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This study aims to examine social service worker’s perception of factors that complicate and challenge their freedom of action in childcare investigation where children have witnessed violence between parents, and how they manage this in their assessments. Data was collected using qualitative semi-structured interviews with eight social workers from three social offices in Stockholm. The transcriptions from the interviews were analysed via thematic analysis. The results were analysed by using a social theoretical approach. Getting access to children’s perception of the experienced violence is shown in the study as achallenge for the social workers. The conclusions of the study show that high workload, co- operation within different units in the organisation and lack of authority for decision-making are the main factors that complicates the social workers freedom of action in their work. Consequences of these factors lead to less time for the social workers to meet the children and get their voice heard during the investigation work. The study also concludes that professional experience and support from colleagues enable the social workers to managetheir freedom of action during childcare investigations.

Syftet med följande studie är att undersöka vilken verkan lagändringen i Brottsbalken (SFS1962:700, 4 kap. 3 §), avseende barnfridsbrott, har fått för socialtjänstens arbete. Vidare ämnarstudien belysa socialarbetares upplevelser av att arbeta med barn som upplevt våld mellannärstående. Studien antar en hermeneutisk utgångspunkt och använder sig av organisationsteorin,professionsteorin och begreppet handlingsutrymme för att tolka och förstå resultatet. Femsemistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med socialarbetare som dagligen kommer i kontaktmed barn i sitt arbete. Intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades därefter genom kodning ochen tematisk analys, vilket resulterade i att två huvudteman och sju delteman identifierades. Avstudiens resultat framgår att lagändringen inte haft någon större påverkan på det praktiskaarbetet, då socialtjänsten redan arbetade utifrån barnets bästa i stor utsträckning. Däremotupplever respondenterna att arbetet för rättsväsendet och andra samverkanspartner har förändratstill följd av lagändringen. Likaså har samverkan ökat, både internt inom socialtjänstens olikaenheter, och externt mellan olika myndigheter och andra samverkanspartner. Studien påvisar attbarns rättigheter delvis har stärkts då barn i allt större utsträckning ses som egen part. Samtidigtfinns brister i samverkan och begränsningar i svensk lagstiftning och praxis, som gör det svårtför socialarbetare att tillförsäkra barns rättigheter. / The aim of this study is to examine what effect the new law regarding violation of children’sintegrity has had on social services’ work. The study adopts a hermeneutic approach and usesorganizational theory, professional theory and social worker's use of discretion to interpret andunderstand the results. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five social workers. Theinterviews were transcribed and subsequently analyzed through coding and a thematic analysis,which resulted in the identification of two main themes and seven sub-themes. The studyconcluded that the change in the law did not have a particularly large impact, since the socialservices were already working in the best interest of the child to a large extent. However, socialworkers feel that the work of the judiciary and other cooperation partners has changednoticeably. Likewise, collaboration has increased, both internally within the social services, andexternally between different authorities and other collaboration partners. Furthermore, the studyshows that children's rights have been partially strengthened, as they are increasingly seen astheir own party. Despite this, there are shortcomings in cooperation and other limitations inSwedish legislation and practice that make it difficult for social workers to ensure that children'srights are met.