The Role of a Social Worker in a Children's Home when Preparing Children for Integration into Society after Leaving the Institution

The bachelor thesis is focused on the role of a social worker when preparing children for integration into society after leaving institutional care, specifically children's home. The thesis is divided into theoretical and practical part. The theoretical part describes the system of substitute institutional care in the Czech Republic and individual institutions of institutional care. The causes and risks of placing a child in a children's home are mentioned. Furthermore, attention is paid to the role of the social worker in the children's home and the preparation of children for leaving the children's home. The forms of aftercare for young adults are listed. The aim of the thesis was to determine how a social worker in a children's home participates in preparing children for leaving the institution and their subsequent integration into the society and which methods and techniques a social worker uses during her work. Another objective was to focus on the attitudes of children to integration into the society after leaving institutional care and to their awareness of aftercare possibilities. The readiness of young adults in certain areas needed for their independent life after leaving the children's home is also investigated. The qualitative type of research and the technique of semi-structured interview were used to carry out the research part of the thesis. The research group consisted of children and social workers from the children's home in Humpolec and from the children's home Senožaty. The results were processed using the open coding method. Through the research, it was to be ascertained whether children are adequately prepared for everyday life, or in which areas more focus is needed on integration into society. Research results can be used as a feedback for social workers in children's homes and other institutional facilities. They can serve as an aid when working with young adults leaving children's homes