Administrativa krav i familjehemsvården.Administrative Requirements in Foster Care : En kvalitativ studie om barnsekreterares och familjehemssekreterares handlingsutrymme i relationsskapande arbete

Sammanfattning

This qualitative study examines how administrative requirements are perceived and handled by child welfare social workers and foster care social workers in their daily work. It also examines the impact of these requirements on professional discretion and relational work involving children, families, and foster homes. The study is based on five semi-structured interviews with three child welfare social workers and two foster care social workers, with the material analysed thematically. The results demonstrate that administrative requirements play a recurring and significant part in daily work. Documentation, planning, follow-up processes, meetings, digital systems and journal writing are described as core components of the work. Child welfare social workers perceived the administrative workload as more extensive and challenging to keep pace with, whereas foster care social workers experienced it as more manageable, although still shaped by rules and limitations. The results also suggest that administrative requirements can support professional practice by creating structure, legal certainty and clarity. At the same time, administrative demands may restrict the time available for direct contact and relational work. The participants used different strategies to manage these requirements, including planning, prioritising, making notes, setting aside time in their calendars and seeking collegial support. The study concludes that administrative requirements influence how the way work is organised, how professional discretion is exercised and how social workers balance control and relationship-based practice.