The main topic of this thesis is the cooperation of professional workers at Social Work Centres with families who are not involved in the support and help process on their own initiative. In the theoretical part, I first present social work with families, continue with the key principles and main emphases of collaboration between professional workers and families who are not involved in the process of support and help on their own initiative, and conclude with a presentation of the field of in-home family support provided within the framework of Social Work Centres.The empirical part includes a qualitative study conducted with professional workers employed at the organisational units of the Social Work Centre Gorenjska, in the field of in-home family support. The aim of the study was to examine how professional workers understand their role in collaboration with families who are not involved in the support and help process on their own initiative, what challenges they encounter, and what knowledge and practices they use in their work. I was also interested in identifying what they perceive as effective in establishing collaboration, how they cope with emotional demands, and what additional support they believe they need for their work. The final part presents the main findings of the study, the conclusions, and recommendations for the further development of support for professional workers. The main findings indicate that families who are not involved in the process of support and help on their own initiative are often distrustful of institutions, making a respectful and trusting relationship essential. The main challenges in collaboration with families are the resistance of families or individual family members to collaboration, their complex psychosocial difficulties, and the administrative and staffing burdens faced by professional workers. It is important for professional workers to focus on building trust and adapting their work to the needs of families. Above all, they need greater systemic support to enable more direct work with families.
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