The social worker's role in outreach social work with young people
Translated title
Sosialarbeiderens rolle i det oppsøkende sosiale arbeidet med unge
Authors
Nikolaisen, Amalie Breivik ; Andersen, Oda Fjæstad
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-28
Pages
85
Abstract
Specialet undersøger, hvordan opsøgende socialarbejdere i København oplever og håndterer deres skøn i arbejdet med unge i en praksis med få formelle rammer og en stærk relationel orientering. Med en fænomenologisk, kvalitativ tilgang bygger studiet på ét fokusgruppeinterview og fire semistrukturerede interviews med opsøgende medarbejdere fra tre forskellige kommunale indsatser. Det teoretiske udgangspunkt kombinerer Bernardo Zackas street-level perspektiv på moralske dilemmaer under høj grad af skøn, Hilary Cottams relationelle tilgang og Donald Schöns begreb knowing-in-action for at belyse, hvordan rammer, relationer og faglige vurderinger former forståelsen af rollen. Analysen adresserer organisatoriske vilkår, metodefrihed og dokumentationsudfordringer samt centrale dilemmaer, herunder underretningspligt, tilgængelighed og grænsedragning i relationen og den interstitielle position mellem unge og system. Specialet diskuterer også, hvordan frisættelsen af den offentlige sektor kan udfordre feltets faglige integritet. Resultaterne peger på, at den relationelle tilgang og den høje grad af skøn gør det muligt at møde sårbare unge på deres præmisser og bygge bro til velfærdssystemet, men at samme skøn skaber betydelige variationer i praksis og i, hvordan socialarbejdere forstår og udøver deres rolle.
This thesis explores how outreach social workers in Copenhagen experience and exercise professional discretion in youth-focused outreach work characterized by limited formal structures and a strong relational orientation. Using a phenomenological, qualitative design, the study is based on one focus group and four semi-structured interviews with outreach practitioners from three municipal initiatives. The theoretical framework combines Bernardo Zacka’s street-level perspective on moral dilemmas under high discretion, Hilary Cottam’s relational approach, and Donald Schön’s concept of knowing-in-action to illuminate how organizational conditions, relationships, and judgment shape role perception and practice. The analysis addresses method freedom, documentation challenges, and key dilemmas such as mandatory reporting, availability and boundary-setting in relationships, and the interstitial position between young people and public services. The thesis also discusses how ongoing public sector liberation may challenge the field’s professional integrity. Findings indicate that a relational approach and wide discretion enable practitioners to meet vulnerable young people on their own terms and build bridges to the welfare system, while the same discretion produces substantial variation in practice and in how social workers understand and enact their role.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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