Hemlösa barns delaktighet vid ansökan om boende

Abstract

This article addresses the documentation and handling processes within the social services concerning applications of housing for homeless families with children, from the perspective of central articles of the Convention of the rights of the Child (UNCRC). Of particular interest is if or to what extent the children of the homeless families participate (article 12) during the application process and if an analysis of the best interest of the child (article 3) has been conducted. These two articles are essential keys for providing a children's rights perspective and to initiate an analysis of the consequences for the involved children. For that purpose, we have analysed 270 social services files concerning applications for housing made by homeless families in Malmö during the year 2017 emanating from a R&D report of Malmö municipality. Our findings show that only very few files documented the voice and participation of the children in the homeless families and a complete analysis of what could be considered to be in the best interest of the child or children in the families were lacking in almost all files. We also found that parts of previous documentation were recycled and used in various situations without adaption and seemed to be more of standardized phrasing rather than a comprehensive analysis. There was also a use of internal authority checklists and guides when justifying and supporting the decisions made where families receiving such decisions probably did not get any wiser of such justifications.