<p>The purpose of this study was investigating the means which rule the social worker’s choice of institution placing youths and how they match the youth’s individual need compared with the type of home. The questions were: Which significance has the characteristics of the youth and their family for the placing? Which significance has the characteristics of the institution? Which significance has the social workers’ way of working, investigation, theories, economy etc.? A qualitative way of interviewing has been used. Eight interviews were done; six with social welfare secretaries who place youths and two social workers who work with coun­selling and placement. The choice of respondents was made from a systematic selection be­cause they were considered having knowledge of the subject. The interviews were taped, which enabled several revisions. Then concentrations and structural analysis were made in order to look for both common and deviant patterns in the material. The analysis and inter­pretation is based upon the theory of risk, behaviour, response and systems alongside with earlier studies in the subject. The conclusions were that there was a combination of factors which ruled the choice: the need of the youth, earlier experience of institutions, and pro­fes­sional network connections. The social welfare secretary realized the importance of matching but saw difficulties in acute placing and shortage of places. In order to facilitate for the social welfare secretary there is a need for a system where they can get objective informa­tion about the institutions for example from a co-ordinating authority.</p> / <p>Syftet med studien var att undersöka vad som styr socialarbetarens val av institution vid pla­cering av ungdomar och hur de matchar behandlingshem utifrån ungdomens individuella be­hov. Frågeställningarna var: Vilken betydelse för placeringen har egenskaper hos ungdomarna och deras familjer? Vilken betydelse för placeringen har egenskaper hos institutionen? Vilken betydelse för placeringen har socialtjänstens arbetssätt, utredningar, teorier, ekonomi mm? En kvalitativ intervjumetod har använts. Åtta stycken intervjuer gjordes varav sex med pla­ce­rande socialsekreterare och två socialarbetare med rådgivnings- och placeringsfunktion. Ur­valet av respondenterna gjordes utifrån ett systemiskt urval då respondenterna antogs be­sitta relevant kunskap i ämnet. Till grund för analys och tolkning ligger risk-, behovs- och respon­sivitetsteorin, systemteorin samt tidigare forskning i och omkring ämnet. Slutsatsen blev att det som styr valen av institution var en kombination av barnets behov, tidigare erfaren­het av institutioner och professionellt kontaktnät. Socialarbetaren insåg vikten av matchning men såg svårigheter vid akuta placeringar och platsbrist. För att underlätta för social­arbetaren behövs ett fungerande system där de kan få objektiv information om institu­tionerna som exempelvis en samordnande instans.</p>

The purpose of this study was investigating the means which rule the social worker’s choice of institution placing youths and how they match the youth’s individual need compared with the type of home. The questions were: Which significance has the characteristics of the youth and their family for the placing? Which significance has the characteristics of the institution? Which significance has the social workers’ way of working, investigation, theories, economy etc.? A qualitative way of interviewing has been used. Eight interviews were done; six with social welfare secretaries who place youths and two social workers who work with coun­selling and placement. The choice of respondents was made from a systematic selection be­cause they were considered having knowledge of the subject. The interviews were taped, which enabled several revisions. Then concentrations and structural analysis were made in order to look for both common and deviant patterns in the material. The analysis and inter­pretation is based upon the theory of risk, behaviour, response and systems alongside with earlier studies in the subject. The conclusions were that there was a combination of factors which ruled the choice: the need of the youth, earlier experience of institutions, and pro­fes­sional network connections. The social welfare secretary realized the importance of matching but saw difficulties in acute placing and shortage of places. In order to facilitate for the social welfare secretary there is a need for a system where they can get objective informa­tion about the institutions for example from a co-ordinating authority. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka vad som styr socialarbetarens val av institution vid pla­cering av ungdomar och hur de matchar behandlingshem utifrån ungdomens individuella be­hov. Frågeställningarna var: Vilken betydelse för placeringen har egenskaper hos ungdomarna och deras familjer? Vilken betydelse för placeringen har egenskaper hos institutionen? Vilken betydelse för placeringen har socialtjänstens arbetssätt, utredningar, teorier, ekonomi mm? En kvalitativ intervjumetod har använts. Åtta stycken intervjuer gjordes varav sex med pla­ce­rande socialsekreterare och två socialarbetare med rådgivnings- och placeringsfunktion. Ur­valet av respondenterna gjordes utifrån ett systemiskt urval då respondenterna antogs be­sitta relevant kunskap i ämnet. Till grund för analys och tolkning ligger risk-, behovs- och respon­sivitetsteorin, systemteorin samt tidigare forskning i och omkring ämnet. Slutsatsen blev att det som styr valen av institution var en kombination av barnets behov, tidigare erfaren­het av institutioner och professionellt kontaktnät. Socialarbetaren insåg vikten av matchning men såg svårigheter vid akuta placeringar och platsbrist. För att underlätta för social­arbetaren behövs ett fungerande system där de kan få objektiv information om institu­tionerna som exempelvis en samordnande instans.

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine how some young mothers, who previously have been in foster care or residential care, describe the way motherhood has affected their lives and identities. Narrative interviews were conducted with three teenage mothers and one mother aged 23. As tools for analyzing the narratives, theories about narrative psychology and how people present themselves through story-telling and language were used. The results of the study show that becoming a mother was life-changing in a positive way, according to the young mothers. They described how they, since becoming mothers, had become more mature and now lived less risk-full lives. Motherhood had brought a new focus to their lives and had given them motivation to study and to become self-supporting. The mothers expressed a wish to give their children a better childhood, than they themselves had. The results of the study were similar with the results reported in previous, qualitative studies of the experiences of young mothers.</p>

The purpose of this study was to examine how some young mothers, who previously have been in foster care or residential care, describe the way motherhood has affected their lives and identities. Narrative interviews were conducted with three teenage mothers and one mother aged 23. As tools for analyzing the narratives, theories about narrative psychology and how people present themselves through story-telling and language were used. The results of the study show that becoming a mother was life-changing in a positive way, according to the young mothers. They described how they, since becoming mothers, had become more mature and now lived less risk-full lives. Motherhood had brought a new focus to their lives and had given them motivation to study and to become self-supporting. The mothers expressed a wish to give their children a better childhood, than they themselves had. The results of the study were similar with the results reported in previous, qualitative studies of the experiences of young mothers.

When young people are placed in residential care, the staff have a responsibility to ensure that the youth have a safe environment where they can thrive and develop. Residential staff also have responsibilities to ensure the rights of youth during the residential care. This study aims to examine how staff consider themselves to treat the youth in residential care. Furthermore the study aims to examine how the staff consider themselves to ensure youth their right to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of the child (CRC). A qualitative method has been used in order to answer the study's purpose and issues. Five interviews were conducted with residential staff, four of which were environmental therapists and one who was a manager. The results show that the staff consider themselves to respond well to the youth, however, a good treatment is difficult to define and therefore hard to achieve. Furthermore, it appears that the knowledge about children’s rights varies among the staff, which can have negative effects on how they manage to reassure youth their rights to be heard and have an impact on their own lives, in agreement with Article 12 of the CRC.