We are currently working to map and compile knowledge about safety culture and safety behavior within social services. The completed knowledge review is planned to be published in December 2025.
Many who work in social services are exposed in their profession to threats, violence, personal attacks, and defamation. Social workers are among the most vulnerable professional groups in public administration.
The purpose of the knowledge review is to highlight current research on safety culture and safety behaviors within social services. The focus is on identifying interventions, methods, approaches, or work environment factors that promote a strong safety culture and safe behavior.
What the knowledge review shows – so far
The researchers commissioned to carry out the knowledge review have conducted an extensive literature search in which they identified more than 33,000 studies. After a systematic selection and quality review process, 44 empirical articles were chosen for further analysis. Grey literature has also been included – such as union reports, government reports, and public inquiries, in order to capture practice-oriented perspectives that are rarely reflected in academic research.
The analysis revealed that the results can be organized into a four-phase model that reflects the different stages of the social work process where the risk of exposure is highest – the client meeting. The four phases are:
- Before the client meeting – e.g., risk assessments, introduction programs, mindfulness, and violence-prevention training.
- During the client meeting – e.g., not working alone, technical protections (such as personal alarms), and training in de-escalating threatening situations.
- After the client meeting – e.g., supervision, collegial debriefing, and structured incident reporting.
- Over time – e.g., work environment surveys, leadership structure, values-based work, and recovery.
– We can already see that there is good knowledge about how threats and violence can be prevented and managed, but the conditions for success differ between organizations. Isolated measures are not enough. To create long-term change with a strong safety culture, safety work must permeate the entire organization, with a focus on resources, leadership, and culture, says Monica Kaltenbrunner, process-leading analyst at the Swedish Agency for Work Environment Expertise.