Through this case study, I wanted to show how a child can be included in the creation of the process of support and help. The first two chapters provide an overview of the theoretical background of the research topics, which I address in the formulation of the research problem. I explain the concept of respecting childhood, focusing on the conceptualisation of childhood and the image of a child, which I also describe in the light of the new, contemporary sociology of childhood. Respecting the complexity of a child's world is presented as an indispensable personal and professional decision for social workers and other participants to be able to join in the child's world. Focusing on the voice of the child, throughout the subchapters I highlight the understanding of the latter as the centre and essence of the process of support and help. In doing so, I emphasize how important it is for a child to have the valuable experience of participating in the support and help process, which should be a safe experience for them. I then introduce the concept of the working relationship and illustrate its application through the paradigm of understanding the child as the co-creator of support and help. I establish the relationship as the foundation of working with a child, emphasizing the need to create and preserve a safe space for work. I then illustrate some of the premises of postmodern and social constructionist conceptions of work and the use of expressive and creative arts media in granting an open space for the child's voice.
The empirical part is based on a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. I carried out a singular and combined case study of an original working project of support and help with a child. I analysed my diary records of meetings within the working relationship of co-creation with the child and meetings with the mentor. The data was obtained through the questioning method in the form of semi-structured interviews with the user who was involved in the working relationship of co-creation, with her mother, as a participant in the original working project of support and help, and with the social worker, employed at The Counselling Centre for Children, Adolescents and Parents Ljubljana, where I did my study practice under her supervision. With the participatory approach to research, I also used the photovoice method in the process of data collection with the child.
The results and conclusions are presented through the themes introduced in the research questions. The interpretation of the results is supplemented with images. This section illustrates the importance of a supportive adult in a complex family situation, the anchorage of the child's sense of security, the behaviours used to address the particularities of childhood within a respectful working relationship, and the diverse non-verbal, supportive, and compassionate ways of joining a child. It also includes descriptions of the use of expressive and creative arts media. I present the use of elements of the concept of a working relationship, which I largely followed, predominantly on a non-verbal level, and on a relational level, I provided the user with personal experience of the working relationship, with which she was able to strengthen her sense of competence. In light of this finding, I propose further efforts be made to provide children with opportunities for participation in the process of support and help and through various methods of professional development, strengthen the power and assertiveness of social workers for them to be able to provide the child with the opportunity for visible participation while protecting the open space for their voice.
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