The functionalities of the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services have so far been deployed in stages. In the future, all social welfare service operators must have access to functionalities that meet the requirements of the obligation to join the Kanta Services as set forth in the Client Data Act. These must be deployed no later than 1 September 2026.
Information about the service functionalities
This page describes the main functionalities that must be supported in a client information system that meets the requirements of the obligation to join. For more detailed information on the information system profiles, please refer to the Kanta Services handbook for social welfare service providers (yhteistyotilat.fi, in Finnish).
In addition, you can read more about
the register access right of social welfare services and old social services client data on their respective pages.
An information system that complies with the obligation to join enables the sharing of social welfare client data between different social welfare operators.
The functions allow professionals to record the information about Kanta Services that has been provided to the client in their client information system, from where it is stored into Kanta. In addition, at the request of the client, they can save and modify consent to data sharing or denials of consent to data sharing for social welfare data.
In addition, professionals can search Kanta for client data stored by another social welfare service provider.
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Structural documents follow the uniform social welfare document structures published in THL’s Sosmeta service. When documents are stored structurally, the client data and document content recorded in the client work can be better utilised with different information systems.
In addition, structural documents support the use of information in management and service development.
Structural documents are always stored in Kanta in a format that can be shown to the client in MyKanta or printed for the client as paper copies.
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Documents stored in Kanta are always signed electronically either with a system signature or a professional’s electronic signature. This verifies the signee and ensures that signed materials, such as a document to be saved, remains unchanged.
A professional’s electronic signature must be used to sign social welfare documents that have a significant impact on the client’s basic rights or that hold special significance to the legal protection of a client. Such documents include all decisions and statements, as well as a few other individual documents.
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Information subject to non-disclosure for safety reasons can be stored in the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services. This includes information indicating the place of residence, address and other information of a person who has a valid denial of consent to data sharing for safety reasons.
Data that is subject to non-disclosure for safety reasons and which is recorded in the client information system or the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services may only be processed by the professionals who have access rights to process such data.
How to start using the new functionalities
If your organisation has not yet joined the Kanta Services, please refer to the instructions on deploying the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services and deploy the service.
If you have already joined the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services and want to extend the use of the service to new functions, take the following steps:
Contact your system provider to make sure that the functions you want can be deployed in your client information system.
Register for extended use to receive support and instructions from Kela.
Plan the deployment of functionalities. You can use tab 1 of the deployment task table to plan and monitor progress.
Provide induction for your personnel on any material changes in operating policies.
Perform the deployment test together with your information system provider if changes will be made to the client information system. The test involves entering the data for a specified test case at a predetermined time.
Send a report of the successfully completed deployment test to Kela.
Use of the service can be extended as the systems are developed
Social welfare services may extend the use of the Kanta Services as new data content and functionalities become available for deployment in the systems. The service provider should enquire with their information system provider as to when the new functionalities will be available in the client information system in question.
More information on development schedules can be found in the publication schedule for Kanta Services. The schedule also outlines the statutory deadlines by which social welfare and health care services must deploy the new functions.