ATT VÄLJA, VÄLJA OM OCH VÄLJA RÄTT: En kvalitativ studie av vad det är som styr kommuners utformning av öppenvårdsinsatser för ungdomar

Sammanfattning: The aim with this study was to examine what it is that govern the way that municipalities develop the non-institutional care for youth. An extensive development of non-institutional care for children is a visible trend in municipal social service and probable reasons for this development are, among other things, research that show inadequate results of the institution care and economy. Our main questions at issue were how the municipalities argue the priorities that have been done within their youth care services with regard to the non-institutional care and how they reason considering this? Furthermore we asked why the municipalities have chosen to develop their non-institutional care for youth the way they have and on what grounds they make their choices? This study consists of eight qualitative interviews with politicians and employees in four different municipals along with analysis of relevant documents. We have found that what governs the way that municipalities develop the non-institutional care for youth has to do with that the municipalities found it vital to find alternative solutions to the expensive and ineffective institutional care, that they comprehend that the quality of non-institutional care are higher then of the institutional care and that the non- institutional care is seen as more effective with regards to economic results and achieved treatment results. Furthermore the non-institutional care makes it possible to priorities working with the youth family as a whole, something that is seen as vital and of great importance by the municipalities. Moreover the fact that non-institutional care is seen by the municipalities as an effective tool and has a symbolic value for the municipalities effects the development of the non-institutional care.