Socialsekreterarnas erfarenhet av mötet med socialt utsatta barn och ungdomar - en (kvalitativ) intervjustudie

Sammanfattning: Children and youth's right to make their voices heard, as well as the right to partake in different matters, has strengthened with laws and guidelines (Socialstyrelsen, 2003). The aim of the study is to examine the experience of employees in their work with socially vulnerable children and adolescence - with a focus point on the right to participation in different matters. The study includes qualitative interviews with six social workers, employed at the department of economic support in two different municipalities in the area of Skåne. An analysis has then been completed using a perspective on power. As reported by the social service is client influence emphasized as an important task within the organisation, as well as in the encounter with clients. This fact has also been confirmed by respondents in the study. Given by the respondent’s answers, it appears that the degree of youth’s right to participation in social work varies to a certain extent. The gathered empirics show that social workers can experience a restriction in their work with clients due to laws and rulings. However, there is a will to accomplish more for the sake of their clients. Keeping in mind the perspective of power structures, it appears that the organisation which the social workers belongs to, is the primary power-source. In order to create a connection with the adolescence, it can be beneficial for the social workers to adapt their language. The study concludes that even though social workers are supposed to keep the will of the child in mind, in practice this occurs to little extent. The majority of the respondents in the study also confirms that they have little direct contact with the children, due to that it should be avoided until they reach a certain age and maturity. Social workers are widely controlled and affected by the organization’s budget and goals. In order to increase the role of the client perspective in the social services, it is important for the matter to gain more attention from the organisation itself, as well as politicians.