Enhancing Social Inclusion through a Shared-Service Platform for Social Protection among Children Aged 0 to 15 Years Old from Vulnerable Households: A Case Study of the Fuen Nakorn Romklao Community Area, Zone 10, Bangkok

Abstract

The Shared – Service Platform was created as a prototype digital tool for social prevention. This research aimed to investigate the main characteristics of the platform and its impact on social inclusion of children aged 0 to 15 years old from vulnerable households. This study utilized qualitative research methods, gathering information through in-depth interviews with four groups: 1) 1 parent of a child aged     0 to 15 years old from a vulnerable household, 2) 3 platform developers, 3) 4 service providers from Public Health Service Center 45, Child Development Center, Lat Krabang Community Housing School and Rattanakosin Somphoch Ladkrabang School, and 4) 5 Bangkok Public Health Volunteers (Or Sor Sor).

            The research findings showed the platform had 3 main characteristics: prevention, collaboration and data governance. It helped improved social inclusion with mechanisms of collaboration among the service providers from various agencies, granting opportunities to vulnerable children to access social protection in non-contributed social assistance. Also, the platform further helped promote vulnerable children’s dignity as personal data security was highly emphasized. However, the finding indicated that the characteristic of prevention was not found in practice. Despite being granted opportunities to access better education and public health services, vulnerable children showed no improvement in their ability to learn and provide self-support, likely due to prolonged exposure to threats.