The graduation thesis examines approaches to helping and supporting families in complex problematic circumstances within the Family Assistance at Home service (PDZD). The aim of the diploma thesis was to explore how social workers understand and deliver the PDZD service, what professional, organisational and systemic challenges they encounter in their work, which social work approaches, methods and concepts they use when working with families, and what opportunities they identify for the further development of the service.
The theoretical part of the diploma thesis presents families in complex problematic circumstances, the role of centres for social work in working with families and the importance of social preventive work. Particular attention is devoted to the doctrine of social work with families, the collaborative approach, the strengths perspective and selected theoretical models that provide important professional foundations for understanding and delivering the PDZD service.
The empirical part is based on qualitative research. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with nine professional workers employed at centres for social work who deliver the PDZD service. The collected data were analysed using open and axial coding.
The research findings show that the PDZD service is an important form of support for families, as it enables social work to be carried out in their living environment. The professional workers highlight the establishment of a collaborative working relationship, the co-creation of the helping process, the strengths perspective, the adaptation of support to the individual needs of the family and the provision of support in the service users’ lifeworld as fundamental characteristics of their work. The research also showed that professional workers encounter numerous organisational, systemic and professional challenges in their work, among which staff shortages and administrative burdens are particularly prominent.
The research findings emphasise the importance of preventive work, the early identification of difficulties, inter-institutional cooperation, appropriate organisational conditions and the continuous professional development of employees for the high-quality delivery of the PDZD service. The research contributes to a better understanding of contemporary social work with families in complex problematic circumstances and highlights areas that represent important opportunities for the further development of the service and the strengthening of social preventive support for families.
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