The aim of the study was to examine collaboration and professional perspectives on the best interest of the child in regards to working with unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Firstly, our result show that counselling is available for the unaccompanied children from case workers, staff, school counsellors and emergency psychiatric care. All of the participants in this study describe the need for long-term counselling for unaccompanied children, however, providing the long-term counselling is not the primary purpose of the organisations in question. Therefore an additional service-provider working with counselling is a necessity. Secondly, the study explores the participants’ professional perspectives on the best interest of the child. The participating professionals work with the best interest of the child in accordance with their level of education and professional role. At the same time, they stress the fact that time, resources and other factors have an influence on their ability to keep the best interest of the child in focus. Finally, the study addresses collaboration between the service providing organisations. Collaboration does exist, but the participants wish for a development and transparency in the collaboration in order to clarify the responsibilities of each organisation. / Studiens syfte var att undersöka samverkan och professionellas perspektiv på barnets bästa i arbetet med ensamkommande barn genom besvarandet av tre frågeställningar. Den första frågeställningen rör de möjligheter till psykosocialt stöd som finns för ensamkommande barn. Vårt resultat visar att möjligheter finns i form av stöd hos handläggare, personal och skolkurator samt BUPs akutmottagning. Verksamheternas primära syfte är dock inte långsiktigt behandlande stödsamtal, vilket är något som samtliga respondenter anser att många ensamkommande barn är i behov av. Det behövs alltså ytterligare en aktör vars syfte är att arbeta med psykosocialt stöd för dessa barn. Den andra frågeställningen undersöker hur respondenterna ser på begreppet barnets bästa utifrån sitt professionella perspektiv. Samtliga respondenter har uppgett att de arbetar efter bästa förmåga i relation till sin yrkesroll och utbildningsnivå. Respondenterna påtalar samtidigt att tid, resurser och andra omgivningsfaktorer påverkar deras möjligheter att arbeta för barnets bästa. Studiens sista frågeställning berör samverkan mellan de verksamheter som tagit del i studien. Resultatet belyser att samverkan mellan verksamheterna existerar, men att respondenterna önskar en utveckling och transparens i samverkan för att tydliggöra samtligas uppgifter.

Titel: Att stå i hallen och vilja vara med: Ensamkommande flyktingbarn och deras behov. En kvalitativ studie om behoven bland dessa barn och ungdomar. Författare: Lotta Nilsson   Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka vilka behov som finns bland ensamkommande flyktingbarn som kommer till Sverige både som nyanlända och efter utflytt från HVB-hem. Det har också varit att jämföra deras behov med de tänkta behov som formar mottagandet i Sverige. Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär med semistrukturerade intervjuer av fem stycken unga män från Afghanistan, Somalia och Ryssland samt integrationsutvecklare på Länsstyrelsen och lärare vid integrationsprogrammet. Resultaten visar på att behoven varierar mellan informanterna men att behovet av tillhörighet och längtan efter familjen i hemlandet är något som förenar samtliga. Vad som också blir tydligt är hur olika behov påverkar individens val och förmåga till koncentration och fokus. Mottagandet av nyanlända å andra sidan har formats efter den svenska mallen där utbildning och språk ses som en förutsättning för en lyckad integration och tillhörighet. Något som visat sig inte helt stämmer överens. Teorierna som denna studie bygger på är bland annat Maslows ”A theory of human motivation” och van Genneps ”passageriter”. / Titel: To stand in the hallway and wishing to join in: Unaccompanied minor refugees and their needs. A qualitative study about the needs among these children and youths. Author: Lotta Nilsson   The purpose of this study has been to investigate what needs unaccompanied minor refugees have, both as newly arrived and after leaving a HVB-home. The purpose has also been to compare their needs with the perceived needs that form the basis for the reception process in Sweden. The study is qualitative with semi-structured interviews with five young men from Afghanistan, Somalia and Russia, as well as with an integration officer at the county administration and teachers working with the integration program. The results show that the needs vary between the informants, but that the needs for belonging and longing for the homeland are needs that they all have in common. What also becomes apparent is how different needs affect the individual choices and the ability to concentrate and focus. The reception of newly arrived on the other hand has been formed after a Swedish model where education and language are seen as preconditions for successful integration and belonging. This connection is not entirely correct. The theories used in this thesis are, among others, Maslow’s ”A theory of human motivation” and van Gennep’s ”rites of passage”.

