Sociologists from other counties have been offered to settle in Pajala for a while to see how the social service works locally. The social service has made several successful recruitments thanks to the innovative campaign. It is not just a localisation campaign where you get to change environment. It is also about mentoring within the various functions of social services, which is highly appreciated by newly trained sociologists.
“In short, the mentorship means that we offer extra training that is based on practical elements. The aim is for the unit to build up a high content of knowledge in each employee, in all areas in which we are operating. This means that you must have knowledge of all functions that fall under the responsibility of the social service”, explains operations manager Camilla Jansdotter.
Good approach to work
Sociologist Daniel Schwerin has moved to Pajala but has his roots in Örebro. He is responsible for the implementation and further development of the mentorship program within social services.
“I appreciate the peace and nature in Pajala, that partly the reason why I moved here. At the same time, there are very good opportunities to develop a healthy balance between work and leisure here, something that I have missed before. The work environment is good within the social services in Pajala, there are not the same problems with, for example, gang-related crime here. However, that is not the only reason why we have a good working environment – we have succeeded in creating a whole with a good community, we build knowledge together and this means that we deliver services with very high quality”, explains Daniel.
The mentorship has proven to be a very successful venture that the social service will continue to run. At the same time as you are employed with a salary, you get the opportunity to really create a good approach to what a job in social services actually entails. It provides a substantial basis for doing a good job. From the municipality’s side, mentoring also means raising the status and attractiveness of the profession.
Better working environment and more development opportunities
There is a pride in the work close to the community in Pajala, which also means that the various units of the social service are developing. Sociologist Anisa Mostafai can attest that it is a good working environment that is developing on several levels. She has moved to Pajala from Stockholm and has participated in the mentoring program.
“Many people probably think that it is very far to Pajala from, for example, Stockholm, and there are also preconceived notions about the social life up here. The image of Norrbotten, that it is cold and dark and that there is nothing to do apart from hunting and fishing, is untrue. I have received a very warm welcome, both at the workplace and privately”, says Anisa.
Anisa has created a rich leisure with horse riding and football, among other things. Horses are a great interest of hers and the dream is to eventually keep her own horse.
“Within the mentorship program, you first come here for a test period. I have chosen to stay as I enjoy it so much here; I have got a permanent job and will probably start looking for a house soon. One reason why I want to stay is that I experience my life as calmer up here, with less stress and more time left over to do things I feel good about doing. Shorter distances to work, better working environment and more well-being; everything contributes to having more energy left over after the working day”, says Anisa.
Creating a new lifestyle
There is something special about Pajala. Sociologist Marianne Sjöstedt has moved from Kolbäck with her family to create a new lifestyle in northern Sweden.
“We moved 120 miles up north without having any connection to Pajala. The life we want is simply here”, says Marianne.
Just like Anisa, Marianne and her family are looking for a quieter life with more time left over for what they really want to do. In Pajala, the logistics of family life are significantly simpler and this frees up both time and energy.
“We also feel that people up here are generally friendlier and more helpful. There is an openness and a social life here that we lacked before. There is a genuine interest in other people, there is a culture where you help each other in a completely different way. In addition, there is a security here that is difficult to surpass”, continues Marianne.
In other words, Pajala can deliver what many people are looking for today. The municipality hopes that more people will discover this. There is room for more, a larger community and development where everyone contributes, new and old Pajala inhabitants alike.
