Redefining Professionalism in Disability Services: Digital Transformation, Boundary Work, and Professional Capital in Frontline Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline care workers in day centre services for adults with intellectual disabilities rapidly adapted their roles through use of digital technologies. This study examines how these developments shaped professional roles and identities. Method: The study draws on qualitative interviews with 14 frontline staff and 5 managers in day centres that shifted from on-site to remote services. Thematic analysis was guided by the concepts of boundary work and professional capital. Results: Digitalisation temporarily reshaped professional identity by enabling increased digital competence, peer collaboration, and creative agency. Staff experienced tensions between digitally mediated practices and values tied to co-presence, embodied interaction, and relational care. Conclusions: Digitalisation created both opportunities and strains in frontline care work. Sustaining constructive digital practices will require organisational support that recognises frontline workers' expertise, integrates digital competence with reflective professional development, and involves staff and service users in shaping how technologies are used.