants agreed that digital and technology
skills should be taught in their workplace
• would offer them additional and better options for their job
(76%)
• would speed up their daily activities (56%)

11. The DDSkills Project
• Certified training course to qualify professionals in areas
such as
• digital Assistive Technologies, Smart Home, Robotics, Virtual
and Augmented Reality and Brain-Computer-Interface
• Implementation and application on the ground
• Piloted with 80 care professionals from 4 countries
• Access the course plan here:
http://www.ddskills.eu/RESULTS

12. Conclusions
• Digitalisation can help with some of the sector’s common
challenges
• Digitalisation process should be steered by social partners
• Covid-19 accelerated the use of new technologies and increased
the need for qualification and training
• Need to address gaps in education & training and financial
investment

13. Thank you for your attention!
For more information
www.socialemployers.eu
Twitter @SocialEmployers
alina.pavicevac@socialemployers.eu