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Partnerships with children in child welfare: The importance of trust and pedagogical support
Author(s) -
Husby Inger Sofie Dahlø,
Slettebø Tor,
Juul Randi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/cfs.12435
Subject(s) - norwegian , dominance (genetics) , welfare , psychology , context (archaeology) , child protection , qualitative research , emotional support , social psychology , developmental psychology , nursing , medicine , sociology , political science , social support , social science , paleontology , philosophy , biochemistry , linguistics , chemistry , biology , law , gene
Abstract Within the context of Norwegian Child Welfare Services, children's best interests are often promoted through inter‐professional collaboration. Although children have the right and desire to participate, research reveals that professionals do not listen to them. On the basis of qualitative interviews with 10 children about their experiences collaborating with professionals, we have identified ways in which professionals can facilitate children's participation. The findings show that trusting relationships, emotional support, and pedagogical approaches increase children's participation in their interactions with professionals. The results show the importance of including a relational understanding of participation as a theoretical concept in child welfare and an awareness that power and dominance are in play.