Background: In Sweden the national labour market policies are administered by the Public Employment Service which is in charge of assessing job-seekers’ need for support in the process of reaching employment. Equality is a fundamental principle for the administration. Neither ethnicity nor the person’s economical situation should influence the assessment. At the same time job-seekers are entitled to an individual assessment. Although the state has a national responsibility for labour market policy since the 1990s different municipal labour market interventions have also developed.   Aim: To investigate the impact of different income support systems (unemployment benefit/activity support or social assistance) and ethnicity on the assessments made by public employment officers.   Method: The study used a quantitative method with a questionnaire in the form of a factorial vignette experiment with fictitious cases in which only one factor/variable changed. 118 respondents at eight employment offices completed the survey between 20 January and 1 April 2020. Correlation analyses were performed using crosstabs (Cramers V) and Chi2-tests. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare data at two different times (first and second phase of the survey).   Results: Employment officers advocated support at the employment service/external operator as their first choice in 86 per cent of cases, against municipal labour market interventions as first choice in 14 per cent of cases. There were statistically significant differences in the assessments based on the form of income support in all three vignettes. Unemployment benefit/activity support and social assistance resulted in statistically significant different assessments. Employment officers want to refer job-seekers with social assistance to municipal labour market interventions more often than they do with those with unemployment benefit or activity income. No significant differences in the assessments were observed regarding the ethnicity of job-seekers.   Conclusions: The study shows that in the process of labour market policy assessment not only the job-seeker's ability to work and the need for support to find a job is evaluated, but the income support system of the job-seeker plays a role. The differences in assessments based on the job-seekers' form of income may be due to categorisations. These categorisations may spring from stereotypical views of job-seekers benefiting from social assistance, or may be due to institutional factors with two different income support systems for the unemployed, or lastly spring from a lack of clarity regarding borders and distribution between national and municipal labour market policies. Regardless the reason, the categorisations might lead to significant consequences for job-seekers with social assistance, who in addition to a lower level of economical compensation also risk being referred to municipal labour market interventions. These are sometimes designed to be a demand for activity in return for receiving social assistance and do not always have as their primary purpose to strengthen working capacity. Based on the results of the study, Sweden thereby does not live up to being a universal welfare state with social citizenship, since social rights do not apply equally to all job seekers.

Studien syftade till att undersöka hur socialsekreterare beskriver familjehemsföräldrars behov av stöd vid sammanbrott samt vilka möjligheter de uppfattar sig ha att möta stödbehovet. Sju socialsekreterare deltog i studien och data samlades in genom en fokusgruppsdiskussion och tre enskilda intervjuer. Studiens teoretiska ansats var teorin om gräsrotsbyråkrati samt begreppet handlingsutrymme. Resultatet visade att de intervjuade socialsekreterarna upplevde en svårighet att prata om sammanbrottet utan att se till placeringen i sin helhet. Det blev också tydligt att ämnet var ovanligt för socialsekreterarna att reflektera över. Stödjande samtal uppfattades vara det främsta stödbehovet och socialsekreterarna beskrev en för familjehemsföräldrarna känslomässig process i samband med ett sammanbrott, vilken de bemötte med tid för återhämtning samt “ett lyssnande öra”. Organisatoriska förutsättningar i form av arbetets organisering och dess kultur, ledningens insyn och förtroende, hög arbetsbelastning samt geografiskt långa avstånd var aspekter vilka möjliggjorde eller begränsade socialsekreterarna. / The aim of the study was to examine how social workers describe foster parents’ need of support in the event of a placement breakdown and which opportunities the social workers perceived having to meet the parents’ needs. A focus group and three individual interviews were made, including totally seven social workers in the study. The theoretical approach was the theory of street-level bureaucracy with focus on the concept of discretion. The social workers described a difficulty to talk about placement breakdown without seeing the placement as a whole. It became obvious that identifying foster parents’ needs during or after a placement breakdown was not perceived as part of the social workers’ work tasks. Although, they expressed that foster parents’ may need support in this situation. The social workers described an emotional process for foster parents, which they responded to with listening as well as “giving time for recovery”. Organizational conditions affecting the work were discussed in terms of workplace culture and organization, the management’s insight and trust, a high workload and geographically long distance which enabled or limited the social workers.

