Lastensuojelun tuloksellisuuden arviointi organisaatiossa. Näkymätön tuloksellisuus näkyväksi

Abstract

Väitöskirjatutkimuksen aiheena on lastensuojelun tuloksellisuuden arviointi organisaatiossa, jonka tulisi olla erityisesti selvillä työnsä vaikutuksista lasten ja perheiden elämään, mutta tietoa tarvitaan myös lastensuojelun kustannuksista, palveluprosessien toimivuudesta, henkilöstövoimavaran kehityksestä sekä yhteiskunnallisesta vaikuttavuudesta. Organisaatioiden tilivelvollisuus asiakkailleen on korostunut, sillä lastensuojelussa tehtävät ratkaisut voivat vaikuttaa vaikeassa elämäntilanteessa apua ja tukea etsivän lapsen ja perheen koko elämään ja tulevaisuuteen. Lastensuojelun asiakasmäärien jo vuosia jatkunut kasvu ja tätä myötä myös kustannusten kasvu sekä ongelmat henkilöstön pysyvyydessä, ovat olleet aktivoimassa keskustelua lastensuojelun tuloksellisuuden arvioinnin kehittämisestä.

Tuloksellisuuden arvioinnin tutkimusta on lastensuojelusta vähän. Tutkimus sisältääkin laajan kuvauksen lastensuojelusta ja sen arvioinnin kehityksestä sekä saatavilla olevan tiedon perusteella lastensuojelun tuloksellisuudesta. Tutkimusaineisto koostui kolmen kunta- ja kolmen lastensuojelun palveluja tuottavan järjestöorganisaation asiakirja- ja haastatteluaineistoista.

Tutkimuksessa määritetään, mitkä ovat tuloksellisuuden keskeisimmät tekijät lastensuojelussa ja organisaation arviointiprosessissa. Organisaatioiden tuloksellisuuden arviointia luonnehditaan tutkimuksessa sosiaalisen vaiston mukaiseksi toimintatavaksi, joka ollee merkityksellinen myös muilla hyvinvointipalvelualoilla, joissa kokemustiedon vuorovaikutteinen ja osallistava arviointi on merkityksellistä. Sosiaalinen vaisto on organisaation jäsenten yhteisöllistä kyvykkyyttä luotsata omaa ja yhteistä toimintaa, elettävässä ajassa ja organisaation muistissa olevan kokemustiedon pohjalta käytävien tulkintakeskustelujen avulla.

Tutkimuksessa nousi esille viisi lastensuojelun tuloksellisuuden kannalta kriittistä menestystekijäryhmää, joissa kussakin on 3-4 keskeistä tekijää, joihin arvioinnin tulisi organisaatiossa kohdistua. Nämä tekijät ovat merkityksellisiä yhtä hyvin kunta- kuin järjestöorganisaatioissakin tehtävässä lastensuojelutyössä. Menestystekijäryhmistä kolme on perusedellytyksiä ylipäätään sille, että lastensuojelussa voitaisiin onnistua ­ olla tuloksellisia. Nämä ovat: 1) vankka asiakaslähtöinen organisaatio, 2) osaaminen vastaa lastensuojelun ajankohtaisia vaatimuksia, ja 3) toimintaprosessit edistävät asiakkaan voimavaraistumista. Ja kaksi vaikuttavuuden kriittistä menestystekijäryhmää ovat: 4) nimenomaan asiakas kokee elämänlaatunsa kohentuneen ja 5) lapsen ja nuoren kasvun riskiolosuhteet vähenevät, ja näin lastensuojelun pitkän aikavälin toiminta on kustannusvaikuttavaa.

Kuntien on 1.1.2008 voimaantulevan uuden lastensuojelulain mukaan laadittava kunnanvaltuuston hyväksyttäväksi kunnan tai kuntien yhteinen suunnitelma lasten ja nuorten hyvinvoinnin edistämiseksi ja lastensuojelun järjestämiseksi ja kehittämiseksi. Suunnitelma on kunnan työväline laaja-alaisen lasten suojelun ohjaamisessa, johtamisessa ja kehittämisessä. Tutkimuksen liitteeksi on koottu luettelo niistä seurantatiedoista, joita on hyödyllistä koota kunnan suunnitelman laatimisessa ja tuloksellisuuden arvioinnissa. Lastensuojelun tuloksellisuuden arvioinnin kehittäminen on hyvin ajankohtaista kunnissa ja kunta- ja palvelurakenneuudistuksen mukaisilla kuntien yhteistoiminta-alueilla.

Effectiveness ­ what it is, how to measure and assess it, and the importance of effectiveness assessment for leading and managing organisations ­ has been a constant discussion topic within administrative sciences for about twenty years. The implementation of the indicators of BSC effectiveness assessment has aroused discussion in several organisations as well. Within child welfare this topic has mainly been explored from a totally different perspective than within administrative sciences. The discussion has been more concerned e.g. with how the ability of parents to take care of their children is assessed in client work than with how child welfare organisations monitor and evaluate their own work. Organisations performing child welfare tasks should, however, be particularly aware of the impact their work has on the lives of children and families. The client accountability of these organisations has become more emphasised, as child welfare decisions may influence the entire life and future of children and families seeking final help and support in a difficult situation in life. Information is needed for the assessment of child welfare effectiveness. As the production of effects promoting the welfare of children strongly depends on how well child, youth, family and other services are performed, a broad knowledge base for assessments is required. The number of child welfare clients has continued to grow for years. This growth, the resulting cost increase and problems with maintaining personnel have provoked discussion about the development of effectiveness assessment within child welfare. The goal of this study was to gain information on the effectiveness assessment of public activities by looking at one municipal sector of specialised services, i.e. child welfare. As there is only limited research on effectiveness assessment within child welfare, the study sheds light on the effectiveness of child welfare and on its assessment.

