Project information
Project manager
Karin Allard, University of Gothenburg
Other project members
Ylva Ulfsdotter Eriksson
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University, University of Gothenburg, Göteborgs stad
Financier
Centrum för Global HRM, University of Gothenburg, Linnaeus University
Timetable
1 jan 2024–31 dec 2025
Subject
Sociology (Department of Social Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Linnaeus University, Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg)
More about the project
Swedish welfare organisations face major challenges in the supply of skills. It is difficult to recruit staff and staff turnover is high. Large retirements are also expected in the near future, which is expected to further exacerbate the staff shortage. Staff shortages are found throughout the welfare system and municipal functional support is no exception.
Research shows that the challenges in both recruiting and retaining employees are many and that it is not just a lack of staff; low expectations of care work, low pay and poor working hours, as well as the demanding nature of care work, are some aspects that need to be taken into account in order for work in functional support to be perceived as attractive.
The vast majority of people in functional support are women. The skewed gender balance in the profession is in line with the extensive gender segregation in the Swedish labor market, where professions in health and social care are dominated by women. Staff in functional support also express a need for a changed gender composition: "Boys are also needed. There are a lot of women in this profession. I think it is very welcome" (habilitation staff, Ulfsdotter Eriksson & Flisbäck, 2011, p. 48). However, gender segregation in society has proven difficult to break, not only because for many people the profession takes place at a young age. One explanation for the gender-segregated labour market is that young people choose professions and jobs based on notions of suitability.
This pilot project explores through focus group interviews and a survey employees' experiences of working in the field of functional support and in the profession of support assistant. The aim is to identify and describe obstacles and opportunities, for women and men, to consider support assistant in functional support as an attractive job. The project, which has undergone Ethical Review, is carried out in collaboration with the Administration for Disability in the City of Gothenburg.
