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Barnavårdsutredningar på nya grunder

Author

Summary, in English

Since 1999 the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen)

has been piloting a project entitled “Children’s Needs in Focus”

(BBIC). The aim of this development project is to develop a uniform

system of assessing, planning and reviewing in social work with

children. It is inspired by the Integrated Children’s System (ICS) in

Great Britain and the Swedish Dartingtonproject. The British system has

been adapted to Swedish conditions by Socialstyrelsen in collaboration

with seven Swedish municipalities and municipal regions.

This report presents an investigation of social workers opinions and

their methods of conducting assessments of children in need according to

BBIC. The study, conducted on behalf of Socialstyrelsen, is characterized

as explorative and formative with elements of process-, purpose- and

component evaluation. Qualitative methods have been used and the empirical

study includes document analysis of 38 assessments and interviews

with 15 social workers.

The evaluation shows that the assessment forms have been tested to

less extent than expected and in addition with different local and personal

variations. The experiences are both positive and negative. More

concentrated, more balanced, better structured, better founded, more

clear and reliable assessments were mentioned in the interviews as positive

experiences of BBIC as well as more clear assignments to foster carers

and others with responsibility for treatment of the children and families.

Technical problems, lack of time, training and support from managers

as well as organisational changes and turnover of staff were mentioned

as important obstacles for implementation. The forms were criticized for

being too detailed, too time consuming to use and difficult to take in.

The social workers feared that the assessments would be too ruled and

administrative. The theoretical model, the “triangle” was, however, apprehended

positive by all the interviewed social workers and it had been

a part of the social workers knowledgebase. From a general point of view

the assessment process had improved. Collaboration between the social

services and schools had for example developed in a positive direction.

The document analysis showed that children’s needs were well considered

in accordance with the recommended structure. The children referred

to had been observed or got the right to talk for themselves in relation

to the social workers. The efforts to take children’s own perspectives

into consideration were, however, seldom fulfilled in judgement and

analysis. Another notification was that children’s needs were described

more in terms of problems than in terms of developmental needs.

The concluding estimation is that BBIC, from a general point of

view, is on its way to fulfil the aims. Children’s rights are strengthened,

assessments according to BBIC tend to be more structured and systematic

than before and quality and the legal security are improved. The

purpose of uniformity seems, however, a bit problematic with regard to

the translations which have been done by the local organisations, managers

and individual social workers. The Social Services Act (2001:453) is a

goal oriented enabling act that is based on voluntary efforts and stipulates

general guidelines for the municipalities concerning their social services

obligations. This circumstance together with the local self government

autonomy and the fact that Swedish social workers have a high degree of

discretion are factors which could be of importance for the possibilities

to reach full uniformity.

Social workers need qualified education, training, support and time

for reflection if they going to accept and carry out the fundamental

changes demanded by BBIC.

Publishing year

2004

Language

Swedish

Publication/Series

Meddelanden från Socialhögskolan

Issue

1

Document type

Report

Publisher

Socialhögskolan, Lunds universitet

Topic

  • Social Work

Status

Published

Report number

2004

Research group

  • Den sociala barnavården

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0282-6143
  • ISSN: 0282-6143