The first stage of the project will have the Online Citizen Social Assistance Office (OVACS) offering the service to the Sant Andreu, Baró de Viver, La Trinitat Vella and El Bon Pastor neighbourhoods. Local residents using it will have the facility at their disposal as well as private video-conference connections with professionals from several social services located throughout the area. In addition, they will receive support, accompaniment and guidance from someone during their video-conferences.

On the other hand, they will also be able to connect to a social services centre (CSS) for requesting general information and collecting documents, sending applications for recognition of dependency situations and carrying out the procedure for requesting the telecare service. They will also be able to connect to the Benefits Office for requesting information and advice on various benefits and applying for and receiving discounted T-usual transport cards.

Faster and with less bureaucracy

OVACS will also enable connections with energy advice points (PAEs) from the very start, whether for general advice, applying for a report on risk of residential exclusion (IRER) or processing discounts on electricity-bill payments. That means citizens who use this online office will be able to carry out the various procedures required from a single access point and through a computer.

This is one of the 35 initiatives included in the Social Innovation Government Measure for establishing closer, more efficient and maximum-quality municipal social services. In fact, the OVACS pilot test will be used for making headway in defining and implementing hybrid social-assistance models that help to guarantee citizens’ rights.

This government measure also includes projects such as the ARI social robot pilot test in several residences, changes for speeding up for Fons d’infància 0-16 [social-emergency benefits for families with children under the age of 16] and the introduction of AI as a support system for social services professionals.