digitalization, ICT, social work

The COVID-19 pandemic was an accelerator of the use of ICT in social work interventions. During that period, the authors, in cooperation with three organizations of social services, introduced a social innovation - the use of ICT in social work with the following target groups: (1) vulnerable children and (2) older people. The group (1) - vulnerable children and their key social workers - were provided with 37 tablets with an internet connection and the group (2) - older people and volunteers taking care of them - were given 13 tablets with an internet connection. Subsequently, the authors evaluated the implementation of this social innovation in practice. The aim of the introduced social innovation was to prevent, or to reduce, the effects of digital exclusion on vulnerable target groups through social work during emergencies. By evaluating the social innovation, we found out how social workers, volunteers, and social work clients themselves interpret the possibilities of reducing the impacts of digital exclusion using ICT in social work. As a technique of data collection, we used semi-structured interviews, which took place online due to the unfavorable epidemiological situation. A total of 50 interviews were analyzed using open coding. 31 interviews were conducted with clients (7 with seniors, 24 with parents and their children). 13 interviews were conducted with social workers and 6 with volunteers. The results confirmed that social workers, volunteers, and clients consider the introduced social innovation as a contribution to alleviating digital exclusion. In their statements, social workers and volunteers emphasize the need to introduce specialized courses supporting the use of ICT in the education of social workers and social work students. This raises a question of updating the minimum standard in the education of social workers in the Czech Republic with an emphasis on the process of advancing digitization.