Creating a competence profile of a new profession: social service agents in welfare centers

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines in detail how a new occupational group in a field creates and defines its professional competences. The background of the study refers to a new way of organizing social and health care services that requires new type of expertise. The authors examine the professionals of this new sector – service agents and the competences – they need in a multi-professional networking organization. The goal of this organizational pilot project is to gather both experience and practical knowledge of how the “gatekeeper” model can work between the customer and the service provider. The purpose of this paper is to learn the service agents’ perspective on their own work, namely, how they create their work, what their visions of the future are, and what can be learned from the new organizing model.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data collection and small-scale exploratory study of a new profession: eight service agents and their two supervisors were interviewed to raise awareness of what professional competences these new job contents require, how service agents can influence the content of their work, and what competence needs will emerge in the future.

Findings

The key findings indicate that service agents lack the courage to modify their own mission. When a new profession is created, they are uncertain about how to create self-content on their own terms. They assume they need a certain degree and to know something more than they already know. They do not dare define their own new professional territory, but rather wait for that definition to come from their organization or society. However, the results also show that some service agents have a hidden willingness to be creative even when there is a lack of courage. There is a need to take more initiative and for agents to think freely outside the box in this new situation.

Research limitations/implications

The number of interviewees is small and the context specific. However, the study gives an indication of the factors that need to be taken into account when the dissemination of the model starts.

Originality/value

The paper describes the results of the pilot project of a new profession and a customer-oriented model in the social and health care sector.

Citation

Forsten-Astikainen, R. and Heilmann, P. (2018), "Creating a competence profile of a new profession: social service agents in welfare centers", Employee Relations, Vol. 40 No. 2, pp. 362-380. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-01-2017-0009