Syftet med studien är att utveckla kunskap om hur personalen på boenden för ensamkommande barn utifrån empowerment arbetar med att möjliggöra de ensamkommande barnens delaktighet, inklusion och integration i samhället. Vidare syftar studien även till att belysa hur personalen på boenden själva ser på detta arbete. De frågeställningarna som belyses i studien är: Vad i arbetet med förhållningsätt skapar möjlighet till ensamkommande barns delaktighet i samhället, enligt personal på boenden för ensamkommande barn? Finns det skillnader mellan personal på HVB- boenden om vad man anser om att arbeta med delaktighetsfrämjande arbete? Om ja, kan dessa skillnader då förklaras med kön, ålder, utbildning, erfarenhet etc. av att arbeta med ensamkommande barn? Metoder som används i studien har en kvantitativ och kvalitativ ansats och innehåller en enkätundersökning och tre intervjuer gjorda med boendepersonalen i Kalmar län. Resultatet tolkas utifrån teorin empowerment och förklaras med hjälp av begreppen delaktighet, inklusion och integration. Analysen av studien utgår från dessa begrepp, tidigare forskning och teorin samt förklaras med hjälp av grafer och tabeller konstruerade i SPSS- dataprogram och tolkning av tre intervjuer. Studiens resultat visar att boendepersonal har ett respekterande förhållningssätt i mötet med de ensamkommande barnen. Studien belyser betydelsen av boendepersonalens lyhördhet inför barnens synpunkter, vikten av att vara konsekvent, bekräftande samt besitta förmågan att kunna se helheten. Resultatet visar även att trygghet och tillit är viktiga egenskaper i boendepersonalens förhållningssätt som skapar möjligheter för ensamkommande barnens delaktighet i olika sammanhang, vilket bidrar till social inklusion och samtidigt ökad acceptans och integrering i samhället. Resultatet åskådliggör att det inte finns några signifikanta skillnader mellan personalen i vad man anser om att arbeta med delaktighetsfrämjande arbete. Vår slutsats är att boendepersonalen i Kalmar län har ett positivt förhållningssätt som skapar möjligheter för ensamkommande barnens delaktighet och inkludering i gemenskaper som vidare leder till integration i samhället. / The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge of how the professional staff works with unaccompanied asylum seeking children and by the empowerment perspective work to allow the children's participation, inclusion and integration into society. Furthermore, the study aims also to highlight how the residential staff at HVB-homes themselves regards this work. The issues highlighted are: What in the work approach creates opportunities for unaccompanied children's participation in society, according to residential staff at HVB-homes? Is there differences between residential staff at HVB-homes on what one thinks about working with participative work? If so, can these differences be explained by gender, age, education, experience, etc. in working with unaccompanied minors? Methods used in the study have a quantitative and a qualitative approach and includes a survey and three interviews conducted with residential staff at HVB-homes in Kalmar County. The result is interpreted by the empowerment perspective and explained by means of the concepts of participation, inclusion and integration. The analysis of the study is based on our concepts, previous research and theory and are interpreted using graphs constructed in SPSS software and interpretation of the three interviews. The result of the studie show us that residential staff have a respectful attitude in their approach to the unaccompanied children. The study illustrates the residential staffs sensitivity to children's views, the importance of being consistent, affirmative and to possess the ability to see in a comprehensive view. The results also show that security and trust are important features of the residential staff attitudes that creates potential for the children participate in different contexts, which contributes to social inclusion and simultaneously increased acceptance and integration into society. The result of the study illustrates that there are no significant differences between staff in what one believes about working with participative work. Our conclusion is that residential staff in Kalmar County has a positive approach that creates opportunities for the unaccompanied children's participation and inclusion in communities that lead to integration into society.

The aim of this study was to examine constructions of the guardianship to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. More specifically its aim was to, through the guardians’ perspective, understand and analyze how they construct the guardianship. The study was based on individual semi-structured interviews with questions concerning the guardianship and the role as a guardian. Seven interview-participants, who are active as guardians in diverse municipalities in southern Sweden, are included in this study. The analysis was based on how the guardians describe the assignments in the guardianship, the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and their needs and how they describe the relationship to them. As a conclusion we found two different constructions of the guardianship; one characterized by a guardianship based on limits, distance, clarity of role and assignments and a guardian similar to a tutor. The other perspective is characterized by a guardianship based on no limits for assignments, a close and familiar relationship to the children and a guardian similar to a parent or a friend. We found that the guardians are dominated by different types of social actions that affect the guardianship based on how they constructed the guardianship, the unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and the relationship.

