Biståndshandläggning efter behov? - en studie om hur biståndshandläggare använder sitt handlingsutrymme

The aim of this study was to explore how care managers defined their mission and the needs of the elderly. Interviews were carried out with four care managers all working in a public authority in a middle-sized municipality in southern Sweden. The results were analysed using Michael Lipsky's theory of the street-level bureaucrat. The study showed that the care managers are caught between the demands of the organisation and the needs of the elderly. The study specifically highlights the ways in which the care managers handled this difficulty. The strategies included following the guidelines very strictly, working as a team to avoid individual responsibility, constructing their role as “not being able to help everyone” and making decisions without the elderly being present. Other results included the care managers being aware of a wide range of possible needs on behalf of their clients. They showed a readiness to assess all needs, but found it difficult to articulate what kind of needs were within their bounds to fulfil