Implementing routine outcome monitoring in statutory children’s services

Key challenges when implementing routine outcome monitoring developed for counseling into statutory children’s services were studied. Extensive field work was undertaken in a Danish municipality, followed by a thematic analysis. Working as counsellors was new to the statutory social workers. The challenges relating to combining counselling and statutory social work concerned how to take client preferences into account, how to maintain one’s authority and how to understand the term error. The scale used to measure outcomes was too simple for the statutory setting and did not focus on risk. The multiple potential uses of measures were played down. The feedback and case management software systems were not compatible. Some challenges were overcome during the implementation process, while others remain to be dealt with. While the approach is promising, new practices need to be developed that support transparency in the statutory role and a necessary risk orientation.