Peer-reviewed article
Realizing Child Participation in Complex Collaborative Systems: The Case of Health, Learning and Safety Teams
Daniel Örnberg, Jan Hjelte, Elisabet Höög, Anneli Ivarsson, Anna Westerlund ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how professionals in Swedish Health, Learning and Safety teams perceive and support child participation in multisectoral meetings about child welfare. Researchers interviewed 44 professionals from nine teams across health, education and social services. While professionals described their teams as child-centred, children were rarely present in actual meetings, and their views were usually filtered through adults' interpretations rather than heard directly. Barriers included tensions between safeguarding duties and enabling participation, doubts about children's abilities, and lack of clear procedures or shared definitions across teams.
Key points
- Children were rarely physically present in Health, Learning and Safety team meetings despite child participation being a legal requirement in Sweden
- Children's perspectives were predominantly mediated through adults' interpretations rather than expressed directly by the children themselves
- Professionals reported tensions between their safeguarding responsibilities and facilitating meaningful child participation
- Lack of shared definitions, formalized procedures and uncertainty about children's capacities led to variation across teams in how participation was handled
- Collaboration between agencies frequently took precedence over ensuring children's active participation and influence
Limitations
This is a qualitative study of professionals' perceptions and practices in one Swedish region; it does not measure actual outcomes for children or compare effectiveness of different participation approaches. The study does not directly capture children's own experiences or perspectives on their participation.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Child participation is a statutory right in Sweden and central to child welfare practice, yet its realizations in multisectoral settings remain challenging. This study examines how professionals working in Health, Learning and Safety (HLS) teams in Västerbotten, Sweden, perceive and seek to facilitate children's participation. Semi‐structured focus group interviews were conducted with 44 professionals from nine teams, representing health care, schools, and social services. Data were analysed inductively using conventional content analysis. Findings show that while professionals described HLS as fundamentally child centred, children were rarely present in the meetings. Children's perspectives were predominantly mediated through adults' interpretations rather than expressed through children's direct presence in meetings. Professionals highlighted tensions between safeguarding responsibilities and facilitating participation, alongside uncertainty about children's capacities and limited routines for involvement and influence. The absence of shared definitions and formalized procedures contributed to variation across teams, and collaboration itself frequently took precedence over children's participation. The study concludes that children's participation in HLS is best understood as a negotiated and conditional practice shaped by organizational complexity and professional attitudes, rather than a straightforward right. Realizing children's legal right to participation requires structural support, shared frameworks and dedicated space for ongoing professional reflection.