Att definiera något som inte går att definiera : Hur socialsekreterare förstår och tolkar principen om barnets bästa i barnavårdsutredningar.

The aim of this study has been to get an understanding of how social secretaries interpret and work with the principle of the best interests of the child. The study has been based on three questions. First, how do social secretaries describe the best interest of the child. Second, what do social secretaries possibly describe as difficult in an assessment of the best interest of the child. Third, how can the social secretaries' interpretation of the best interest of the child be understood. The previous research has been selected to gain an understanding of the principle of the best interests of the child. The study is based on six qualitative semi structured interviews with social secretaries, who actively work in individual and family care. The study is based on a hermeneutic approach and the empirical data for the study have been analyzed based on Lipsky´s (2010) theory of street level bureaucrats and concept of discretion. The analysis and results are divided into five themes. The themes presented are: a varied description of the child's best interest, the implication of having room for interpretation in childcare investigations, the importance of children's participation in child care investigations, social secretaries perceived difficulties in assessing the child's best interests, and the importance of the Convention on the Rights of the Child as a law. The results of the study show that several factors are considered when social secretaries consider the best interests of the child as a principle. The largest factors are the current legislation, text templates from government agencies, the child's participation and the social secretaries`discretion. The social secretaries point out that it is important to see the child's individual needs and that this should play a central role in the investigation process. In summary, the social secretaries state that the principle the best interests of the child is therefore not possible to define in general, but is instead defined and applied individually for each child