Social work practice is characterized by contradictions, such as support versus control and the fact that social interventions usually aim at individual change, while clients to a greater extent request practical support and social security. At the same time, social work practice is characterized by status hierarchies and professionals seem to have an adversarial relation to providing practical support. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of status hierarchies in school social work through analysis of how school counselors’ reason about their role and task working with newly arrived young migrants.

The study is based on qualitative interviews with 15 school counselors. The interviews have been analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis.  

The study shows that the school counselors work with newly arrived minors is perceived as quite practically oriented. The school counselors describe that they spend a considerable amount of time helping with practical issues such as finances and translate letters from authorities. This kind of practically oriented tasks are referred to in previous research as "professional dirt work" and ends up far down in the status hierarchy.  These tasks are not perceived as uncontroversial and are subject to negotiation. Among the school counselors in the study there is both an outspoken desire that someone else should be responsible for this work to make time for more important counselor tasks, but there are also those who perceive this work as an important part of school social work that underpins the relationships with the pupils.