We have in this study examined if social workers in social services experience that they have opportunities to consider a child perspective, in investigations for long term housing. The purpose of this study is also to investigate the social workers experience and interpretation of their discretion connected to the units guidelines. The study has a qualitative approach where the information was gathered by semi-structured interviews with five social workers. The result have been compered with previous research and have been analysed by using Lipsky´s theory of street-level bureaucrats. The result showed that the social workers experienced that their discretion has been reduced during the last year and that was connected to new guidelines. Results also showed that the social workers expirience that their opportunities to consider a child perspective was limited due to these new guidelines. The social workers have different opinions about the child perspective and the study shows it's a complex and challenging question to make children involved ininvestigations for long term housing.
Keywords: Guidelines, housing, participation, child perspective, discretion, parental responsibility