Suchergebnisse

Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate if the working conditions of child welfare social workers in one municipality would be improved after the implementation of three initiatives: weekly small group supervision for newly educated social workers, team-strengthening activities and training for the team leaders. Five teams consisting of thirty-six child welfare social workers and five team leaders participated. At project start and after the two project years (2017–2018), the social workers' perception of their working conditions was measured by a questionnaire (QPS Nordic). After the two years the social workers rated several aspects of their working conditions more positively. They were more satisfied with the organisational climate and leadership and with the collaboration in their work group. Turnover, which had been high for many years, had almost stopped and vacancies were now filled. The social workers were now more often satisfied with the quality of their work. Interestingly, these positive changes had occurred at the same time as the social workers now reported higher demands and more often experienced role conflicts. The overall results of this small-scale study indicate that working conditions of social workers can be improved after the implementation of rather modest means.

Virtual reality provides students with the opportunity to have simulated experiences in a safe setting and is mostly used to teach direct practice skills. One of the most advanced ways of using virtual simulation in social work education is to interact with avatars. Aim: The overall aim of this scoping review was to find out what is known about the use of dialogue with avatars in virtual reality in simulation-based social work education. Materials: Using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework, 11 articles were included in this review. Results: The skills taught with the avatars varied, as did the ways of preparing students for the sessions. The training was assessed as meaningful learning in a safe and comfortable environment, offering an opportunity to train in practical skills. According to the pre- and post-tests, in several studies the students' skills seemed to have improved after the training. The qualitative data also pointed to skill developments. Conclusion: Training with avatars seems to be a useful way of preparing students for their future profession and seems to hold great potential in preparing students for demanding situations that cannot be easily trained for in a classroom. The results also point to technical elements that would benefit from development.

Abstract
The study aimed to investigate how working conditions, intention to leave and self-rated health among Swedish social workers in child welfare have developed over the course of fifteen years. In 2003 (n = 309), 2014 (n = 313) and 2018 (n = 305), the same questionnaire was distributed to social workers who were working with the same tasks in the same geographical areas. The results show that the social workers in 2018 overall rate their working conditions as better than they did in 2014, and in most respects also better than in 2003. The most salient improvements are that work demands in 2018 are described as significantly lower than in earlier years, and organisational climate, group work and support from their superior and co-workers are seen more positively. Despite these positive developments, the changes in how the social workers rate their health and to what extent they intend to leave the workplace were minor. Also, how the social workers rated positive challenges in work and the extent to which they perceived their work as meaningful or felt that their skills and knowledge often were useful in their work had deteriorated. Possible factors as the influence of New Public Management and increased use of manuals and forms are discussed.

Abstract
In the social services in general and particularly in child welfare, high staff turnover and recruitment difficulties have been reported for many years. Previous studies have shown that giving social workers adequate social support is important in getting them to maintain their job commitment and remain at the workplace. The aim of the present study was to investigate how child welfare managers perceive and respond to the content and demands of their professional role. Interviews were conducted with forty-two first-line managers. The results indicate that the expectations of the social workers and the demands of the organisation are in conflict. The overall picture is one of challenges and dilemmas in a changing managerial role, where the focus is increasingly on control, administration and budget responsibilities. While the managers highlight what can be regarded as transformative ideals and prioritise offering support and guidance to the social workers under them, the organisation seems to be pushing managers towards a leadership role characterised by control and authority, where quantitative measuring, monitoring and control processes are expected––a leadership style associated with transactional leadership. The influence of New Public Management on the conditions for, and the contents of, leadership in social services is discussed.

Abstract
The study aimed to investigate how child welfare social workers assessed the leadership of their first-line managers over a period of fifteen years and to examine whether the assessments have changed over time. More specifically, the analysis focused on the extent to which social workers perceive the leadership of their first-line managers to be empowering, supportive and fair. Data were collected in the years 2003 (n = 293), 2014 (n = 300) and 2018 (n = 309) using the same questionnaire, mainly based on QPS Nordic, which was distributed to social workers working with investigations of children and youth. The results show that the social workers assessed all measured aspects of their first-line managers' leadership as better in 2014 compared to 2003 and significantly better in 2018 compared to 2003. In light of previous studies showing that child welfare managers experience less optimal conditions for their leadership, the results are surprising. How is it possible that the first-line managers, despite their own descriptions of a more difficult leadership situation, are seen as more supportive, empowering and fair in their leadership from the social workers' perspective? Possible explanations for the social workers' better assessments over the years, such as specialisation, are discussed.

Abstract
Existing research highlights the trend of organizing social services into specialized units, addressing specific areas such as child welfare. Further specialization within child welfare extends to target groups (youth vs child) and work task dimensions. The literature remains inconclusive about whether specialization enhances or hinders social work practice. Potential drawbacks of specialization, like gaps between services and a lack of a holistic view, are assumed to increase the need for collaboration. However, specialization might impede collaboration due to profession-specific tensions, such as differing cultures or turf issues. Empirical findings suggest challenges in collaboration both within and between specialized organizations. This study explores how various specializations in child welfare relate to social workers' perceptions of collaboration within their workgroup, between different social service units, and with external organizations, considering factors like work demand, time spent with clients, and work experience. Analysing survey data from 2003 to 2018 with 895 social workers in Stockholm County, the present study uses generalized estimating equations to address clustering within organizations. The findings indicate a potential positive association between target group specialization and perceived collaboration functionality within the workgroup and with external organizations, challenging assumptions that specialization hinders collaboration and suggesting that target group specialization could facilitate collaboration.

Based on data from 12 diverse societies, this is the first cross-national comparative study on academic engagement in social policy formulation. The chapters present survey data on the policy involvement of social work academics in different countries and an analysis of this data by country experts. The findings relate to the levels and types of policy engagement of the social work academics, their perceptions regarding this type of activity and the factors associated with this. This unique perspective on the academia-society nexus is essential reading for academics and students interested in the ongoing debate on the role of academia in policy, particularly those policies dealing with issues of social justice and social change