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Sexual and reproductive rights, like other human rights, are to be respected, protected and fulfilled by the state. Public authorities and welfare organizations thus have an obligation to conduct a work practice accordingly. Social services' supportive and promotive mission for individuals' living conditions should include SRHR in general, not least in the work with children and youths. Yet previous research points out many obstacles that obstruct a practice grounded in sexual and reproductive rights within different social work environments. This in turn makes it difficult to achieve better sexual and reproductive health. The aim of this study is to obtain a deeper understanding of how professional​​s at residential care centers within Malmö Stad experience the work related to youths sexual and reproductive health. Additionally the aim is to highlight the challenges involved in incorporating sexual and reproductive rights of placed youths. In order to achieve the purpose, a qualitative method was applied. Semi structured interviews have been conducted with six employees within said organizations. These objects of study all had professional experience in working close to the clients on behalf of social service's assignments. The empirics has been analyzed and interpreted based on theoretical concepts such as street-level bureaucracy and discretion. The findings are also related to previous research and state of knowledge presented in the study. The result indicates that all of the informants experience difficulties in executing a social work practice grounded in SRHR. These difficulties are experienced at different levels such as in relation to clients, colleagues, management and the mission itself. Unclear or lacking of priorities, different normative attitudes among staff, deficient or various knowledge and ambiguity seem to be prevalent factors. These results suggest that discretion plays a substantial role in regards to the SRHR grounded practice within residential care.

The focus in this thesis is young peoples’ (aged 17–20) experiences of leaving out-of-home care (OHC) and making the transition into adulthood. Prior research shows care leavers as a vulnerable group making the transition to adulthood at younger age, in shorter duration and with less support than their peers. The overarching aim is to gain knowledge of how young care leavers experience and handle their transition from OHC to adulthood, and how their experiences and strategies change over time. The study design is longitudinal with three waves of interviews: when still in care (T1), 6–11 months later when most of them had left care (T2) and another 10–19 months later (T3). Article I focuses the informants’ (n=15) expectations for their future and how these are changing over time (T1–T2). The participants’ short term expectations are characterized by worries (T1) and ambivalence (T2) – their long-term expectations are more optimistic (both T1 and T2) and tend to be guided by normative developmental patterns. The aim of article II is to study care leavers’ (n=20) strategies for handling adversities during their OHC transition. The results show that the participants over time (T1–T2) develop externally oriented strategies by navigating towards available resources, and internally oriented reflexive strategies for re-negotiating the meaning of their earlier experiences. Departing from an agency perspective article III focuses care leavers’ (n=14) transitional patterns of leaving care (T1–T3). Three patterns are identified: one stable long-term future oriented, one unstable short-term future oriented and one ambivalent pattern shuttling between long- and short-term future orientations. The aim in article IV is to study occupational trajectories, i.e. care leavers’ (n=14) paths into education and employment from a theoretical framework of agency vs. structure. The results show three ideal types of trajectories where agency is: (1) facilitated by structure, (2) perceived as free from structural constraints, and (3) hindered by structural constraints. The longitudinal design provides an original contribution the field of study by uncovering how care leavers’ expectations for their future is changing during the process of transition, how increasingly successful strategies are developed over time, and how transitional OHC patterns are influenced by the agents’ time horizons as well as by structural forces. A conclusion from the study is that societal support targeting young care leavers is deficient and needs to be developed and strengthened. Furthermore, the transition could be facilitated by extending the duration of the transition process, by including care leavers as active participating agents in the planning process of their passage out from OHC, and by strengthening the maintenance of care leavers’ relationships to supportive members in their formal and informal network. ”Independence” as the ultimate goal for young people leaving OHC is criticized based on the results showing that interdependent relationships to significant others is an integrated part of care leavers’ perception of adult life. Avhandlingen handlar om ungdomars (17–20 år) erfarenheter av att lämna samhällsvård och göra sin övergång till vuxenlivet. Tidigare forskning visar att dessa ungdomar är en sårbar grupp där övergången till vuxenlivet sker vid lägre ålder, under kortare tid och med mindre stöd än för andra jämnåriga. Avhandlingens övergripande syfte är att få kunskap om hur ungdomar själva upplever och hanterar övergången från samhällsvård till vuxenliv, samt hur deras upplevelser av och strategier för att hantera övergången förändras över tid. Studien är longitudinell med tre intervjufaser: den första i samhällsvård men där utflytt planeras (T1), den andra 6–11 månader senare då de flesta lämnat samhällsvården (T2) och den tredje ytterligare 10–19 månader senare (T3). I artikel I studeras ungdomarnas (n=15) framtidsförväntningar och hur de förändras över tid (T1–T2). Förväntningarna på kort sikt präglas av oro (T1) och ambivalens (T2) – på längre sikt är de mer optimistiska (både vid T1 och T2) och tenderar att följa normativa utvecklingsmönster. I artikel II studeras vilka strategier ungdomarna (n=20) använder för att handskas med svårigheter under övergången från samhällsvården. Resultaten visar att de från T1 till T2 utvecklar strategier där de navigerar med syfte att få tillgång till externa tillgängliga resurser, och reflexiva strategier där de omförhandlar betydelsen av sina tidigare erfarenheter. Med utgångspunkt från ett aktörsperspektiv studeras i artikel III ungdomarnas (n=14) övergångsmönster (T1– T3) för ungdomarnas utflytt från samhällsvården. Tre övergångsmönster identifieras: ett stabilt långsiktigt, ett instabilt kortsiktigt samt ett ambivalent med både kort- och långsiktigt agerande. Artikel IV fokuserar ungdomarnas (n=14) vägar från samhällsvård till sysselsättning i spänningsfältet mellan aktörskap och struktur. Resultaten visar tre idealtypiska trajektorier: en där strukturen möjliggör och underlättar aktörskap, en där aktörskapet upplevs oberoende av strukturella möjligheter eller hinder och en där aktörskapet begränsas av såväl strukturella som individuella hinder. Resultaten från den longitudinella studien skapar ny kunskap om hur framtidsförväntningarna förändras under transitionsprocessen, om hur framgångsrika strategier bland ungdomarna utvecklas över tid och om hur övergångsmönster påverkas av aktörernas tidshorisont samt av strukturella hinder och möjligheter. Övergripande slutsatser från studien är att dagens samhällsstöd behöver utvecklas, att övergången från samhällsvård blir mer gynnsam om den förlängs och sker över längre tid, om ungdomarna görs delaktiga i planeringen av sin egen utflytt samt stärks i att odla och bibehålla stödjande relationer i deras formella och informella nätverk. ”Självständighet” som ett mål för övergången från samhällsvård kritiseras utifrån resultaten som visar att ungdomarnas uppfattning att vuxenlivet inbegriper ett ömsesidigt beroende av viktiga mellanmänskliga relationer.

Hem för vård eller boende har varit omskrivna i svensk media för missförhållanden det senaste året. Tidigare forskning har visat att placerade ungdomar är en utsatt grupp. Frågor som denna studie försöker besvara är vilka behandlingsmetoder som används inom HVB idag och hur förenligt dessa är med evidensbaserad praktik. Teoretisk utgångspunkt som denna studie tar är social konstruktivism och kategorisering. Studien är av explorativ karaktär där syftet är att kartlägga hem för vård och boende (HVB) som är inriktade mot behandling av ungdomar 13-18 år. Genom kvantitativ innehållsanalys kodades och analyserades innehållet av n=295 HVB hemsidor inriktade mot behandling för ungdomar, 13-18 år. Resultat visar att fältet HVB är i en förändringsprocess där KBT som metod är mest framträdande. Metoder som har vetenskapligt stöd när det gäller missbruk och kriminalitet angavs i låg utsträckning. Många HVB uppgav inget om personal som är betydande när det gäller behandling på HVB. Residential care agencies in Sweden have been described in the Swedish media for malpractice in recent years. Previous research has shown that youth in residential care are a vulnerable group. This study tries to answer what methods are used by residential care agencies in Sweden today and how compatible these methods are with evidence-based practice. The theoretical framework for this study is social constructivism and categorization. The study is of an exploratory nature and the aim is to map residential care agencies in Sweden (HVB) that are focused on the treatment of adolescents by the age of 13-18 years. Through quantitative content analysis, the content of n = 295 HVB websites were coded and analyzed. Results show that the HVB field in Sweden is in a process of change where CBT as a method is most prominent. Methods that have scientific support for addiction and criminal behavior were mentioned to a small extent. Many HVBs did not provide information on staff which is significant when it comes to treatment and care at HVB.