Paper
Implementation of the Integrated Children’s System in Sweden: a successful strategy
- issue: Issue 1 / 2010
- authors: Kjerstin Bergman
- keywords: implementation, bottom-up, child welfare
- views: 3193
- downloaded: 0
- download pdf (58 Kb)
abstract
Introduction
'Barns behov i centrum' (BBIC) (translates to: 'children's needs in focus') is a comprehensive development work based on an English system (Integrated Children System) that has been run as a project by the National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) for seven years (1999-2005) together with seven local authorities. The project is a response to the criticism that is repeatedly directed at child welfare from researchers and supervisory authorities. The BBIC takes as its starting point the UN Child Convention and the Social Services Act. The BBIC is a framework for assessment, planning and reviewing in child welfare. The system comprises records for use by social workers, which demonstrate how information gathered from the first contact to closure can be recorded in a structured manner. The records also reflect underpinning principles which, among other things, involve developing good cooperation with children/young persons, parents and different agencies focused on the child.
The objective, purpose and operative tasks of the BBIC project
The overarching objective of the project was to develop a national uniform system within child welfare that could be offered to local authorities throughout the country. The operative task of the project was to test and adapt the English system to Swedish conditions. Another aspect was to develop "basic statistics" from the BBIC records so that local activity follow-ups could be carried out more systematically. All this was done in close collaboration with the project municipalities. Another task was to try new methods for carrying out the work for change.
Within the project new ways of organising the work for change have also been tried on the basis of theories on change and learning, with the emphasis on the incentives of the project municipalities themselves to bring about changes and actively participate in the project. The NBHW decided to organise the BBIC as an overarching national umbrella project by providing frameworks and support for seven project municipalities adapted to their local conditions. The project was organised as an integral part of the linear organisations of the municipalities. To support this work the project municipalities were encouraged to form local project teams, consisting of a core team of project managers and local BBIC trainers, among others. The latter function has drawn inspiration from the English Training and Development Managers. In BBIC the task of the trainers has been to introduce and train their colleagues and partners in BBIC, but also to act as method assistants in the daily work.
The project was organised into different working groups in which the NBHW regularly brought together the local project managers and trainers for an exchange of experience, but also to determine project undertakings and make comparisons of services and results on the basis of these undertakings.
Evaluations and follow-ups
The evaluations and follow-ups were carried out in parallel with the project work, the results were used throughout the project to correct and improve the project material.
Conclusions
The results from the project indicate that the project objective was met and that its aims were on the way to being achieved. At the end of the project there was a thoroughly tested, uniform system for administration and documentation that could contribute to national uniformity. BBIC had contributed to strengthening the position of children, e.g. because children had become more active during the assessment and reviewing process and because the social workers had been given greater awareness and knowledge of the children's needs. The parents also felt much more involved,
The strategy for change, using a combination of obtaining local support and implementing central control and coordination, has undoubtedly been successful. The general factors that are of importance to implementation of the strategy are firstly the demand for and acceptance of BBIC within the municipalities, and secondly the fact that the system can be adapted to local conditions. BBIC appeared to be able to provide all the players with something important, the families, the social workers, managers.
Other factors of importance for the success were the support of the project within the linear organisations, and the status and control of the core project team over the project within the linear organisations.
Development work takes time, it is a "never-ending-story", and in the Swedish project the development work has been considered a continuing activity which must be prioritised just as much as any other core activity. If the BBIC system will survive, it must be "carefully maintained", reviewed and developed further to keep pace with new conditions and new knowledge.
For a summary of the development work please see:
www.socialstyrelsen.se/Publicerat/2008/9901/Summary
Contact details
Kjerstin Bergman, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden. (Former Project Manager, National Board Health and Welfare)
Email : kjerstin.bergman@social.ministry.se
Tel: + 46 708 85 36 51