Av socialtjänstlagen (SFS: 2001:453) kapitel 5, 5§ framgår det att äldreomsorgen ska verka för att äldre ska ha möjlighet att bo kvar i sitt hem med hjälp och stöd från hemtjänst, samt att de har rätt till självbestämmande och integritet. Studiens syfte är att få en fördjupad kunskap om hur självbestämmandet tillgodoses eller begränsas i hemtjänsten utifrån ett personalperspektiv. Studien genomfördes med kvalitativ metod med en hermeneutisk ansats. Studien baseras på åtta stycken semistrukturerade interjuver med undersköterskor. Sju kvinnor och en man deltog i studien. Intervjuerna genomfördes på två olika arbetsplatser där fyra stycken undersköterskor vardera intervjuades. Den teoretiska utgångpunkten i studien grundas i street-level bureaucrats teorin. Teorin anses som lämplig då den utgår från personalens upplevelser. Enligt Lipsky (2010:xii) innebär teorin att individerna som jobbar närmast klienterna, är dem som ser hur arbetet ska utföras på bästa sätt. Lipsky benämner dessa som gräsrotsbyråkrater. Eftersom studiens utgångpunkt utgår från ett personalperspektiv, blir teorin således lämplig i studien. Analysen resulterade i två kategorier som var väsentliga i relation till hemtjänst och självbestämmande. De väsentliga kategorierna var arbetsmiljö och tid. Personalen upplevde att arbetsmiljö och tid hade en avgörande faktor på självbestämmandet. De slutliga resultaten i studien är att självbestämmandets utsträckning beror på klienternas hjälpbehov. Det vill säga att desto mer hjälp och stöd klienten behövde, desto mindre utrymme lämnades åt självbestämmandet. Klienter med mindre hjälpbehov hade i regel större självbestämmande. / Within The Social Services Act (SFS: 2001:453) chapter 5, 5§, it appears that the geriatric care is aimed as an opportunity for elderly individuals to live at their homes with help and support from home care as well as having a right for self-determination and integrity. The aim of this study was to gain richer insights regarding how self-determination is accommodated or limited within the home care, from the perspectives of the personnel. The study was conducted with a qualitative method with a hermeneutic approach. The study is based on eight semi-structured interviews with assistant nurses. Seven females and one male participated in the study. The interviews were conducted on two different workplaces, with four assistant nurses interviewed on each workplace. The theoretical framework in the study was based on the street-level bureaucracy theory. The theory is considered as adequate as it is emanated from experiences of the personnel. According to Lipsky (2010:xii), the individuals who interact directly with clients are those with the best judgement in the execution of their work. Lipsy names them street-level bureaucracy The theory in the current study is considered as adequate as the starting point is emanated from the experiences of personnel. The analysis resulted in two categories, which were essential in relation to home care and self-determination. The essential categories were work-environment and time. The personnel experienced the work-environment and time as an determinant factor on self-determination. The final results in the current study shows that self-determination, at large, is due to clients needs for help. In other Words, the more help and support clients need, the less space for self-determination. Clients with less need for help had, on average, larger selfdetermination.

The purpose with this study is to examine how social workers collaborate with clients that have both financial aid and substance abuse problems. The study aimed to examine if the social workers experienced that there were limits in their work when collaboration takes place. The study is based on eight semi-structured interviews with social workers from four different municipalities in Sweden. Criteria for the social workers were whether they should work with financial aid or addiction treatment. The interviews were analyzed with former research and theoretical concept discretion. The results of the study show that collaboration in social service is different depending on errand. Often it happens with information exchange. The result of the study also shows that social workers' work is affected by collaboration. Sometimes it supports their own work and sometimes it can create obstacles in their own work. One part of the result is that the nearness is an important component for functioning collaboration and the geographical nearness and distance affects the social worker’s work. That creates questions if the digital world can be helpful for collaboration in social service.

