Walking Practice Fair
- 24/06/2025 08:30 - 09:45
Delegates are invited to walk through a specially designated exhibition space and directly engage with representatives of the different projects taking part in this session.
This session is open to all delegates.
WALKING PRACTICE FAIR
Preventing Cyber-Exclusion of Older People in Polish Social Services
This project aims to support older people access ICT-enabled social services in Poland.
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation, making digital skills essential for accessing health care, education, and government services. However, older people often face barriers to using these services, limiting their participation in society. To address this, the project examines public policies and social service practices that address digital exclusion. Research also uses decision tree models to identify key factors influencing municipalities’ responsiveness to older people’s digital needs.
The project contributes to public management by guiding policymakers and service providers in creating effective digital support systems for older people. Its findings emphasise the need for targeted interventions, digital tools for transparency, and improved accessibility in municipal services, fostering greater social inclusion.
Presenters:
- Hanna Kelm, Researcher, University of Economics in Katowice, Poland
Online Community for People with Aphasia
Aphasia, a language disorder following brain injury, affects speech, comprehension, reading, and writing, often leading to isolation and loneliness. Communication is vital for social participation, and people with aphasia struggle to engage in daily life as before.
To combat isolation, a Danish online aphasia community was established during Covid-19, later evolving into a structured project (2022-2024) supported by the Danish Stroke Association, Region of Southern Denmark, and the University of Southern Denmark. The project developed a sustainable online community using Zoom, enabling people with aphasia to connect, regardless of location. Volunteers and virtual tools like subtitles and whiteboards support communication.
The project demonstrated that a structured online model, with trained volunteers and professional supervision, is a meaningful solution for social inclusion. Sustainable funding and coordination are essential for long-term success.
Presenters:
- Maria Nysom Kjærgaard, Speech and Language Therapist & Project Manager, Region of Southern Denmark
Community Organisations Key Role in Local Welfare Room
The project focuses on understanding the role of the community—such as families, user groups, and individual citizens—in collaborating with non-profit organisations to provide social services.
INAPP undertakes a regular survey, which in its latest edition highlights the importance of these non-formal networks in relational welfare, especially in strengthening social ties between local authorities and citizens. By analysing collaboration networks, the project identifies trajectories of social innovation, such as new services and processes responding to emerging social demands. It emphasises the contribution of non-formal actors in enhancing the quality of social services and supporting the social cohesion of communities.
The project’s outcome is a deeper understanding of how non-formal collaborations can positively influence service delivery and promote social innovation. This insight could help improve the design and implementation of future social services, fostering more inclusive, community-driven approaches.
Presenters:
- Annalisa Turchini, Researcher, INAPP, Italy
Outside In: Video Calling for Social Work in Prisons
The Near Me project addresses the growing pressures on Scotland’s social work sector, particularly the challenges of recruitment, retention, and increasing workloads.
With 80% of social workers’ time spent on paperwork and many struggling with long travel times for in-person prison visits, the project offers a digital solution to improve efficiency and enhance support. Using secure video calling technology, social workers are enabled to collaborate more effectively with prisoners and other professionals, improving pre-release planning and fostering key relationships.
The pilot, launched in July 2024 at HMP Stirling, a women’s prison and young offenders’ institution in Scotland, has shown significant benefits, including reduced travel time, increased flexibility, and more meaningful interactions. Feedback from both professionals and prisoners has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting trust-building and enhanced communication.
The initiative aims to scale up the use of Near Me technology to modernise social work practice in prisons.
Presenters:
- Calum Campbell, Digital Social Work Policy and Practice Advisor, Social Work Scotland, United Kingdom
InfoSIA: AI Tool to Support Citizens
The InfoSIA Project, developed by Madrid City Council, integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve social services through personalised support for citizens.
The AI-driven application assists professionals in guiding citizens to available benefits and services at local, national and regional levels. It simplifies decision-making by offering tailored recommendations based on users’ scenarios, making social services more accessible. The tool enhances efficiency, reduces administrative burdens, and ensures standardised, person-centred care.
With over 1,000 professionals expected to use it by 2025, the project aims to modernise service delivery and improve quality standards in social work. Key features include the ability for citizens to receive detailed benefit documents, including QR codes, for easy access to additional information.
Organisation: Madrid City Council, Spain
Presenters:
- Consuelo Alafaro, General Director for Social Services and Disability Care, Department of Social Policies, Family and Equality, Madrid City Council, Spain
Enhancing Relational Welfare with AI Chatbots
This project addresses improving online support in relational welfare, particularly social work and mental health services.
High workloads and administrative burdens limit professionals’ capacity to engage meaningfully with clients. The target group includes individuals seeking social and mental health support and professionals needing assistance with routine inquiries. A network of 70 organisations, including social work agencies, mental health providers, universities, and tech companies, is developing an AI-assisted chat service.
This AI-driven tool, trained on real-world chat transcripts and refined through expert feedback, enhances service delivery by managing routine inquiries and providing empathetic responses for complex cases.
Preliminary findings indicate improved efficiency and support quality. The chatbot enables professionals to dedicate more time to complex cases, enhancing relational welfare while streamlining service provision.
Organisation: Artevelde University of Applied Sciences Ghent, Belgium
Supporting Healthcare Professionals and Care Givers through Telecare
The TeleNursing project addresses the challenge of limited healthcare access, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
The target group includes healthcare professionals needing telecare training and new caregiver candidates requiring digital healthcare skills. Through digital training modules, TeleNursing provides upskilling for active professionals and integrates telecare education into formal caregiver qualifications. Training covers assessment, condition management, and personalised remote support.
