The statutory regulations for people who have a special legal guardian (Erwachsenenvertretung) require for support to be provided to people who have a mental illness or a similar impairment to allow them to handle their affairs as autonomously as possible. It is not permissible to have a legal guardian for people who could represent themselves or receive the necessary support. Next to support options offered by a person’s family or other related persons, the legal regulations also specifically mention institutions offering Social Work services. 

The statutory shift away from special legal guardians towards promoting autonomy, self-determination, and freedom of decision of those affected was developed during a dialogue process which involved affected persons and groups of persons. This bachelor project sets out to study existing support offers from the users’ and the supporters’ perspectives to identify the role of Social Work in preexisting structures and develop new possibilities for action which are necessary for both affected persons and practitioners of Social Work.