Dignifying families at risk: How a change in caseworker approach changes user perspective, agency and perception of self

Workshop på konference:Through the voices of families at risk, the aim of the presentation is to display how a change in caseworker approach and municipal organization can dignify families at risk and create change in the families’ experiences of collaboration, agency and of self. Qualitative interviews forms the basis.The Danish municipal services are organised in sectors with a high degree of specialisation. For instance, a family struggling with unemployment as well as children’s failure to thrive can be assigned one or more caseworker(s) per adult specialised within unemployment; one per adult who handles the financials and one (or more) from child protection. Most likely, the several different caseworkers from different departments are combined with different professionals related to the different initiatives launched by the different departments. Therefore, it is not unrealistic for a family of two parents and two children to be assigned ten different professionals from the municipality. In addition, the coordination between these different sectors is weak, leaving the collaboration between the different professionals almost non-exiting.However, in one Danish municipality a new initiative has emerged. A selected number of 32 families assigned to both the department of employment and that of child protection (and for some, also other departments) now only have one caseworker, in total. With a different organisation, a change in caseworker approach and new perspectives on preventive measures the idea is to enable these families away from being at risk.Grad af anerkendelse: InternationalLinks: http://ifsweurope2017.yourhost.is/workshops/