The aim of the study was to find out what effectiveness is in child welfare work, and how it is assessed. The research questions were: Which factors influence effectiveness in child welfare work? How is effectiveness and particularly impact ­ a significant part of effectiveness ­ monitored and assessed? Which information is used for the assessment? Which role does assessment play in the guidance, management and development work of child welfare organisations? Answers to these questions were looked for by studying in detail the effectiveness assessment practice of six child welfare organisations and by using as material the opinions of people working with or managing child welfare about factors contributing to child welfare effectiveness. This material was based on documents from a city, a local authority, a joint municipal authority, and from three organisations providing child welfare services, on thematic interviews with the management of the organisations, and on multidisciplinary focus group interviews. The material was analysed in stages with the aid of qualitative methods, and the goal was to gain an understanding of the research objects. Each participating organisation received two reports on the situation within the organisation. The research report is based on these twelve reports. It has to be pointed out that the organisations were not compared in terms of effectiveness, and the effectiveness of these organisations is in no way described ­ this would have required different research material. Also, the effectiveness of child welfare work was not studied. During the research process it became obvious that the task at hand required a detailed general description of child welfare as well as of what is known of child welfare and its effectiveness, and of the assessment development trends within child welfare. The foundation and development of effectiveness assessment was also examined, as they influence the development of effectiveness assessment within child welfare too.

Results: In all participating organisations assessment mainly consisted of effective discussions in different forums for dialogue, and of shared interpretation based especially on experience information. This culture of discussion was a clear strength of the child welfare organisations. This kind of guidance and management in connection with effectiveness assessment was labelled social instinct . Social instinct is the community competence of the organisation members to pilot personal and common activities with the aid of interpretation discussions conducted on the basis of experience information existing here and now and in the organisational memory. Child welfare organisations thus accomplished particularly well the element of communicativeness, as laid down in the effectiveness assessment recommendation of 2000. This element emphasises the importance of participation and dialogue in the effectiveness assessment process. Effectiveness assessment based on social instinct is probably important in other sectors too, and not only within child welfare. The participating organisations were not very effective in using documented assessment information on success in individual cases already provided by practical client processes. This information found in client reports is restricted to individual clients and their contacts. No systematic impact follow-up existed within child welfare work, and the organisations did not set client effect goals. All organisations had initiated development processes, which in future will make it easier to assess effectiveness with the support of extensive information produced from different perspectives.

According to the results, the following points should be highlighted in the assessment of child welfare effectiveness: 1) effective interaction between different parties, 2) the possibility to participate, 3) procedure and continuity ­ a feeling that all are in the same boat trying to attain the goals agreed upon, 4) the assessment of success (i.e. effectiveness) as part of basic activities, 5) the relation between effectiveness assessment and the fundamental task of child welfare, 6) the important role of polyphony and experience information in the knowledge base, 7) organisational values and ethical responsibility towards clients, 8) the collection of feedback information particularly for individual effects assessment, and 9) the benefits of total success assessment for the development of child and youth welfare work. Child welfare could be seen as a window through which it is possible to study welfare, its failings and the total efficiency of the system of services intended for children and families.

Good child welfare results depend on stable organisational values, a strong awareness of the fundamental tasks, and on supportive management enabling participation in development and guaranteeing that the personnel may organise the work in accordance with the needs of individual clients. In client work the quality of interaction and the continuity of personal relationships are the key success factors. It is important that the personnel possess professional competence as well as an ability to cooperate, to commit oneself to a particular case, and, e.g. in social work, to work with children as clients. Other important issues are the continuity of service and support processes as well as care and service methods based on the best available information ­ including experience information ­ and tailored to the needs of the clients. A major factor influencing success is the goal-oriented care and service plan drawn up together with the client, and its shared analytical assessment. These factors related to good child welfare results are relevant not only to the work of the participating organisations, but also to child welfare work in general. In several regards, these key factors are generally applicable in all sectors concerned with problems related to people s lives.

The study identified five groups of critical success factors influencing child welfare effectiveness. Each group consists of 3­4 factors. Three groups contain prerequisites for success in child welfare ­ for its effectiveness. As it is not possible to squeeze water from a stone, adequate prerequisites simply have to be created for child welfare work. The three critical success factors related to prerequisites are 1) a stable client-oriented organisation, 2) competence corresponding to current demands within child welfare, and 3) processes empowering clients. The two critical success factors related to effectiveness are 4) that clients experience an improvement in their quality of life, and 5) that the conditions in which children and young people grow up become less risky. This would guarantee cost-effectiveness in long-term child welfare activities. Thus assessments should focus on these factors.

Section 12 of the new Child Welfare Act entering into force on 1 January 2008 obliges local authorities to draw up a plan for the promotion of the welfare of children and young people, and for the organisation and development of child welfare. The local council approves this plan, which has to be taken into account when drawing up the budget and financial plan of the local authority. The plan also has to contain information on its implementation and follow-up, and be revised at least every four years. The plan is a new instrument for the guidance, management and development of child welfare work in local authorities. On the basis of child welfare effectiveness and of the critical factors related to its assessment as defined in this study, examples of follow-up information that should be gathered when drawing up the municipal child welfare plan above, and when assessing effectiveness have been given in Appendix 6. It also contains a simple example of an impact goal for child welfare and of its measurement. Hopefully the results of this study will support the development of the effectiveness assessment of child welfare in local authorities.