Constructions of disability, involvement and participation in social case-management work with children. 2nd International Childlife Conference

The research project “Constructions of disability, involvement and participation in social case-management work with children” explores how social workers approach children with disabilities as participants and users of social services in Danish society. In a Danish context, research about the conditionality of participatory rights for children with disabilities in social case-management work is more or less missing or left under-theorized. The research projects sets out to provide empirical knowledge about the “landscape of conditions” children with disabilities have for taking part in social case-management work. The paper session offers insight into the negotiations and conflictual situations that social workers are handling as part of their involvement practices. By exploring the everyday conditionality that shape involvement and participatory practices around children with disabilities in social work contexts, we can understand more about the ways children with disabilities are met as participants and legal rights holders within the Danish welfare state. The preliminary research questions are the following: 1. How are involvement practices, which are targeted children with disabilities conditioned in social workers’ everyday case-management work?2. In relation to involvement practices—which conditions are restricting the case-management work seen from the perspectives of the social workers?3. How are children with disabilities constructed and positioned as participants in relation to case-management procedures? The empirical material consists of two focus group interviews with six Danish social workers who work with case-management in five different municipalities. In line with critical psychological practice-research-methodology the focus group participants (social workers) are understood as co-researchers. They will be participating in the analysis of the empirical material. The paper will be discussed with all co-researchers prior to attending the conference in Oslo.The research project is a 1-year pilot project that runs throughout 2022.The project is conducted by Ph.D. Mette Bonderup [email protected] and Ph.d. Kurt Bendix-Olsen, [email protected] Center for Applied Welfare ResearchUCL Erhvervsakademi & Professionshøjskole.The project is funded by UCL Erhvervsakademi & Professionshøjskole (Frascati funds). The paper falls under the research themes 5 and 6.