Doctoral research, social work
Background
This dissertation in social work examines the supervisory and professional views on the ‘quality’ and ‘deficiencies’ in residential homes. Internationally, abusive and illegal practices in residential care have been identified as one of the most typical violations against children’s rights in child welfare. As a result, attempts to improve the compliance of practice with the legal regulation have been done through increasing supervision and, for example, by developing inspection practices as a mean to identify and react to ‘deficiencies’ in care. Simultaneously, professionals working in residential homes struggle with fulfilling their institutional task of protecting children while having practical issues deriving from, for example, the legislation that is deemed vague and abstract in relation to the complex nature of the residential care work.
Goal
The aim of the study is to explore interface between legal regulation and practice in children’s residential care by focusing on how the everyday life of and care in residential homes is assessed in the context of legality supervision and professional practice. The research questions are: 1) What kind of issues are there related to the operationalisation and implementation of legislation in residential homes? 2) How are ‘quality’ and ‘deficiencies’ defined and assessed at the interface of ‘the legal’ and ‘the practical’? and 3) How do the supervisory and professional views on the ‘quality’ and ‘deficiencies’ reflect on the institutional task of children’s residential care?
The research material consists of interviews with two central legality supervisors in Finland, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and Regional State Administrative Agencies, and focus group interviews with professionals working in residential homes, as they are the key actors in the interfaces of everyday life and the norms defining and regulating it. Additionally, the data includes textual material produced by the supervisors and professionals in their work, such as inspection records.
Impact
The theoretical and methodological contribution of the study is related to the theorizing and conceptual refinement of the institutional role and quality of child protection and the development of socio-legal research as part of social work research discussions. From the perspectives of the social and practical impact of the study, identifying and analysing the challenges of integrating the task of child welfare, everyday life and the norms that define it will at best enable the development of legislation, supervisory practices and professional activities in child welfare.
Funding source
The Foundation for Municipal Development, Olvi Foundation