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie har varit att undersöka vilken betydelse humor tillskrivs av professionella i behandlingsarbete med ungdomar, vilken betydelse humor beskrivs ha i att skapa meningsfulla relationer med ungdomarna samt vilken betydelse humor upplevs ha för de professionellas egna samarbete. Studiens empiri är baserad på två fokusgruppsintervjuer om fyra deltagare vardera samt två enskilda semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Sammantaget har 10 informanter från fyra verksamheter deltagit i studien. Studiens vetenskapsteoretiska perspektiv är socialkonstruktivism. Studiens empiri har primärt förståtts genom Erving Goffmans dramaturgiska perspektiv och begreppen “Roll” samt “Ram”, Michel Foucaults diskursperspektiv och begreppet “Biomakt”. Som komplement har även begreppet “Att göra kön” Från Candace West och Don Zimmerman använts. Det empiriska materialet har bearbetats med en tematisk analys där fyra huvudsakliga teman identifierats: “Professionalitet och humor”, “Kommunikation och humor”, “Relation och humor” samt “Kultur, klimat och humor”. Dessa teman utgör grunden för studiens analys- och resultatdel, och blir på så vis också det som tolkas för att besvara studiens frågeställningar. Den tolkning vi gjort av studiens material visar att humor beskrivs som en ständigt närvarande faktor i arbetet med ungdomarna, samt även inom personalgruppen där den uppges fungera som en coping-strategi. Humor återges av de professionella som en funktion som kan fungera avväpnande i spända situationer, exempelvis kan den ge en mänsklig aspekt i det första mötet med institutionen. Det som främst belystes i materialet var att humorns främsta egenskap var att verka relationsskapande. Vidare redogjordes för att humor var något som främst “bara finns” i sammanhanget, men att ett korrekt användande av humor är en stor del av den professionella rollen. Återkommande i studien betonades att ett korrekt användande var svårt att formulera, då användandet i sig är väldigt kontextbundet och att en stor del “fingertoppskänsla” är av yttersta vikt. The purpose of this qualitative study has been to investigate the how the importance of humour is described by professional social workers in residential care. Additionally, the significance humour is given in creating meaningful relationships with adolescents as well as its importance for the professionals own cooperation has been investigated. The empirical material from this study is based on two focus group-interviews consisting of four participants each and two semi-structured interviews with one professional each. A total of ten informants from four different institutions were interviewed for this study. The theoretical perspective of the study is social constructivism.The studies empirical material have foremost been understood through Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective including his theoretical concepts of “Role” and “Frame”, and Michel Foucault’s discourse perspective and the concept “Biopower”. The concept “Doing gender” from Candace West and Don Zimmerman was also used as a complementary perspective in the analysis. The empirical material of the study has been processed with a thematic analysis in which four main themes were developed. “Professionalism and humour”, “Communication”, “Relation and humour” and “Culture, climate and humour”. These themes made the foundation of the analysis- and results chapter of the study, and was therefore also what was interpreted to answer the question formulation of the study. The interpretation made out of the empirical material of the study show that humour is a constantly present factor in the work with the adolescents as well as with the professionals themselves where humour worked as a coping-strategy. Humour has a disarming feature in tense situations, and can for example give a human touch in the first meeting with the institution. What was mostly highlighted in the material was that the primary characteristic of humour was its function to aid people in forming relationships. Furthermore humour was described merely as something that’s “just there” in the context, but that a proper usage of humour played a major role in what it meant to be a professional. Recurrent in the study was how the professionals emphasized that a proper usage of humour was difficult to formulate since the usage in itself was described as very contextual and that a great deal of sensitivity is of utmost importance.

