Den nödvändiga, men tidsödande dokumentationen - En kvalitativ studie om socialsekreterares uppfattning om dokumentation och standardisering inom socialtjänsten

Sammanfattning: During the last few decades there has been a steep increase in documentation and administrative procedures in the Swedish public authorities. This development has also affected the social services in which primarily social workers are employed. This bachelor's thesis aims to investigate how documentation procedures and use of standardized assessment methods is described by professional social workers, and how they are impacted by this in their work within the social services. Using qualitative interviews as the method in this thesis has generated empirical data that has been thematized and analyzed. Four themes of interest were identified in the interviews. These themes were analyzed with the help of professions-theory and the results suggested the following: (1) documentation is necessary but time consuming, (2) social workers use different strategies in the form of digital tools and standards to raise efficacy in relation to documentation, (3) standards within social work is used as a method of professional support and lastly (4) that there can be friction between documentation procedures, use of standards, and client work. These results propose that the social workers see benefits with the documentation procedures and the use of standards and standardized assessment methods, but that it is conversely considered bloated and too extensive.