Abstract This essay is an investigation where I try to gain an increased knowledge of the three assistants’ (in the mentally disability profession) opinion about their education and their first years in their profession. I have also tried to answer the questions whether the course mentally disability/functional gives the students a good start in their profession, if there are any flaws or if something is missing in the course or if they can think of any improvements to make the course better. This investigation is performed as a qualitative interview study where three women were interviewed about their education and their first years as assistants’ (in the mentally disability profession). All the interviewed women have been working in the care activity for two or three years since they graduated. The investigation shows that there is a great need for practical training for students on the mentally disability/functional disability course, since it leads to a better start in their profession. Since working as a assistant in the mentally disability is a profession which could be difficult to get accustomed to, the instructor plays an important role since the student really needs to learn how to take responsibility and participate as much as possible in the daily work which concerns mentally disabled people during their practical training. Keyword: Vocational training, socialization* transition* that’s combine with care assistant, care nurse, practical nurse, secondary nurse, mental health and nurse assistant. / Sammanfattning Denna uppsats är en undersökning där jag vill få en ökad förståelse kring tre omsorgsassistenters uppfattningar om utbildningen på omvårdnadsprogrammet och deras första tid i yrket. Jag har även försökt besvara frågorna om kursen utvecklingsstörning/funktionshinder ger studenterna en god start i yrket, om det finns några brister eller om något saknas samt om studenterna kan ge förslag på förbättringar som kan göra kursen bättre. Denna undersökning är utförd som en kvalitativ intervjustudie där tre kvinnor intervjuas kring utbildningen och vidare ut i yrkeslivet. Samtliga av de intervjuade kvinnorna har arbetat i omsorgsverksamheten under två till tre år sedan slutförd utbildning. Undersökningen visar att det finns ett stort behov av praktik för studenter som väljer kursen med inriktningen utvecklingsstörning/funktionshinder, eftersom det leder till en god start i yrket. Då yrket som omsorgsassistent kan vara svårt att komma in i så har även handledaren en viktig roll, studenten behöver verkligen få lära sig att ta ansvar och delta så mycket som möjligt i det dagliga arbetet med utvecklingsstörda under sin praktik. Nyckelord: Yrkesutbildning, socialization* transition* vilket kombinerats med care assistant, care nurse, practical nurse, secondary nurse, mental health och nurse assistant.

