Förälder på avstånd – hur kan socialtjänsten stödja föräldrar under en placering?

Summary

The transcript discusses a research project aimed at understanding and improving the support provided by social services to parents during child placement. The project, initiated by IFO leaders in Göteborg, involves seven municipalities and focuses on the perspectives of parents, social services, and caregivers. Key findings include the insufficient support parents receive to maintain their parental roles, with only about 30% of parents feeling they receive adequate support. The project emphasizes the need for a child and parent perspective in social work, highlighting the importance of involving parents in decision-making processes and acknowledging their knowledge and contributions. The transcript also touches on the challenges faced by social workers in balancing the needs of the child with those of the parents.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The presentation discusses a research project on how social services can support parents during a placement, initiated by IFO chiefs in Göteborgs stad due to concerns that parents might not be receiving the support they are entitled to.
• 📈 A trio consisting of Anna Melke, Kristina Ullvan, and Alexandra Lagerwall from Alingsås kommun share their experiences and insights from the project.
• 📊 A digital survey was sent to all social secretaries responsible for placing children with parents, revealing that only about 10% of cases receive the support they need to be effective parents at a distance.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parents expressed a desire for someone to talk to who understands the difficulty of being a parent at a distance and the need for guidance on how to navigate their new situation.
• 🤝 The importance of involving parents early in the process and as much as possible in the planning around care is emphasized, with a checklist created to outline ways parents can be involved despite their child being placed.
• 🔄 A new handover routine between the investigation unit and the family care unit has been established to ensure a smooth transition for both the child and the parents.
• 💡 The project has led to a broader perspective in social work, with a focus on having tools to better support parents who have had their children taken away.
• 📚 A Södertörns assessment model is being tested to help with assessments of contact scope and form, aiming to increase transparency and understanding for parents.
• 📄 An information brochure for parents is being developed to help clarify the overwhelming amount of information they receive during the initial phase of their child's placement.
• 🚨 Crisis support is being developed to help parents navigate the acute phase of crisis, with the hope that it will create calm for the child and allow the parent to be more involved in the child's care.
• 🤔 The project raises questions about the current support systems and the need for a more structured approach to ensuring parents receive the necessary support to maintain their parental role.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the research project discussed in the transcript?

The main focus of the research project is to examine how social services can support parents during a placement, particularly when their children are in family homes or institutions.

Who initiated the research project, and why was it initiated?

The research project was initiated by IFO-cheferna in Göteborgs stad, based on the idea that parents might not be receiving the support they are entitled to from social services.

What does the three-part parental model referred to in the transcript involve?

The three-part parental model involves social services, the parents, and those who provide daily care for the child, such as family home caregivers or HVB-personal or SIS-personal.

What is the primary right that children and parents have, according to the Socialstyrelsen mentioned in the transcript?

According to the Socialstyrelsen, children have the right to their parents both under the social services law and the children's convention, and parents have the right to continue being parents.

What was the general sentiment of the social secretaries regarding the support parents receive?

The social secretaries generally felt that only about 10% of the cases believed parents received the support they needed to be effective parents at a distance.

What are some of the key desires expressed by parents in the project?

Parents expressed a desire for someone to talk to, someone who understands the difficulty of being a parent at a distance, and a need for guidance on how to behave and what expectations to have in their new situation.

How did the research project impact the perspectives of social workers involved?

The research project widened the perspectives of social workers by making them realize the deep vulnerability of parents and the importance of providing tools to make the parents' situation a little better.

What is the Södertörns bedömningsmodell mentioned in the transcript?

The Södertörns bedömningsmodell is a tool from FoU Södertörn that helps in assessing the extent and form of contact, i.e., a child's contact with their parents when they are placed.

What is the purpose of the crisis support mentioned in the transcript?

The purpose of the crisis support is to help parents during the acute phase of crisis, to create a sense of calm for both the child and the parents, and to enable parents to be more involved in the care of their child.

How does the transcript suggest improving the support for parents?

The transcript suggests improving support by using tools like the Södertörns bedömningsmodell, creating information brochures for parents, and implementing crisis support through services to help parents understand the process they are in.

What was the overall sentiment of the participants regarding the support parents receive?

The overall sentiment was that the majority of parents do not receive the support they need, with 77% of participants answering 'no' to the question of whether parents receive adequate support.