My intention with this study is to examine how integration is understood andimplemented in the daily work with the purpose to integrate asylum-seeking childrenliving within residential care, which is a temporal care for asylum-seeking youths between15-20 years of age.More intentionally my aim is to study the essence of integration work with its benefits anddifficulties which is in this study described from youth pedagogues working with the focusto integrate asylum-seeking children. My aim is also to understand integration workmethods and its effects in the mission to integrate asylum-seeking youths. The study isbased on qualitative semi structure interviews of six youth pedagogues working inresidential care with the roll to integrate asylum-seeking children. The result in this studydescribes the understanding of integration in different ways which can explain thecomplicity in the roll youth pedagogues has got when integrating asylum-seeking children.Despite the lack of obvious methods, visions and goals with integration work, youthpedagogues give answers which leads us to believe that safety factors and risk factors isimportant factors to consider in attempting integration of asylum-seeking youths. Thesefactors are important to consider and understand due to the reason that this knowledgegives an understanding in needs, effects and results of integration work of asylum-seekingchildren / My intention with this study is to examine how integration is understood and implemented in the daily work with the purpose to integrate asylum-seeking children living within residential care, which is a temporal care for asylum-seeking youths between 15-20 years of age. More intentionally my aim is to study the essence of integration work with its benefits and difficulties which is in this study described from youth pedagogues working with the focus to integrate asylum-seeking children. My aim is also to understand integration work methods and its effects in the mission to integrate asylum-seeking youths. The study is based on qualitative semi structure interviews of six youth pedagogues working in residential care with the roll to integrate asylum-seeking children. The result in this study describes the understanding of integration in different ways which can explain the complicity in the roll youth pedagogues has got when integrating asylum-seeking children. Despite the lack of obvious methods, visions and goals with integration work, youth pedagogues give answers which leads us to believe that safety factors and risk factors is important factors to consider in attempting integration of asylum-seeking youths. These factors are important to consider and understand due to the reason that this knowledge gives an understanding in needs, effects and results of integration work of asylum-seeking children.

The on-going conflicts and hardships in various parts of the world, especially in theMiddle East and regions like Syria and Somalia, have triggered a significant wave ofmigration towards Europe. A considerable fraction of these migrants comprisesunaccompanied minors. This research study aims to explore how pre-migration,migration, and post-migration factors influence the mental health and well-being ofSyrian and Somali unaccompanied minors in Sweden during the asylum-seekingprocess. The study is qualitative in nature, employing six in-depth semi-structuredinterviews as its primary data collection method. Using the frameworks of the Senseof Coherence theory and coping theory, the research delves into the challengesunaccompanied minors encounter during the asylum process and the subsequentimpacts on their mental health. The findings suggest that the asylum-seeking processsignificantly impacts the mental health of unaccompanied minors, eliciting mentalhealth issues such as depression, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty and insecurity.These influences are not confined to mental well-being alone but also permeate otheraspects of their lives. This study therefore highlights the necessity of acknowledgingand addressing the complex link between the asylum-seeking process and mentalhealth among unaccompanied minors.

Introduction: Currently, there are one billion migrants worldwide, with Sweden being a common host country. In Swedish primary care, physiotherapists are usually the first instance for patients with musculo-skeletal complaints, ASPs included. Currently, there are no physiotherapeutic guidelines addressing the management and treatment for ASPs. Furthermore, there are some qualitative studies discussing the interaction between health care providers and ASPs or migrant patients, however, none of them are exclusively exploring the phenomenon from the physiotherapists’ perspective. The aim of this study was to explore Swedish primary care physiotherapists’ experiences and professional needs when encountering ASPs. Methods: Using a qualitative methodology with an inductive approach, a case-study consisting of four semi-structured interviews with primary care physiotherapists located in Västerbotten county were conducted between the 13th of March and the 6th of April 2018. Thematic analysis (TA) was used to analyze data. Results: Two main themes were identified; Our most challenging patient group and Demand for knowledge and frameworks. These were discussing the reasons behind the challenges when encountering ASPs, and the desire for an increased organization on a higher level to prepare physiotherapists for their encounters with ASPs. Conclusion: Findings suggest there are challenges and a request for an increased knowledge among primary care physiotherapists when encountering ASPs. These findings serve as a foundation for further research in the matter and for future adjustments in how the physiotherapeutic bachelor program is designed, how employers and the Physiotherapy union (Fysioterapeuterna) provide their employees and members with adequate knowledge, preparing them for encountering ASPs in the best possible way.

