Socialt arbete i en era av styrning - En kvalitativ studie om hur socionomer i arbetet med barn, unga och familjer upplever att styrningsideal framträder i och påverkar deras arbete

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding about how social workers are affected by evidence-based methods, standardisation and budget management and how these rationalities manifest in their work. This study examines social workers who in different ways meet and interact with children, youths and families through their work. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with seven social workers. Our theoretical approach stands on Michael Lipksy’s theory about street-level bureaucracies. This study finds that social workers in their work with children, youths and families are influenced by these rationalities in different ways and experience them distinctively. This study, among other results, finds that evidence-based methods and standardisation are both prominent ways of working among our social workers. How these things affect the social workers shows in different ways. Some say they help them to investigate the needs of children, youths and families after a general standard. Others feel somewhat limited by these ways of working. When it comes to standardisation and ways to evaluate the work we see different approaches among our social workers. Some see these evaluations as a way to favour legal certainty in social work and a way to manifest common standards. Others see them as ways of control and something that brings feelings of negativity. When it comes to budget management this study finds somewhat similar but also different results. Budget seems to be a big part of the work and the social workers find themselves in a position where the economy rules the help for children, youths and families. Others feel that they have a greater discretion and that the economy is not a significant factor in their work.