During the last decades Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has become a more frequently used method to recognise adult’s prior learning. This thesis analyses a process of RPL in health care, where health care assistants are assessed against subjects in the upper-secondary health care program. Prior research on RPL is to a high degree non-theoretical and focus is primarily on policy level research. This thesis adds to the field by progressing a critical social theory perspective on RPL. In the thesis the RPL process is analysed through Jürgen Habermas’ theory of communicative action and Axel Honneth’s Recognition theory. General questions posed are: What are the power issues in the RPL process? What implications does the tension between the lifeworld of work and the system of education have? What consequences does mutual understanding and communication have for the outcome of the RPL process? What part does recognition play for the participants? The results disclose the power relations that emerge in the relationship between participants and teachers. A caring ideology is developed and problematized. Further, the importance of mutual understanding between participant and teachers in the assessment of prior learning is discussed focusing on the consequences a lack of mutual understanding could have for the outcome in such assessments. On a macro level the analysis demonstrates the tension between the participants prior learning and the educational systems demand for formalising prior learning. In addition, analyses of a more developmental character that intends to show the potential for critical learning, change and recognition are progressed. The results suggest that communicative action can be used to develop RPL into processes focusing on critical learning and change. Recognition of traits and abilities could also enhance individual’s positive relations with the self. Such recognition could develop self-confidence and thus RPL could encourage learning and cultivate continuing self-realisation through work. / Validering har under de senaste decennierna blivit en alltmer använd metod för att erkänna vuxnas tidigare lärande. Denna avhandling analyserar en valideringsprocess inom omvårdnadssektorn för vårdbiträden med mångårig erfarenhet. Vårdbiträdena valideras mot ämnen inom omvårdnadsprogrammets karaktärsämnen. Tidigare forskning om validering är i hög grad icke-teoretisk och mycket fokus har legat på policynivå. Denna avhandling bidrar till forskningsfältet genom att problematisera validering utifrån ett kritiskt samhällsteoretiskt perspektiv. I avhandlingen analyseras valideringsprocessen utifrån Jürgen Habermas teori om det kommunikativa handlandet och Axel Honneths erkännandeteori. Exempel på mer generella frågor som ställs är: Vilka är maktfaktorerna i valideringsprocessen? Är handlingarna i processen koordinerade mot gemensam förståelse? Hur ser förhållandet mellan system och livsvärld ut? Vilken roll spelar erkännandet i validering för deltagarna? Resultatet synliggör de maktförhållanden som uppstår mellan deltagare och lärare i bedömningsprocessen. En omvårdande ideologi lyfts fram och problematiseras. Därtill diskuteras betydelsen av gemensam förståelse mellan deltagare och lärare vid bedömning, samt vilka konsekvenser brist på gemensam förståelse kan få. På ett makroplan åskådliggör analysen spänningen mellan deltagarnas erfarenheter och utbildningssystemets krav på formalisering. Vidare genomförs mer utvecklingsfokuserade analyser som vill visa på möjligheterna för kritiskt lärande och förändring i validering. Resultatet demonstrerar också, bland annat, betydelsen av att bli erkänd för sina förmågor och hur detta kan utveckla individens självuppskattning och främja lärande. I studien föreslås det att kommunikativt handlande kan utgöra en norm för hur validering kan utvecklas mot mer kritiskt lärande och positiv förändring. Men också att erkännande av tidigare förmågor kan gynna individens positiva relation till sig själv, hur detta främjar lärande, självuppskattning och hur validering därmed kan utgöra en grund för ett vidare självförverkligande genom arbete.

Numerous research on the development of knowledge and skills within health and social care has been undertaken; however, it can be argued that there is a need to understand the connection between inclusion and the development in knowledge and experience.  The purpose of this dissertation is to explore students’ experiences of the health and social care adult- education program, and participation and learning processes it represents.  The program is considered the formal route to acquire a position as a nursing assistant or health care assistant. Furthermore, the program can be seen as a combination of vocational training, and a measure to reduce unemployment. This empirical study is based on 15 in- depth interviews with students in the health and social care adult-education. These interviews are using a hermeneutic interpretation method, and draw on Lave and Wenger`s theory of learning. In addition to sociocultural theory according to Säljö. Findings indicate that the adult-education program in health and social care is not only a training process, but also a participation process. For the students, it is about gaining participation in the professional community, in Swedish society, and also about an existential safety in a social context. In order to gain participation, intellectual and physical artifacts, as well as personal qualities, are a prerequisite. Despite these requirements, and the challenges students face, the findings reveal that most students continue their studies. This finding leads to the idea that health and social care can be understood a discipline of inclusion. These findings assist the health and social care field in understanding the connection between said artifacts for inclusion in working life and society; in addition, that such programs should be understood from a wider perspective and viewed in relation to the tension between three educational projects: the students` individual project, the program organizer’s project and the national, societal education project.

Research shows an increase in alcohol consumption among older generations, leading to a rise in alcohol-related issues within this age group. In spite of this, there is a lack of knowledge and national guidelines regarding alcohol abuse among the elderly, resulting in complex work for social welfare officers and home care personnel who must balance the statutory self-determination rights of care recipients with a reasonable standard of living. Through 10 conducted interviews, this study aims to find out how social welfare officers and home care personnel work with alcohol abuse among elderly individuals. The data collected has been analyzed through thematic analysis, aiming to find answers on how professionals describe the work with alcohol abuse among the elderly, as well as how they balance self-determination with a reasonable standard of living. The study's result shows the complexity of working with alcohol abuse among the elderly, the lack of guidelines and policies, as well as the challenges it poses for professionals in their daily work.