Child perspective in social assistance. : A qualitative study on social Workers' experiences of integrating a child perspective in social assistance.

The aim of this study is to examine social workers' experiences of integrating a child perspective in their work with social assistance within the Swedish social services. Through a qualitative approach utilizing semi-structured interviews, six social workers were interviewed to explore their practices, challenges and perspectives. The interviews have been analyzed using Lipsky's theory on street-level-bureaucracy and the theory of childhood sociology perspective. The findings of this study reveals that while social workers recognize the importance of integrating a child perspective, child perspective is often lost in practice due to organizational barriers, limited resources, professional knowledge and the adult-centered nature of social assistance. Challenges found in this study emphasize the complexity of integrating a child perspective in a part of the welfare system that is designed around adults and it further highlights the tension of interests which occurs within social assistance. Further, this study also highlights notable variations in how social workers experience, describe, and apply child perspective, influenced by individual discretion and unclear policy guidelines. The conclusion is that social workers face and experience significant challenges in integrating a child perspective, influencing their ability to prioritize children's needs within social assistance practices.