Counsellors’ experiences of communication and relations in labour and welfare services for people with substance use problems: a sociomaterial perspective

The article explores how sociomaterial conditions influence communication and relationships between the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Services (NAV) and service users with substance use problems. People with substance use problems face multiple health and welfare risks. We have found a knowledge gap about how sociomaterial conditions may affect the communication and relationships between NAV counsellors and service users with substance use problems. We have used theories of sociomateriality to analyse counsellors’ experiences of how their interactions with service users are affected by material conditions, such as the place and space where communication occurs and the technology involved in communication. We interviewed eight counsellors from two large NAV offices and an activity centre in a city municipality, asking how they communicate with users in various places and using technical means. We analysed the interviews using reflexive thematic analysis, finding that counsellors experience their power differently according to place, materials, and context. While communication in the NAV office may establish distinct hierarchical roles, areas outside the NAV office lay more equal foundations for communication. The NAV counsellors experience technology as beneficial for both documentation and communication, but not simultaneously.