The aim of this study was to investigate how organizational and child-related factors, as well as the general approach, affect the child's participation and the extent to which children are involved in the child protection agency child care investigations. Based on the following questions, the study investigated to which extent, and in which way, children are involved in investigations: 1. To what extent and in what way are children involved in the Swedish child protection agency? 2. How are children's involvement affected of child-related factors? 3. How are children's involvement affected of organizational factors? The result has been analyzed based on Michael Lipsky's Street-level-bureaucracy (2010), in addition, Harry Shier`s (2001) participation ladder has also been used. The result showed that most of social workers considered that the factors of time, workload, competence development and staff density affects children's participation. Drawing on the answers from the study, we conclude that there is generally a high level of participation within the Swedish child protection agency. Children hold a significant place in social welfare investigation cases, although social workers could involve them to a greater extent in the decision making process.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie är att undersöka om metoden Signs-of-Safety kan öka barns delaktighet i barnutredningar gjorda av socialsekreterare. Frågeställningar är: - Hur reflekterar socialsekreterare som använder respektive inte använder Signs-of- Safety kring barns delaktighet i utredningar? Samt: - Varierar graden av delaktighet hos barn mellan utredningar där Signs-of-Safety används jämfört med utredningar där metoden inte används? Vi genomförde två stycken fokusgruppintervjuer med totalt tio socialsekreterare som arbetar med utredningar inom socialtjänsten, samt analyserade sju utredningar varav fyra var skrivna i en kommun som använde sig av Sign-of-Safety. De resterande tre utredningarna var skrivna i en kommun där de inte använde Signs-of-Safety. Teoretisk utgångspunkt var socialkonstruktivism. Det fanns en stor enighet bland socialsekreterarna om att det är viktigt att barn görs delaktiga. Analysen av både intervjuer och utredningar gjordes utifrån Harts delaktighetsstege samt socialkontruktivism och visade att metoden Signs-of-Safety inte verkade öka barns delaktighet, men att metoden tydliggjorde delaktigheten. / The purpose of this qualitative study was to get an insight in if the method Signs-of- Safety might improve childrens’ participation in investigations concerning themselves. Our research questions were; How do social workers who use or do not use Signs-of- Safety reflect on children's involvement in investigations? and; Is there accordingly to the social workers a variation in the degree of participation among children in investigations where Signs-of-Safety is used compared to investigations where the method is not used? Two focus group interviews in two different municipalities, one where Signs-of-Safety had been used and one where the method not had been used, were performed. The interviews and four written investigations i each work group were analysed by using Hart´s participation ladder and social constructivism. The result showed that all our informants regarded childrens’ participation as important. No differences in the degree of participation of the children could be identified.

The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which children participate in the social services childcare investigations but also what impact the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child had on the investigations according to the social workers. A qualitative method was used, and the study was based on six interviews with social workers from the Swedish social services working with childcare investigations with children in the ages between 0-18 years. The theoretical framework used in this study was Shiers model of pathways to participation. The result of this study shows that the social workers place themselves at least at the third level in Shiers model of pathways to participation while most of the respondents placed themselves at the fourth level of participation before the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Half of the respondents placed themselves higher on the model of pathways to participation regarding after the convention was incorporated. Although, most of the respondents agreed that the incorporation of the convention has not had any significant impact in practice and expressed that they do not work differently after the incorporation.