Uppsatsen syftade till att undersöka hur olika socialsekreterare resonerade i sina bedömningar inom ekonomiskt bistånd samt hur socialsekreterarna uppfattade och tillämpade sitt handlingsutrymme. Fem socialsekreterare intervjuades i en kvalitativ intervjustudie där även två vinjettfall ingick. Resultatet påvisade viss variation i resonemang och bedömningar samt att tid, ärendebelastning och samverkan med andra myndigheter enligt socialsekreterarna hade störst inverkan på deras handlingsutrymme. Resultatet motsade en del tidigare forskning, genom att organisatoriska kontrollmekanismer inom socialt arbete även kan upplevas som positivt för socialarbetarnas handlingsutrymme. Generellt sett kände sig majoriteten av socialsekreterare tämligen fria i sin yrkesutövning. Skillnader i socialsekreterarnas resonemang analyserades samt diskuterades. Vissa socialsekreterare tillämpade ett tämligen byråkratiskt förhållningssätt gentemot klienter och deras ansökningar, medan andra socialsekreterare fokuserade på alliansbyggande i sina bedömningar och resonemang. Utrymmet för socialsekreterarna att själva välja vilket förhållningssätt de önskade inta föreföll vara stort. / The aim of the study was to examine how social workers working with income support reasoned in their assessments and to examine how they perceived and applied their discretion. Five social workers were interviewed in a qualitative study, which also included two vignettes. Results showed that reasoning and assessments varied to some extent. The social workers described time, caseload and collaboration with other authorities as challenges, limiting their discretion. The results contradicted some previous research, as the social workers described positive aspects of organisational control mechanisms in relation to discretion. Generally they all felt rather free in the exercise of their profession. Differences in social workers reasoning were analysed and discussed. Some social workers applied a rather bureaucratic approach regarding clients, whilst others focused more on alliance building in their assessments. There seemed to be room to choose which approach to take depending on the social worker’s perception of the situation.

The aim of this study is to enhance the understanding of the possibilities and limitations of using the swedish law; SoL 5 kap. 2 §, among child- welfare workers and social workers within foster- care. The purpose of this law is to be able to prohibid or limitate inadequate foster-homes from taking care of foster-children. Qualitative interviews were conducted with three child-welfare workers and three social workers within foster-care, from three different municipalities. We have used hermeneutic interpretation to look at the empirical material and the theoretical framework of the study consists of Michael Lipskys theory about street-level bureaucracy. We also took part of previous research and other relevant literature in the field of foster-care to analyze the material. The result we found was that the knowledge and use of the law; SoL 5 kap. 2§ was limited. Some of our respondents had never heard about the law and none of our respondents had experience of using the law in their cases. Our respondents then, started to resonate about why they think that they have little knowledge about the law, and connected it to that there are deficiencies within the organization that create limitations in the social secretary's work in foster-home care. This limitations results in the social-workers having little knowledge about the law and not using it, even though they have high discretion in their everyday- job. To limitate inadequate foster-homes from having- and receiving placements, the social workers moved the child from the foster-home, and later gave negative references if other municipalities called, when they were thinking of placing a child in that specific foster-home. Our results show that this was not an optimal way of trying to limitate inadequate fosterhomes. Our respondents had experiences of other municipalities placing children in fosterhomes that they had given bad references about.

Social service’ information is crucial for a client’s possibilities to participate and influence. In this survey study we focus on the social workers’ relation to information:  What are the prerequisites for informing and how do they use their discretion? Previous research has shown communication problems due to insufficient or inadequate information material. Organizational support and social worker/client relationship have been shown as important factors for participation. The meaning and use of concepts such as participation and influence has also changed over time. No similar study has been carried out before, which makes the present study explorative. Through a mixed method questionnaire, we have tried to capture 125 respondents’ experiences of and attitudes to the clients' need for information. The study shows previously unidentified circumstances. One is that the vast amount of information provided to the client is perceived as a problem in itself. Another is the social workers’ emphasis on the clients’ understanding of the information. We perceive these circumstances as a sign of a juridification of social work, partly as a result of a cooptation process. Social service incorporate new elements in a way that strengthens the organisation's power at the expense of the street level bureaucrats’ discretion.

