Support service initiatives for, by, and with children in out-of-home care – on the rights and participation of children and young people in the development of out-of-home care

Support available to children and young people in out-of-home care, which do not require assistance assessment, constitute an underdeveloped and understudied area of welfare service.

More knowledge is needed, especially about the methods employed in existing support services such as helplines, chat support and support groups with peers.Research problem and questionsThis project aims to, in collaboration with child rights and client organizations (NGOs), social services, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO), and The Swedish National Board of Secure Care (SiS), develop forms for how children´s and young people´s perspectives expressed through such support services can be utilized to improve participation, safety, and stability for children in care.1) Why do children and young people in care seek support through helplines, support chats and groups, and what do they talk about in such contexts?

What significance do such services have for children and young people in care, according to themselves?2) What methods have shaped the various support services – how is listening and participation understood and done/constructed?

How do methods affect which children and young people utilize these services?3) What ethical and practical dilemmas can arise in such support services?4) How are experiences and views of children and young people in care expressed through these support services utilized by authorities, social services, and NGOs?

How can data on such experiences contribute to strengthening children´s and young people´s participation in the design of child welfare?Data, method and project realizationThe project evaluates and analyzes IVO´s helpline, SiS’s complaints function, the NGO Knas Hemma’s education Rights at home (Rättish hemma), the NGO SiS girls chat support, and support groups run by the NGO BRIS.

The methods consist of quantitative and qualitative content analysis to distinguish patterns from extensive material consisting of contacts and complaints, surveys and chatlogs, as well as qualitative thematic analysis of interviews, free text responses and observations.

The four-year project will contribute to knowledge about how such support services can be used to distinguish how children and young people in care view their existence while being placed, and how they, as an interest group, can participate in the design of child welfare services.