Dignifying families at risk: How a change in caseworker approach changes user perspective, agency and perception of self

Through the voices of families at risk, the aim of the presentation is to display how a change in caseworker approach and municipal organization can dignify families at risk and create change in the families’ experiences of... [ view full abstract ]

Through the voices of families at risk, the aim of the presentation is to display how a change in caseworker approach and municipal organization can dignify families at risk and create change in the families’ experiences of collaboration and of self. Qualitative interviews forms the basis.

In Denmark, the number of out-of-home placements and the number of children at risk have been relatively stable during the last 40 years. The number of children at risk is stable at approximately fifteen percent, while the number of children placed in out of home care is at approximately one percent. At the same time, parents’ long-term unemployment (as well as other significant risk factors) coincide with children’s failure to thrive, i.e., they either receive preventative measures or are placed in out-of-home care.
In short, these figures could indicate challenges in the professional efforts to change the life circumstances and development of a number of children and families at risk.

In Denmark, the municipalities are organised in highly specialised sectors. This means that in a family struggling with unemployment as well as children’s failure to thrive, each adult will be assigned one or more caseworker(s) from the relevant departments specialised in unemployment, financial assistance, or child protection, and will most likely also be assigned professionals related to the initiatives launched by the different municipal departments. It is in no way unrealistic for a family of two parents and two children to be assigned 10 different professionals from the municipality. At the same time, collaboration between the sectors is weak, leaving the families at risk with multiple professionals with differing plans of actions and thereby no coordination of initiatives and support provided to the family.

In order to address these challenges, one Danish municipality has launched an initiative specifically targeting families assigned to both the department of employment and that of child protection (some are also assigned to other departments): The number of case-workers per family is reduced from approximately four or five to one and at the same time the municipality introduced a new approach to casework. The purpose of this initiative is to enable parents to begin in either employment or education as well as the chil-dren and family to start thriving.

According to the participating 32 families at risk, these changes in casework approach and organization has several significant outcomes:
1) The flexibility of having just one caseworker to relate to and the fact that she/he is easily accessible is of great importance for the collaborative relationship.
2) This change in casework approach makes it personally relevant for the families, as opposed to feeling oblivion. The municipality is no longer ‘a thing’. It becomes a real person (providing the posiibility of a relevant collaborative relationship).
3) More importantly, the specific approach combined with the accessibility provides the families with an experience of being comprehended - within their context. The families very well know that occupation and family life are intertwined. Now, they feel that their caseworker knows it too. As a result, the families feel they have re-gained their dignity because they do not have to defend, explain or beg whenever they are in need of support.

Agency is a very noteworthy part of this change in casework approach because the families now feel they are able to influence how their problems are defined and how they are to be resolved. A significant contribution to dignifying families at risk.

Overall, the great learning potential lies in giving voice to families at risk - before, during and after we try to help them.