Mid Sweden University

What visions do social work students on the threshold of professional life have for future social work? This study aimed to investigate the professional preferences and organizational factors that are decisive in the career choices of newly graduated students. The study was conducted through a survey addressed to all social work students who graduated in the spring semester of 2018 from nine Swedish universities. The results show that the students expect a thorough introduction, a reasonable workload, and access to continuous support in their work. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of professional autonomy and working conditions that enable them to work according to the professional, ethical principles of the profession. Most students wish to begin their professional careers in public practice within social services. However, certain areas of activity within social services appear to remain pass-through professions creating high financial, professional, and human resource costs. About a third of the respondents can imagine doing social work privately or working as a consultant. In conclusion, for employers to be able to recruit and retain competent staff, organizational conditions that enable social workers to conduct value-based professional social work are necessary.

Vilka visioner om det framtida sociala arbetet har socionomstudenter som står på tröskeln till yrkeslivet? Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka professionella ambitioner och organisatoriska faktorer som blir avgörande för nyexaminerade socionomstudenters yrkesval. Av särskilt intresse var vilka verksamhetsområden och arbetsuppgifter socionomstudenterna önskar i sin första anställning, vilka anställnings- och arbetsvillkor som de anser betydelsefulla, samt hur de ser på sina framtida yrkeskarriärer. Studien har genomförts genom en enkät riktad till samtliga socionomstudenter som utexaminerades vårterminen 2018 från socionomutbildningar vid nio svenska lärosäten. Studien visar att flertalet vill inleda sin yrkeskarriär med myndighetsutövning inom socialtjänsten, för att sedan i framtiden arbeta inom någon form av barn- och ungdomsvård. Drygt hälften av de tillfrågade är positiva till att socionomer arbetar som konsulter och en tredjedel kan också själva tänka sig en anställning som konsult. Socionomer som utexamineras förväntar sig en bra introduktion, goda lönevillkor, kollegialt stöd och en tillgänglig chef. Vidare framhålls betydelsen av professionellt handlingsutrymme och arbetsvillkor som möjliggör ett arbete i enlighet med professionens yrkesetiska principer. Resultaten visar att vissa socionomstudenter, trots en medvetenhet om arbetsvillkor som präglas av akuta åtgärder, ökad administration och minskad professionell autonomi, ser ljust på möjligheterna att nyttja sin professionella kompetens i ett socialt förändringsarbete, medan andra är mindre optimistiska. Sammantaget finns det starka skäl att anta att socionomutbildningens teoretiska och praktiska inslag har ett stort inflytande på hur studenter resonerar kring sina kommande yrkesliv, vilket också understryker utbildningarnas centrala roll för att forma framtidens sociala arbete.

The high-profile case of "Little Heart", a 3-year-old girl who, shortly after being reunited with her biological parents, was found dead in her home, has contributed to strengthening the rights of children placed in foster care in Sweden. However, the stability of children placed in foster care is not a new issue. In the last decade, the number of custody transfers has more than doubled. In this study, critical discourse analysis was used to study which discourses on children's needs and parental rights had guided 89 district court decisions. The results show that custody transfer takes place at a younger age and is still based on an adult perspective, and children's voices and wishes are often overlooked. The dominant discourses in the submissions of the social services, as well as in the district court decisions, are about continuity, connection, and security, concepts and formulations that are replicated from the preparatory work for the legislation. This study demonstrates the need for expertise and reflection in custody investigations into how questions are asked and how the responses are conveyed, as well as the need to intensify and strengthen the work of making children involved and heard in accordance with the aims of the Children's Convention.