Navigating the complexity: Challenges and insights from professionals working with vulnerable families

The increasing risk of poverty and social exclusion in Italy poses challenges to the support of vulnerable families, requiring a preventive and collaborative approach across services. The literature emphasises the importance of exploring the views of professionals on the challenges they face when working with vulnerable families. This study investigates the challenges faced by professionals working in a northern Italian region piloting a new territorial service system for vulnerable families. A mixed-methods approach using semi-structured interviews was implemented with 62 professionals (18 social workers, 10 professional educators, 15 NGO workers, 9 psychologists and 10 health professionals). These examined the indicators of family fragility identified by the professionals, as well as the main challenges and resources of local services when working with these families. Three main challenges were identified: supporting the educational role of parents; the role of informal social networks in tackling isolation; and the promotion of networking and cooperation between services. The results are discussed in relation to how services can promote the autonomy of families to help them overcome difficult times. The findings emphasise the importance of adopting an ecological, preventive and collaborative approach to services.