Sammendrag
Working in the frontline of public welfare services, the practitioners are entitled to make independent and discretionary decisions when determining eligibility claims and follow up on clients, assessing needs and resources and work abilities. At the same time, governmental regulations and demands for more effective accountability are steadily increasing. Within several work fields, standard procedures and performance measures are imposed that regulate the work of front line workers. Within the Norwegian labour and welfare administration, discretion is closely related to activation work and the integrated services (social services, the employment and social insurance services), following the welfare reforms. This paper questions how to assure and improve the quality of discretionary practice in the front- line of welfare services. Accountability regulations may contrast or even contradict mechanisms of support and collegial control. The empirical data derive from a survey conducted among social service workers and local managers in the Norwegian labour and welfare administration in 2011. Their opinions vary according to age, professional belonging and working area. The results present different perspectives, pointing at practical and ethical arguments for regarding the accountability mechanisms as both positive and negative.
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