ABSTRACT Neoliberal welfare reforms and limited pathways to permanent residency have left migrant women, among other groups, with little or no access to public social protection, contributing to their precarious legal status. As a result, civil society actors (CSA) have become the main providers of support and deliver micro-level social protection beyond the boundaries of public authorities. At the same time, CSA's resources remain tied to collaborations with government actors in the delivery of services. Within this context, this study examines how CSAs use different forms of knowledge to frame the situations of migrant women with precarious legal status who experience gender-based violence (GBV). In a dynamic process of framing GBV situations and constantly reshaping the meanings of administrative categories, CSAs create temporary micro-practices of social protection. Data are based on a vignette method, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals from 31 CSAs operating in Italy and Sweden. Findings show that CSAs strategically produce and mobilise knowledge that frames the legal and humanitarian dimensions of precarious situations of migrant women experiencing GBV, legitimising their actions, securing resources, and navigating tensions with public authorities. Through this, CSAs reshape the architecture of social protection for migrant women confronting GBV within neoliberal bureaucratic frameworks.

ABSTRACT As international migration leads to significant numbers of children with foreign backgrounds around the world, this article reveals the emerging research agenda around the controversial practice of cross-border placement of children in care. We review existing research, focusing on cross-border kinship care and intensive pedagogy placements. Cross-border out-of-home child care is increasingly promoted and institutionalised. Yet, there are persisting concerns about responsibility sharing, a patchy legal framework, implementation, and little data comparing outcomes of placements in-country and abroad. The article concludes by noting implications for social work and promising directions of empirical investigations.

ABSTRACT This study reconceptualizes the professional status of social work through a multi-paradigmatic lens, assessing how classical models structural-functionalism, sequential development, and attribute-based approaches – capture the profession’s defining features. Although these frameworks offer useful ideal-typical insights, they only partially explain the structural inequalities, gendered hierarchies, and symbolic devaluation that shape social work, especially in post-socialist welfare contexts. Drawing on feminist, critical, neo-Weberian, and discursive theories, the study conceptualises professionalism as a socially constructed, historically embedded, and inherently power-laden process. It proposes a reflexive, care-oriented model that integrates ethical responsibility, social embeddedness, and interprofessional legitimacy as complementary sources of authority. Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, with particular attention to Eastern Europe, the analysis shows that although classical models remain influential, feminised care professions require alternative frameworks that more accurately reflect their specific structural conditions and value orientations. In doing so, the study contributes to international debates and supports the revaluation of care within contemporary welfare systems.

ABSTRACT This study explores the advantages and disadvantages of kinship foster care from the perspectives of child welfare workers. Since the introduction of the Foster Care Regulation in 2004, Child Welfare Services in Norway have been required to prioritise family and close networks as foster placements for children in care. The increased use of kinship foster care has provided child welfare workers with more experience and knowledge, offering an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their insights. Data from a national survey exploring their perspectives produced a total of 858 open-ended responses regarding their views . The data were analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis, generating six themes: advantages included continuity, stability, and biological bonds, while role conflict, (dis)loyalty, and lower quality were identified as disadvantages. Overall, the results showed that child welfare workers see kinship foster care as beneficial for the child, but less positively for the foster parents and the child welfare services. The discussion emphasises the ongoing dilemmas faced by child welfare workers as they navigate this complex and often contradictory landscape.

ABSTRACT Social support is crucial in mitigating occupational risks and burnout among child protection social workers (CPSWs). However, research on this phenomenon remains limited in the unique context of Seychelles. Workplace social support can significantly influence psychological well-being, resilience, and job retention, aligning with frameworks such as the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model and Maslach & Leiter’s Burnout Model (2016). This study addresses the research question: How does social support mediate occupational risk and burnout among CPSWs in Seychelles? Drawing on in-depth interviews with 11 child protection social workers, including their Legal and Child Protection Unit supervisors, the study employs thematic analysis to examine how different forms of social support – socio-emotional, instrumental, and informational – buffer against high job-related stress, burnout, and workforce attrition. Findings indicate that collegial relationships are a critical protective factor, reducing turnover and fostering emotional resilience. Additionally, social support mitigates workplace stressors such as high caseloads, exposure to trauma, and resource constraints, which are key contributors to burnout in child protection work. By highlighting the essential function of workplace social support, this study provides valuable insights for organisational policies and interventions to strengthen support networks, reduce burnout, and ensure the sustainability of the CPSW workforce.

ABSTRACT As public protection systems, Social Services play a crucial role in promoting social cohesion, with resilience being a key factor. This study analyzes the predictive role of resilience in Social Services and its relationship to with life and work satisfaction, engagement, sense of humour, and coping strategies. Resilience is conceptualised at two levels: (i) individual resilience defined as professionals’ capacity to adapt, recover, and grow after adversity; and (ii) organisational resilience, defined as agencies’ capacity to sustain and restore core functions through planning and adaptive routines. Data were collected from 170 social services professionals using validated instruments (CD-RISC; BRT-53; OJSS; UWES; SWLS; CSI; MSHS). Age, years of experience, workplace and academic background were considered as covariates. Results show that resilience (individual and organisational) is strongly associated with satisfaction, adaptive coping strategies, and work engagement and, to a lesser extent, with sense of humour. These findings contribute to a better understanding of resilience processes within Social Services and their impact on the development of work-related variables, which are essential for achieving organisational goals.