<p>The aim of this study is to examine which factors in the receiving-country that have had an influence on three now adult unaccompanied refugee children. The method used in the study is qualitative interviews with the three above-mentioned participants. The results show that some factors are perceived as helpful, having a positive influence on the participants life while other factors are perceived as worsening, having a negative influence on their life. Depending on the context some factors such as age, the Swedish language and housing arrangements have had both positive and negative influences on their life. Positive factors are among other things: access to good treatment and support, help with processing trauma and bad mental health, help with understanding coherence, access to a social network, family reunification, resilience and other internal factors. Negative factors are among other things: loneliness, feeling of powerlessness, mistakes made by public authority and “the long waiting” until they get a residence permit. The results correspond with previous research findings but have also originated new knowledge that can be added on the current field of research. The results have furthermore been analyzed with theories of risk and resilience, coping and sense of coherence.</p><p>Keywords: unaccompanied refugee children, unaccompanied children, asylum-seeking children /young adolts/adolecenses/minors, resilience, risk and protective factors, coping, sense of coherence (SOC)</p>

The aim of this study is to examine which factors in the receiving-country that have had an influence on three now adult unaccompanied refugee children. The method used in the study is qualitative interviews with the three above-mentioned participants. The results show that some factors are perceived as helpful, having a positive influence on the participants life while other factors are perceived as worsening, having a negative influence on their life. Depending on the context some factors such as age, the Swedish language and housing arrangements have had both positive and negative influences on their life. Positive factors are among other things: access to good treatment and support, help with processing trauma and bad mental health, help with understanding coherence, access to a social network, family reunification, resilience and other internal factors. Negative factors are among other things: loneliness, feeling of powerlessness, mistakes made by public authority and “the long waiting” until they get a residence permit. The results correspond with previous research findings but have also originated new knowledge that can be added on the current field of research. The results have furthermore been analyzed with theories of risk and resilience, coping and sense of coherence. Keywords: unaccompanied refugee children, unaccompanied children, asylum-seeking children /young adolts/adolecenses/minors, resilience, risk and protective factors, coping, sense of coherence (SOC)

Due to on going wars and conflicts in the world, the number of people seeking asylum in other countries has increased. Including a large group of unaccompanied minors which is described as ”children who left their country without their parents or a significant other”. In 2015, nearly 35,000 unaccompanied children arrived in Sweden seeking asylum, whereupon the majority arrived in the last months of the year. The large number resulted in an extreme pressure upon the Swedish municipalities, to successfully receive all unaccompanied children. And fulfill their organizational mission according to the Swedish legislation. Therefore the purpose of the study is to establish a deeper understanding of how a social service, organizationally handled an increase in the number of unaccompanied children. A qualitative method was used, consisting semi-structured interviews with nine respondents from or related to the social services. The data of the study were analyzed using a thematic analysis, meaning a search for patterns to create themes and subthemes. The results of the study show that the increase number of unaccompanied minors were experienced and had to be handled as a crisis. The bureaucratic structure of the social service became problematic and constituted an obstacle in the efforts to receive the unaccompanied children. Including a difficulty to follow existing laws and regulations. To resolve the situation the social service had to be flexible and creative in their approach to receive the children. One conclusion is that a bureaucratic structure is not suitable in a dynamic environment that demands quick decisions and flexibility. Another conclusion is that the effort of the staff has been crucial, resolving the crisis. / Antalet människor som flyr undan krig och konflikter i världen har under den senaste tiden ökat. Av dessa människor är en stor grupp ensamkommande barn, det vill säga barn som lämnat sitt hemland utan sina föräldrar eller signifikant annan. Under 2015 anlände ca 35 000 ensamkommande barn till Sverige för att söka asyl. Majoriteten av dessa anlände under de sista månaderna på året. Det medförde ett extremt högt tryck på landets kommuner för att lyckas motta samtliga ensamkommande barn och fullfölja sitt organisatoriska uppdrag enligt den svenska lagstiftningen. Förevarande studies syfte är därmed att få en fördjupad kunskap kring hur en socialförvaltning organisatoriskt har hanterat en ökning av antalet ensamkommande barn. En kvalitativ metod har använts, bestående av semistrukturerade intervjuer med nio respondenter från eller med anknytning till socialförvaltningen. Studiens data analyserades med hjälp av en tematisk analys, där mönster eftersöktes och teman och subteman skapades. Resultatet av studien visar att den stora ökningen av ensamkommande barn upplevdes och fick hanteras som en krissituation. Förvaltningens byråkratiska struktur blev problematisk och utgjorde ett hinder i arbetet med att motta de ensamkommande barnen. Bland annat kunde inte befintliga lagar och regler följas. För att lösa situationen fick förvaltningen vara flexibel och kreativ i sitt arbetssätt. En slutsats är att en byråkratisk organisation inte lämpar sig för en dynamisk omvärld, som ställer krav på snabba beslut och flexibilitet. Därtill framgår att personalens insats inom socialförvaltningen var avgörande för att lösa krissituationen.