In this paper we study the collaboration between municipal departments and how it demands special attention from the administrative employees as well as managerial dedication and diligence. For instance, in the transition from young to adult it’s important to consider the youngsters general health and possibility for personal growth and education as well as their capability and prospect for leading an independent adult life. At the same time, social legislation efforts are dedicated to securing a minimum of dropouts and a linear educational path. These different perspectives on social efforts offer an array of dilemmas in which social workers have to navigate.
In our study we show how these different perspectives on social efforts accentuate the need for collaboration between legislative departments, and we explore the dilemmas and risks of miscommunication in this process.
In our study also the managerial role as culture carrier is highlighted. Management is met with an obligation and expectation to create an environment of positive inclusion and meaningfulness for the employee and case worker, but at the same time mid-level leaders face the everyday pressure of living up to paradigmatic control systems and performance requirements. We examine the prevalence of these New Public Management-inspired control tools and the move towards New Public Governance, and how these leadership paradigms can co-exist with more democratic forms of inclusion, involvement and transfer of responsibility to the case workers when it comes to important decisions.
We conclude that the managerial ability to create a cultural environment where employees find meaning in their work and know their colleagues across different departments, decrease the number of cooperation difficulties and counteract the social workers’ experiences of dilemmas in social work.