Home / News

Research supporting social services honoured with international award

The research project NUSO (National Follow-up of the Transition of Social Services) has been awarded the European Social Services Award 2025. The initiative is led by Birgitta Persdotter, research manager for FoU Välfärd Värmland.


The award was presented at a ceremony in Madrid on 14 November, where NUSO won the Research for Social Services category. It highlights initiatives where data-driven insights, academic research or applied studies have led to meaningful improvements in service delivery, social policy and outcomes for vulnerable groups.

– “It’s fantastic that the international jury chose NUSO, as a national project, as the winner in competition with European research studies involving several countries. We won thanks to the design, the amount of data and the clear focus on translating results into practical benefits,” says Birgitta Persdotter in an article on Karlstad University’s website.

Brings together over 130 municipalities and neighbourhoods

Since 2024, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and Karlstad University have been working with over 130 municipalities and city districts to monitor how the new Social Services Act works in practice. NUSO collects and analyses extensive data on how children, young people and families are supported – from early intervention to the exercise of authority – and can thus highlight differences in access, assessments and results.

By making these patterns clear, NUSO creates the conditions for a more equal and knowledge-based social service, where every child receives support based on their actual needs – regardless of where in the country they live.

In 2024, Birgitta Persdotter was also awarded DigtalWell Arena’s own DigitalWell Award for her work with VAVES and NUSO. Here you can watch a short interview about how she describes her work.

Has created tools to analyse data

A central part of NUSO is VAVES® (Scientific Analysis for Operational Development), developed by Birgitta Persdotter, Associate Professor of Social Work at Karlstad University. The method is used in NUSO to collect and analyse data in close collaboration with the municipalities, giving both research and operations new tools for development and learning.

Birgitta Persdotter is also research leader for R&D Welfare Värmland, one of six research groups that are part of the Arena project within DigitalWell Arena, where research and practice work together to develop the welfare of the future.