Dagens samhällsplanering står inför utmaningen med att behöva göra avvägningar, det finns flera olika intressen, såsom ekonomin som kommuner väljer att prioritera i högre utsträckning. Således tenderar barnfrågor att prioriteras lägre. Uppsatsen syftar till att undersöka och skapa förståelse för barns perspektiv i samhällsplanering. Studien undersöker hur barns perspektiv tas hänsyn till och hur det kan inkluderas på olika samhällsnivåer. Uppsatsen belyser varför barns åsikter är viktiga i planeringen ochhur barnen kan göras mer delaktiga. Vidare betonar vi att barn besitter viktig kunskap och erfarenheter som inte kan ersättas av vuxna, planerare. Henri Lefebvres rätten till staden teori (1996) används för att diskutera barns rätt till att ha inflytande i staden. Roger Harts delaktighetsstege (1992) fungerar som ett analysverktyg för att undersöka hur barnen görs delaktiga i respektive fallstudie. Kommunikativ planering används som ett förhållningssätt kring hur planerare ska tala och inkludera barnen i dialogprocesser. Studien har utgått från kvalitativ fallstudieforskning, där två fall studeras - den fördjupade översiktsplanen för Veberöd och IOP-projektet Guldängen. Fallstudierna har använts för attundersöka hur barns perspektiv implementeras utifrån top-down- och bottom-up tillvägagångssätt.I vår studie utmärker ett top-down tillvägagångssätt att det finns ett belutsfattade organ som styr och organiserar projekt eller planer. Ett bottom-up tillvägagångssätt präglas av information från medborgare, i detta fall barnen. I uppsatsen har vi intervjuat samtliga respondenter som har kunnat komplettera kunskapsluckor kring fenomenet. Studien visar på att planeringen styrs av ett starkt ekonomiskt intresse, vilket bidrar till att barnfrågor förminskas. Vi menar att politiken har ett ansvar att validera barnfrågor som ett viktigt intresse för att åstadkomma barnvänliga städer. Genom att se på samhällsplanering utifrån ett rätten till staden perspektiv kan det gynna barns inflytande. Det empiriska intervjumaterialet har varit givande för studien, eftersom det skapat en förståelse för hur dagens planeringen ser på barns perspektiv. Vi har kommit fram till att det behövs en kombination mellan top-down- och bottom-up tillvägagångssätt i planeringen. Därmed är det viktigt med ett gränsöverskridande samarbete på olika nivåer. Både internt inom kommunen och mellan lokala aktörer. En ytterligare slutsats är att planeringen bör ha en förändrad inställning till hur de implementerar barns perspektiv i samhällsplanering. Det finns metoder, men att barns perspektiv ofta inte tas vidare in i planeringen. / Today’s urban planning faces the challenge of having to make trade-offs, there are several different interests, such as the economy, which municipalities choose to prioritize to a greater extent. Thus, children’s issues tend to be given lower priority. The thesis aims to investigate and create an understanding of children’s perspectives in urban planning. The study examines how children’s perspectives are taken into account and how it can be included at different levels of society. The essay highlights why children’s opinions are important in planning and how children can be made more involved. Furthermore, we emphasize that children possess important knowledge and experiencesthat can not be replaced by adults, planners. Henri Lefebvre the right to the city theory (1996) is used to discuss children’s right to have influence in the city. Roger Hart’s participation ladder (1992) is used as an analysis tool to investigate how children are involved in each case study. Communicative planning is used as an approach to how to plan to speak and include the children in dialogue processes. The study has been based on qualitative case study research, where two case studies are studied - The detailed comprehensive plan of Veberöd and the IOP-project Guldängen. The case studies have been used to examine how children’s perspectives are implemented based on top-down and bottom-up approaches. In our study, a top-down approach characterizes that there is a committed body that manages and organi- zes projects or plans. A bottom-up approach is characterized by information from citizens, in this case the children. In the essay, we interviewed all respondents who were able to supplementknowledge gaps around the phenomenon. The study shows that planning is driven by a strong financial interest, which contributes to reducing child issues. We believe that politics has a responsibility to validate child issues as an important interest in achieving child-friendly cities. By looking at urban planning from a right to the city perspective, it can benefit children’s influence. The empirical interview material has been rewarding for the study, as it has created an understanding of how today’s planning views children’s perspectives. We have come to the conclusion that a combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches is needed in the planning. Thus, it is important to have cross-border cooperationat different levels. Both internally within the municipality and between local actors. A further conclusion is that planning should have a changed attitude to how they implement children’s perspectives in urban planning. There are methods, but that children’s perspectives are often not taken further into the planning.

Title: “The will of the child isn't always what's best for the child” A qualitative study on how family law caseworkers involve children in custody-, residence-, and visitation investigations in cases involving risk factors.  Our study aims to examine how family law caseworkers involve children in custody-, residence-, and visitation investigations in cases involving risk factors. The study also aims to investigate how family law caseworkers perceive the child's own wishes and to what extent the risk factors influence assessments regarding what is in the child's best interest.In this study, a qualitative methodological approach employing qualitative interviews has been utilized, employing a vignette method in combination with semi-structured interviews. The sample consists of eight active family law caseworkers located in southwestern Sweden. A thematic analysis has been conducted to interpret the empirical data.The results have been categorized into four main themes: Child Participation, family lawcaseworkers handling of risk factors, family law caseworkers assessment of the child's best interests, and family law caseworkers' room for action.The study's findings indicate that children are involved to the extent possible, considering their age and maturity. However, family law caseworkers argue that it is their responsibility to protect children from harm, and therefore, the adult perspective sometimes needs to take precedence over the children's own will in decision-making.In summary, the study's results reveal that the child's wishes are not always aligned with what is considered to be in the child's best interest. Additionally, while the child's involvement is highly valued, the presence of risk factors plays a crucial role in family law investigations regarding custody, residence, and visitation.