Uppsatsen handlar om tre verksamhetschefers och en behandlingsassistents uppfattningar om hur ungdomar som vistas på Hem för vård och boende (HVB)- eller Statens Institutionsstyrelse –hem (SiS, som kan använda låsbara avdelningar), påverkas av de omplaceringar som sker när ungdomen flyttar från SiS till HVB. I den här studien fokuserar vi på en specifik del i behandlingen, som kan påverka ungdomar som är vårdplacerade – omplaceringar mellan vårdboenden. Vi undersöker bland annat hur dessa omplaceringar går till/skulle kunna gå till, samt vilka anledningar som kan tänkas vara bakgrunden till att en ungdom omplaceras. Som underlag för vår studie har vi utöver litteratur och forskning inom området, genomfört fyra intervjuer med personal från HVB och SiS boenden. Vi använder anknytningsteorin och Sense of coherence modellen som teoretisk referensram. Resultatet visar att det finns brister gällande omplaceringar. Samtliga informanter önskade mer tid till förberedelserna i arbetet med ungdomen som ska flytta in. Ett önskemål vore att det från beslut till inflyttning skulle ta 3-6 månader, då det ger möjlighet för personalen på det nya boendet att besöka ungdomen och börja knyta band redan innan flytten ska genomföras. Slutsatsen blir att omplaceringen spelar roll för ungdomens behandling och vistelse på boendet. Samtidigt är det oroväckande att det saknas tydliga riktlinjer för hur dessa omplaceringar ska ske. Om mer resurser och tydligare riktlinjer kring omplaceringar gavs, kan det minska det antal omplaceringar där ungdomen tvingas flytta tillbaka till SiS. Idag får ungefär var fjärde ungdom flytta tillbaka igen. This paper investigates the perspective of managers' and processing staffs concerning young people living on a Home for care or living(HVB)- or Institutional board of the states- home (SiS - they can use lockable departments), and how they think youths are affected by the transfer between SiS and HVB. This study focus on factors that can affect young people's health - replacing youths between different nursing homes. The paper investigates how these replacements are performed/could be performed, as well as the underlying factors that might explain why a youth is being relocated. As a basis for our study, in addition to the literature and research in the field, we have conducted four interviews with personnel from HVB- and SiS- accommodations. We use the attachment theory and the Sense of coherence theory as a theoretical frame. The results show that there are shortcomings in the process of redeployment. All informants wanted more time to prepare the work of a youth who is about to move. A proposal from the informants, was that the process from decision to the actual moving should take between 3-6 months. This would give the staff in the new accommodation a chance to visit the youth and begin to build ties, before the move is implemented. The conclusion is that the transfer has an important role in the treatment and the stay of the youth. At the same time, it is of great concern that there are no clear guidelines for how these replacements should be performed. If there would be more resources and clearer guidelines for how redeployments should be handled, it might perhaps reduce the number of shifts where young people are moving back to SiS. Today approximately one of four youth needs to move back.

The purpose of this study was to analyze how the key staff concept is used in residential care for children and young people and which role the key staff concept plays in the organization. The study was based on semi-structured qualitative interviews with six key staff and two managers from two different residential care facilities for children and young people. The theoretical perspective used was the neo-institutional theory and Hasenfeld´s term Human service organizations. One of the conclusions of the study was that the key staff describe that they have a central role when it comes to the treatment of the children. Another conclusion showed the variety of tasks that the key staff have, like the administrative work that they do. They also have an educational role, similar to the one that parents normally have which means that they are responsible of parenting the children. They also described themselves as a link between the children and their social network. The people interviewed justified the use of the key staff concept as it gives structure for the work, security to the children and serves as a guide on how to create and maintain relationships. The institutional processes shown in the key staff concept are: the coercive, which can be seen by the obligation to follow the treatment plans. The mimetic, since it exists only a few ways to organize the work and the normative which shows that their education and/or the level of education can affect the approach that they have towards the children.

The dissertation analyses access to welfare resources within the areas of schooling, leisure and peer relations for youth in out of home care. The study was conducted in three counties in mid Sweden and is a replication of the recurrent Swedish surveys of living condition of children in general populations. By using the same design, children aged 13–18 (n=272) in foster care and residential care were approached. Throughout the analysis results are compared with conditions for peers living at home, based on data from the 2004/2005 survey on living conditions for children (Child-ULF). Furthermore the results are linked to the young people’s experience of psychosomatic complaints and emotional wellbeing and discussed within the theoretical framework of childhood sociology. Questions regarding society’s ability to convey resources to youth while in care as well as young persons’ potential to exercise determination while in care are also discussed. The study shows that youth in care in general have access to fewer resources than those in general populations in the studied areas. For youth in residential care the differences compared to peers living at home are substantial, while conditions for youth in foster care are more alike those of young people in general. Youth in residential care have fewer school related resources and fewer contacts with friends than peers living at home. Youth in foster and residential care are more subjected to bullying than the general population. The overall conclusions are that society, in the form of foster parents and residential staff fails in certain areas to convey resources to youth in care. The young people’s lack of resources poses limitations to their potential to exercise self-determination while in care. The study points out areas where targeted efforts might be needed to improve the living conditions for youth in out of home care and perhaps broaden their potential to exercise self-determination while in care as well as after. Välfärd i samhällsvården? En levnadsnivåundersökning av barn och ungdomar i socialtjänstens dygnsvård