The development of ‘assembly line principles’ in Swedish child welfare: Long‐serving social workers' experiences of phase specialisation

Abstract The child welfare system has increasingly adopted phase specialisation, in Sweden and internationally, dividing work into distinct stages. This study examines these changes through the retrospective perspectives of 15 long‐serving child welfare professionals, highlighting three key organisational shifts: the separation of statutory and supportive tasks, the division between intake and investigation, and the emerging split between investigation and follow‐up. Respondents describe these changes as motivated by concerns related to quality and workload. While the changes are perceived to have improved work in certain respects, respondents note unintended consequences, such as fragmented services and professional tensions. We interpret phase specialisation through the lens of broader quality and workload discourses and discuss how the changes may relate to intergroup status dynamics and facilitate workload buffering, temporarily masking resource challenges. The findings highlight the importance of assessing how specialisation shapes workers' roles and working conditions, ensuring that reforms benefit both professionals and clients.