Förtroende i mötet med socialtjänsten : En kvalitativ studie om hur personer upplever tillit och misstro i kontakten med socialtjänsten

Sammanfattning

This study examines how trust and mistrust are experienced and described in encounters with social services. The study focuses on both clients’ experiences of contact with social services and social workers’ reflections on trust-building work in professional encounters. Trust is an important part of social work, as it may influence individuals’ willingness to seek support, share personal experiences, and participate in processes that concern their life situation. The study is based on a qualitative research design with a hermeneutic approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals who had personal experience of contact with social services as well as with social workers. The empirical material was analyzed through qualitative content analysis. The analysis focused on how trust and mistrust are described in relation to treatment, communication, participation, previous experiences, and the institutional role of social services. The findings show that trust is shaped through the interaction between the individual and the institution. Clients often described trust and mistrust through feelings of being listened to, respected, involved, or questioned. The social workers described trust as something that needs to be built gradually through clear communication, professional treatment, and awareness of the power imbalance in social work. The study shows that trust is not only formed through formal decisions, but also through everyday encounters in which the values and authority of social services become visible in practice.