Impact measurement shows a 60% completion rate among organisations piloting the training, with 75% applying telecare skills within two months. Additionally, 30 further education students completed the training, with three successfully entering the workforce.
Presenters:
- Turker Saliji, Project Manager & Developer, Pro Arbeit – Kreis Offenbach – (AöR) Kommunales Jobcenter, Germany
Empowering Social Services in the Digital Era
The project addresses digital exclusion within social services, focusing on vulnerable clients who are at risk of being left behind in the digital transformation process.
It aims to ensure that social services are accessible, user-friendly, and inclusive, particularly for individuals with limited digital skills. The approach involves integrating digital literacy support, offering non-digital alternatives, and applying the ‘click, call, connect’ principle to ensure equal access for all. The project promotes the empowerment of clients and social workers, equipping them with the skills to navigate digital platforms and advocate for inclusive services.
The project has had a measurable impact by influencing local digital inclusion policies and providing e-inclusion officers with tools to support vulnerable populations. It has led to policy changes, enhanced daily support, and a cultural shift towards prioritising digital inclusion and user-centred design of services, empowering clients and fostering long-term improvements in social service accessibility.
Presenters:
- Van Dyck Joke, Member of staff – Digital Inclusion, Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), Belgium
Empowering Citizens with Digital Channels for Quick Service Access
This project addresses the need for accessible, efficient, and user-friendly digital solutions for social services users, aiming to reduce bureaucratic barriers and improve interactions with professionals.
Social services users often face fragmented information, excessive paperwork, and long waiting times, making it essential to implement proactive, streamlined, and personalised digital solutions. The project, led by Barcelona City Council, integrates multiple digital channels with in-person services, offering an omnichannel approach. It includes an app that enables secure communication with social care professionals, document exchange, appointment management, benefit justification, and access to social services information. For professionals, the platform supports mass communication, personalised assistance, and consolidated case management.
By enhancing accessibility and efficiency, the project strengthens citizen empowerment and administrative responsiveness, ensuring that digital transformation in social services prioritises inclusion and usability for all users.
Presenters:
- Ana Milián Huerta, Head of Digital Transformation Projects, Institute for Social Services. Barcelona City Council, Spain
Change Intervention: A New Approach to Safety Planning
This project introduces an innovative social work model, developed by a practitioner with both professional expertise and lived experience.
The Change Intervention model addresses key challenges in social work by promoting curiosity and critical reflection when interventions face resistance. The focus of this model is to empower social workers and the individuals they support by facilitating more meaningful conversations, especially when resistance arises during the implementation of positive interventions. It also provides structured training and tools for social workers to enhance practice and improve outcomes.
As a model developed by someone with direct lived experience, it offers a unique, reflective framework for advancing relational welfare and improving social work practices, especially in fostering trust and meaningful connections between practitioners and individuals.
Organisation: Kirwin Maclean Associates LTD, United Kingdom
Presenters:
- Eilis Mulvaney, Social Worker and Lived Experience Expert, United Kingdom
Better Sleep for Vulnerable Citizens: Technology Meets Ethics and Participation
Poor sleep significantly affects physical and mental well-being, particularly for vulnerable citizens with special needs. Sleep disturbances can worsen health issues and lead to social challenges, conflict, and dependency.
This project addresses these concerns by implementing tailored ‘sleep intervention technology packages’ in the Central Denmark Region, supporting individuals with diverse needs, including physical disabilities and mental health challenges. The project introduces 18 technological and analogue sleep solutions, such as IoT-based circadian lighting, biometric monitoring, weighted blankets, and mindfulness apps. Clients, in collaboration with caregivers, can select personalised interventions that best support their sleep, enhancing autonomy and engagement.
The project ensures scalable and adaptable solutions by integrating cross-organisational collaboration, training professionals, and leveraging research resources.
Presenters:
- Martin Johannsen, Consultant, Regional Government of Central Denmark, Denmark
Automated System of Humanitarian Aid Registration
The Automated Humanitarian Aid Registration System addresses inefficiencies in aid distribution by streamlining registration, tracking, and delivery. It ensures transparency, reduces corruption, improves accessibility for vulnerable populations, and centralises data for better coordination. Aligned with social protection and digital transformation, the system enhances access to aid, particularly for displaced persons and crisis-affected populations. Optimising data collection and automating processes reduces human error, enhances accountability, and minimises administrative burdens. The project also integrates community engagement, incorporating feedback loops to ensure aid reaches those in need efficiently. Launched in Ukraine, the system has significantly improved the tracking and control of humanitarian aid distribution. Increasing transparency and reducing corruption risks have fostered trust in the aid process. The system’s ability to streamline operations, ensure equitable aid allocation, and enhance governance, highlights its impact on humanitarian relief efforts.
Organisation: Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, Ukraine
Empowering People through a Human Rights-Based Approach to Information Management
This project, focuses on the National Standards for Information Management, developed by The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), and associated guidance to support their implementation. These standards ensure that data handling respects individuals’ human rights, such as privacy and autonomy, while promoting a relational welfare and human rights-based approach to information management.
This project presents a significant step towards ensuring that data is used responsibly and ethically to improve services and empower individuals. The standards prioritise a person-centred, participatory approach, engaging service users in data management practices. Additionally, it focuses on stakeholder engagement and their alignment with broader national and international developments in digital health. The initiative aims to enhance data quality, security, and accessibility, empowering individuals with more control over their health information.
Organisation: Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), Ireland