Ambivalence in digital social work: giving advice about welfare-to-work programmes to unemployed clients

Abstract

ABSTRACT In contemporary welfare systems, employability-oriented approaches and welfare-to-work (WtW) programmes place activation and client responsibility at the heart of social services. WtW is a frequently discussed topic in frontline workers’ interaction with unemployed clients; however, it also represents a source of ambivalence. With the increased digitalization of social work, counselling related to WtW often take place on digital platforms instead of face-to-face meetings. This study examines written interaction between counsellors and unemployed clients and analyses sequences in which the counsellors present WtW-related advice. A discourse analytic approach was adopted, focusing on the sequential design and framing of the advice. Three recurring advice-giving formats were identified: information as advice, interrogative advice, and assessment as advice. The three formats differ sequentially, in terms of normative pressure to respond and comply, but generally approach the topic of WtW participation cautiously and frame the decision as clients’ autonomous choice, frequently presupposing a high level of institutional knowledge. Clients tend to be reluctant to respond to WTW advice, which impedes counsellors’ ability to tailor the advice. The advice-giving sequences are short with few message turns, limiting the shared exploration of alternatives and potentially clients’ active participation in decision-making. The study sheds light on the interactional challenges of addressing the potentially ambivalent topic of WtW in a digital counselling context but also raises questions regarding the realization of welfare policies through digital frontline work.