Reflections on the 2025 European Social Services Conference in Aarhus, Denmark
This article has been written by Calum Campbell, our Digital Social Work Policy and Practice Advisor, Sharon Stirrat, our Justice Policy and Practice Lead, Leigh Jolly, our Vice-Convenor, and Stephen Morgan, our Children and Families Standing Committee and Digital subgroup Chair, who attended the Conference. If you would like more information please contact calum.campbell@socialworkscotland.org.
In June 2025, we had the privilege of attending the European Social Services Conference (ESSC) in Aarhus, Denmark – the flagship annual event of the European Social Network (ESN). This year’s conference brought together 670 delegates from 38 countries, representing a diverse cross-section of Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. The atmosphere was vibrant, international, and forward-looking.
Together, we spent three intensive days engaging with 113 presentations and 24 keynote addresses focused on the pressing challenges and future opportunities for social services.
Core Themes: Relational Welfare and Technology
This year’s conference centred on two interconnected themes: relational welfare and welfare technology. The emphasis was on building systems that are not only digitally enabled but also deeply human.
Relational welfare shifts the lens from top-down, process-driven services to more flexible, trust-based approaches that see people not as problems to fix, but as partners in their own care. As Hilary Cottam, author of Radical Help, put it, we must move from a vertical to a horizontal structure – one that fosters real, enduring connections. This concept was echoed in discussions around meaningful work as a core part of wellbeing. Grace Hu, from Illinois’ Department of Health and Human Services, introduced the idea of peacekeepers – paid professionals with lived experience who act as community stabilisers. This was a powerful example of relational work at scale, and its impact on both individual lives and collective wellbeing.
“The Best Treatment is Presence”: Reframing Technology
While technology was seen as essential for future service delivery, the message was clear: tech must never replace presence. Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard was quoted throughout the conference: “The best treatment is presence.” That includes skilled professionals who can connect, listen, empathise, and adapt.
Welfare technology, when thoughtfully implemented, offers a “four-time win”:
- Citizens receive more timely, personalised support.
- Staff are empowered with tools that ease workloads.
- Organisations operate more efficiently.
- Systems become more economically sustainable.
However, as several speakers highlighted, the challenges of implementation and scaling remain considerable. Poorly deployed tech can exacerbate inequality and even alienate those it intends to help.
Tackling the Digital Divide
A recurring theme was the digital divide. While innovation surges ahead, the risk is that only the digitally literate benefit, leaving behind those who are excluded due to age, disability, socio-economic status, or geographic barriers.
Several speakers – including Sarah Carlik from MeSafe Digital Safeguarding – called for non-digital pathways to remain firmly in place. Services must be inclusive by design, with digital support seen as an enhancement, not a replacement. Sarah also spoke compellingly about child protection technology often being designed for children by adults, rather than with children. The call to reposition children as co-designers was loud and clear.
Technology in Practice: From Robots to Reflective Apps
One of the standout innovations came from Aarhus itself: a robot café where people with disabilities work remotely, operating robots that serve customers. This model creates new, accessible employment pathways and challenges assumptions about ability and contribution.
In Croatia, colleagues from Zagreb shared their eLearning modules that prepare young people for independent living. In Spain, a network of living labs is helping communities co-design solutions in real time – participatory innovation in action.
Apps were another area of interest – particularly those that allow service users to rate their experience of social worker visits, reflecting on whether they felt heard, seen, and understood. Young people tend to be more digital savvy and in child protection they have been involved in the co-design of digital safeguarding technology. These tools could offer important feedback loops and highlight areas for improvement, but only if implemented carefully and ethically.
Artificial Intelligence and Data: Promise and Precaution
Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as both an opportunity and a warning. It can improve case management, enhance predictive analytics, streamline client intake and assessment, and support data-informed decision-making.
Claude Kirchner from the French National Digital Ethics Consultative Council urged caution. The potential of AI must be matched with safeguards:
- Preventing algorithmic bias
- Ensuring truly informed consent
- Avoiding excessive surveillance
- Guaranteeing data transparency and accountability
Pritesh Mistry from the King’s Fund presented a nuanced picture of robotics in care – from assistive and telepresence robots to robotic pets used in dementia care. These innovations can offer companionship, reduce carer burden, and maintain social contact, particularly for isolated individuals.
Social Work Scotland’s Involvement
We were proud to represent Social Work Scotland at this year’s ESSC – not just to learn, but to contribute. Calum and Sharon participated in the Practice Fair, showcasing the Near Me in Prisons project. This innovative use of secure video technology allows social workers to connect virtually with individuals in custody, improving pre-release planning, reducing travel, and facilitating more regular, meaningful engagement. The project is already underway across Scottish prisons. You can find more information on the Near Me in Prisons project here. Meanwhile, Stephen Morgan, joined Alex Stephany, founder of Magic Notes, on stage during a live demo session. Magic Notes is an AI-powered tool that records conversations and helps generate assessments. Stephen shared insights and learnings from Dumfries and Galloway – the first local authority in Scotland to adopt the platform across their social work services.
These sessions highlighted the role Scotland is playing in embracing innovation while remaining grounded in strong ethical and relational foundations.
Shaping the Future: Key Actions and Reflections
Coming away from the conference, it’s clear that the future of social services will be co-created, requiring courage, collaboration, and curiosity. Some of the most powerful takeaways include:
Strategic Priorities:
- Integrate digital tools with rather than into social work and social care systems.
- Keep non-digital pathways robust and accessible.
- Involve children and young people as equal partners in service design.
- Focus on reducing social worker workload to enable quality relational work.
- Support informal bridge-builders – often the quiet champions of innovation.
- Begin with small, relational projects that can scale over time.
- Work in tandem with education and training providers to build digital confidence.
System Shifts:
- Shift from assessing to asking, from talking to, to listening with, and from solving for to solving alongside citizens.
- Co-design services with people who use them – radical transparency and accessibility by default.
- Ensure everyone has affordable connectivity and suitable devices to participate fully.
- Scale up access to assistive technology, especially in underserved communities.
- Reference made to “European Pillar of Social Rights”- principle 20- making the link with the use of technology and equal opportunities and social inclusion
Final Reflections
The 2025 ESSC was a compelling snapshot of where social services stand today – and where they could go tomorrow. It was energising to learn from colleagues across the world who are testing bold ideas and leading with empathy, not just efficiency.
At its heart, the message was this: technology must serve people, not the other way around. As we return to our own services in Scotland, we are energised to continue this vital work – building a future where human connection, innovation, and dignity go hand in hand. Ethical considerations need to be at the forefront as we navigate the digital frontier, while allowing creativity to inform the way forward.