Studies show that 10-15 percent of Sweden's population, 65 years or older are estimated to have depression or depression symptoms. The symptoms of depression among elderly people are less than symptoms of young people. This could cause that elderly people with depression are not always discovered. Studies show that elderly people who live in residential homes show more signs of depression than elderly people living at home. If elderly people live in a supporting environment, can it prevent that a depression developed. The prevention of depression among elderly people is a topic that is not discussed among previously research. The purpose of this study is to examine how the unit managers of the residential homes for elderly people look at the prevention of depression. This study is qualitative where six unit managers in charge of residential homes have been interviewed. The interviews were based on different themes; how the unit managers approach the prevention of depression among elderly people and how they describe the discretion to take preventive treatment for depression among elderly people, also the unit manager views on elderly peoples depression. The study is made in a small number of municipalities which means that it can not be generalized. The result may not be the same if the study had been made on a larger scale. The results of the study show that the unit managers of the residential homes for elderly people work to prevent depression in different ways. An explanation of why the unit managers works different are based on the unit manager ideas and interpretations of depression among elderly people. Also the unit manager priorities, past experience, number of years as a professional and their views about elderly people’s depression are factors that affect the unit manager work. The unit manager views on its way to approach the prevention of depression, the political guidelines and decisions have impact on the way the unit manager work to prevent depression among elderly people in the residential home.

Abstract The aim of this qualitative case study was to examine social service workers and managers approach towards the implementation of the Signs-of-Safety (SoS) model and their comprehension of working with the model. This study took place at a children and youth unit at a social service office in Stockholm. The empiric is based on three qualitative semistructured interviews and participant observations. The result was analyzed by definitions from Hasenfeld’s Human service organizations (HSO), Lipsky’s and Johansson’s definitions of "street-level bureaucrats", and room for manoeuvre. Lundquist’s definitions of "understand", "want" and "can" was also used, as well as the core-components that Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman och Wallace draw together of a successful implementation. The main result of the study indicates that the SoS-model contributes to the participation of children and parents and that it is complicated to implement the SoS-model in such a specialized organization. The study’s result also shows that the implementation is promoted by the support and the resources of every level in the organization and the fact that the initiative came from the street-level bureaucrats. The documentary system that comes with the BBIC is complicated to combinate with the SoS-model and therefore this might become a restricting effect.

Arbetskraftsbrist och en krympande välfärdsstat har ökat fokusen på individer som står långt från arbetsmarknaden såväl som på arbetsintegrerande sociala företag. I den här hermeneutiska studien som baseras på intervjuer med tjänstemän som arbetar gentemot dessa grupper undersöker vi hur tjänstemännen upplever sitt handlingsutrymme och sin roll gentemot klienterna.   För att kunna utföra sitt arbete behöver de handlingsutrymme vilket ligger i linje med Michael Lipskys teori om gatubyråkrater (Lipsky 2010). Sociala företag beskrivs som behövda för att lösa brister på arbetsmarknaden men också problematiska eftersom både de sociala entreprenörerna och klienterna har en bakgrund med bristfällig skolgång vilket leder till problem att navigera i samhället. Tjänstemännen kompenserar för det genom att ta på sig olika roller.   Paradoxen med de sociala företagen analyseras med hjälp av en teori om pre-paradigmatiska fält och isomorfism som för med sig ett tryck på organisationerna att anpassa sig för att uppnå legitimitet och få tillgång till resurser. Med mer kunskap om den roll som tjänstemän kan spela för att förebygga utestängningar från arbetsmarknaden skulle det kunna möjliggöra för resurser att distribueras effektivare inom välfärdssystemet. / Lack of workers and a shrinking welfare state have increased the focus on individuals who are excluded from the labor market as well as social enterprises. In this hermeneutic study, based on interviews with officials working towards these groups, we investigate how officials perceive their discretion and role towards clients. To be able to do their job they need discretion which is in line with Michael Lipsky's theory on street-level bureaucrats (Lipsky 2010).   Social enterprises are described as needed to solve shortcomings in the labor market, but also problematic, as the social entrepreneurs could be lacking skills, as both clients and social entrepreneurs have a background of failed schooling due to disabilities and socio-economic causes. Bourdieu’s concept of doxa is applied to understand how failed schooling lead to shortcomings in navigating society and how officials compensate for this by taking on different roles.   The paradox of the social enterprises is analyzed with a theory on pre-paradigmatic fields and isomorphism which brings a pressure for organizations to conform to gain legitimacy and access to resources. More knowledge on the role the officials can play to prevent exclusion from the labor market could enable resources to be more effectively distributed within the welfare system.