Examination arrangement

Course content

The subject is about the complex professional and ethical assessments a child protection and child welfare worker must make in connection with intervention work, change work, and developmental support within the framework of the child welfare service's legislation. Students learn to conduct child welfare assessments and considerations of interventions and how these can contribute to reducing the risk of skewed development, improving the child's situation, enhancing its well-being, coping, competence, and self-esteem. Communication with vulnerable children and young people, their families and networks and other public service providers, related to change work and development support is a central theme of the course. Recognition, building trust, various forms of assistance, family- and nettwork, change-oriented approaches and foster home placements are other central themes. The course links theoretical and research-based knowledge to relevant practical issues and also emphasize knowledge from children and parents with experiences from the child welfare system.

Learning outcome

Knowledge - Students:

• have knowledge about child protection and child welfare professional assessments related to measures and change work to the best interests of the child in cases relating to care failure, unhealth, violence, abuse and substance abuse problems
• have knowledge about legal framework that forms the basis for measures in child protection and child welfare
• have research-based knowledge about various measures and methods used in the follow-up of children and families in child welfare services
• have knowledge about family crises and emergency services in child welfare services
• have knowledge about developmental support- and trauma-based care
• have knowledge about family and networking work
• have knowledge about resource-focused and solution-oriented communication with children, young people and parents in vulnerable life situations.
• has knowledge of the social life and conditions of vulnerable children and young people that contribute to coping, learning, development, well-being, safety, trust building and health promotion
• have knowledge about how their own understanding can lay the foundations for communication and collaboration with children and families
• have knowledge about recruitment, training, matching and how to follow-up foster homes
• have knowledge about various ways to evaluate measures in collaboration with children and families
• have knowledge about what other agencies can help to improve at-risk children and young people's everyday life and well-being

Skills - Students:

• can apply the Child Welfare Act's rules for conditions that must be met to implement measures
• can account for what other services can help in improving the child's situation and everyday life child welfare assessments, various measures and methods that are relevant in relation to change and development support in cases relating to neglect of care, unhealth, violence, abuse and substance abuse problems and explain their strengths and weaknesses
• can reflect around vulnerable children and parents' participation and legal protection related to child welfare measures
• can communicate in a resource-focused and solution-oriented way with children and adolescents in vulnerable life situations and apply activities to promote play, learning, inclusion, coping and participation
• can identify and reflect on ethical dilemma related to action work with vulnerable children and families

General competence - Students:

• have insight into professional, legal and ethical considerations related to implementation and follow-up of measures based on the needs of the child and the family
• can show cultural sensitivity when assessing measures and change work
• can plan a child welfare professional course in line with academic, legal and ethical principles
• can justify and communicate written choices and decisions related to child protection and child welfare measures
• have knowledge of research and development work within support and care measures in relation to vulnerable children and young people

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, preliminary assignments, topic based group work, skills development training, case work, self-study, written assignments and oral presentations

Compulsory assignments

• Participation in mandatory activities
• Written assignment

Further on evaluation

Compulsory activity:

i) Participation, minimum 80% in skills development training, and group work with case, and oral presentation for fellow students

ii) Written assignment

Compulsory activity must be approved in order to take the exam

Aid:

LOVDATA (digital)

LOVSAMLING (paper)

• Norges Lover
• Law collection for the health and social sector
• Special printing of laws and regulations

Permitted incorporations in the aids are:

• Marking of laws with post-it notes or other markers
• Underlines in the text also with different colors
• Neutral references can be allowed aids (laws, regulations) when using words like cf., compare, opps, opposite etc.
• Note that laws or paragraphs have been repealed or changed

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

The subject builds on the previous subjects in the study and the subject is a continuation of the subject BBV1004 which deals with concerns and child protection and child welfare assessments.

Required previous knowledge

Students must have passed all exams in the first semester and 45 credits in the program in order to take the exam in this course. The course has study rights requirements. The course is reserved for students admitted to the program Bachelor in Child Protection and Child Welfare at NTNU.

Course materials

Will be published in Blackboard when the course starts.

Credit reductions