The practice of social work documentation in an age of automatization: a case from a Danish municipal job centre

Abstract This article investigates the effects of technology on statutory social workers’ documentation and recording practices. In the context of social work in a Danish municipal job centre, where social workers handle and document cases, we analyse the implementation of new technology intended for communication between social workers and clients. The article draws on the literature of street-level bureaucracy and studies of technology in social work practice. The study is a qualitative case study of social work practice in a job centre in a Danish municipality. The article draws on qualitative data from the study including text messages, interviews, focus groups, and observations. The data were analysed thematically and through an abductive approach. Our analysis shows how a technology intended for communication transforms into a documentation tool for social workers. This has implications for case work, professional discretion and, ultimately, for clients. In particular, we show how social workers run the risk of over recording information, which will thus potentially blur the transparency of case processes.