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In arrangements for children’s participation in child welfare systems, professionals’ interpretations of children’s views on family and their own constructions of family will impact children’s conditions for expressing feelings and moral agency. This article analyses the accounts of children’s spokespersons in Norway, whose mandate is to speak with and forward children’s views in care proceedings. The analyses show how constructions of loyalty, family interdependence, and individualism may inform spokespersons’ interpretations of children’s views, and thereby their exploratory practices in their conversations with the children. Children’s representatives need to be reflexive toward their own understanding(s) of family and family interdependence in order to discover the complex web of experiences, ambiguity, feelings, and expectations children have around family and familial relations in their lives. The findings point to the importance of reflexive exercises toward constructions of children and family in the field of social work.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Norway in March 2020, comprehensive action was taken by the government, leading to the lockdown of welfare institutions, schools and kindergartens, and strict restrictions on physical meetings. This had severe consequences for Child Welfare Protection services (CWP). The restrictions stopped child welfare protection home visits and professionals in other welfare institutions, which usually observe children and notify child welfare protection services, were no longer able to identify children at risk. This article, drawing on interviews with 10 social workers, explores their experience during COVID-19. Applying Lipsky’s concept of street-level bureaucrats and theories of professional identity, the article documents how COVID-19 not only restricted, but also modified social workers jobs, and led to self-reflection on their professional identity. In turn, the findings suggest the potential for beneficial changes in practices in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Deltakelse er en universell rettighet for alle barn og unge. Både sosialt arbeid og deltakerbasert forskning har deltakelse som kjerneverdi. Vi har imidlertid begrenset kunnskap om hvordan barn og unge med fluktbakgrunn opplever å delta i deltakerbasert forskning. Denne artikkelens utgangspunkt er en kvalitativ studie som involverte unge, enslige flyktninger i utforskningen av problemstillinger knyttet til psykososial helse og deltakelse, hvor forskningsdesignet inkluderte deltakerbasert metodikk. Artikkelen belyser ungdommenes perspektiver på deltakerbasert forskning. Studiens funn viser at det å ta del i sosiale opplevelser, bli lyttet til, dele erfaringer og lære av hverandre bidro til at deltakelsen ble opplevd som verdifull. Samtidig kom deltakerne inn på utfordringer knyttet kommunikasjon, sensitive tema, deltakelse i beslutningstaking og maktesløshet. Participation is a universal right for children and young people, and social work and participatory research share participation as a core value. However, we have limited knowledge of how children and young people with refugee backgrounds experience participating in this research. The point of departure of this article is a qualitative study involving young, unaccompanied refugees, addressing the issues of psychosocial health and participation. The research design included participatory methods. The article highlights the perspectives of young, unaccompanied refugees on participatory research. Findings indicate that participating in enjoyable experiences, being listened to, sharing experiences, and learning from each other contributed to making participation valuable. At the same time, participants addressed challenges related to communication, sensitive topics, participation in decision-making and powerlessness.

The article is based on two PhD studies in which marginalized co-researchers who depend on the aid apparatus contribute to co-creation of research. The first study includes parents whose children are placed in public care; the other study includes homeless people. In the article, we want to explore the co-creation process between researchers and co-researchers in research where the co-researchers have a background from marginalized groups that depend on the aid apparatus. Findings from our studies indicate that such a dependency can act as a barrier to critical research or critical actions in two ways: 1) It is difficult to be critical of one’s own position, and 2) It is difficult to be critical to the aid apparatus. The article concludes that the two positions are different but that they serve the same purpose: it is strategic to position oneself in certain ways when a lot is at stake.

I denne artikkelen utforsker vi hvordan barnevernets risikoorientering og barnesentrering kan få utilsiktede konsekvenser for profesjonell praksis. Alvorlige barnevernssaker innebærer utfordrende og vanskelige vurderinger, hvor de etiske dilemmaene blir ekstra krevende. Vi undersøker hvordan økt fokus på avdekking av alvorlig vold og omsorgssvikt har virket inn på barnevernets arbeid, på hvilken måte foreldre opplever barnevernet som problemfokusert i samarbeidet og hvordan dette svekker tilliten til fagpersoner som skal hjelpe dem. I en tid hvor barnevernet er utsatt for sterk kritikk både internasjonalt og nasjonalt, og hvor denne kritikken retter seg mot barnevernets manglende fokus på gjenforening og tilrettelegging for samvær mellom barn og foreldre, ønsker vi å bidra til en kritisk reflekterende diskusjon om hvordan den politiske, sosiale og internasjonale sammenhengen som det norske barnevernet inngår i, virker inn på faglige dreininger i praksis. Våre analyser bygger på empiri fra to Ph.D.-prosjekter som omhandler henholdsvis barn som opplever vold i nære relasjoner, og oppfølging av foreldre som er fratatt omsorgen for sine barn. Nøkkelord: barnevern, vold og omsorgssvikt, barnesentrering, risikoorientering, tillit, problemfokus

In this paper, we discuss what it means to practice participatory research based on experiences from a research process with mothers of immigrant background living in three local communities in Oslo. We reflect upon the possibilities and challenges of participatory research as experienced during a research process conducted in collaboration with three co-creators. Three stories of participation, communities of practice, power and reciprocity are presented to highlight our experiences from participatory research. We found that the community of practice between researchers and co- creators was essential for collecting relevant and verifiable knowledge among mothers of teenagers with an immigrant background. The practice of reciprocity contributed to building trust between researchers and cocreators, and towards the participants in interviews.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address how young unaccompanied refugees in Norway actively engage in interpersonal relationships. It explores the significance of these relationships in doing well following adversity, according to the young people’s own perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a qualitative research design. Data were derived through a combination of participant observation, interviews and research workshops inspired by participatory methods. In total, 12 young unaccompanied refugees, aged 15–20, residing in Norway, participated in the study.FindingsParticipants described actively searching for help and support in order to do well. In addition, they showed concern for others and often described an explicit intention of helping. They engaged in relationships of mutual support and helped others through acts of kindness or social involvement. Nevertheless, the relationships were not only a source of happiness, safety and well-being, but also of pain and worry.Practical implicationsSocial workers who want to strengthen the resilience of young unaccompanied refugees should consider and build on the young people’s capacity for involvement and mutual support.Originality/valueThis study offers a unique analysis of young unaccompanied refugees’ engagement in relationships and the significance of these relationships in doing well following adversity.

For young people who have received support from child welfare services, aftercare is important in their transition to adulthood. This article focuses on the barriers to aftercare that youths in Norway may encounter, drawing upon empirical data from studies and one audit of aftercare between 2008 and 2020. These studies, which include a survey, interviews with social workers and youth, and statistical data, are re-analyzed for the purpose of this article, and discussed in light of Judith Butler’s theoretical concepts of precariousness and grievability. The article identifies several barriers to aftercare and supports the argument that Norway may be experiencing a crisis in aftercare for youth as they transition to adulthood.

​Denne rapporten omhandler pålagte hjelpetiltak. Som hovedregel skal hjelpetiltak i barnevernet være frivillig. Før 2016 fantes det hjemler i barnevernloven § 4-4 til å pålegge tre typer hjelpetiltak dersom det var strengt nødvendig: tilsyn, opphold i barnehage og andre egna dagtilbud og barn kunne pålegges å ta del i foreldrestøttende tiltak. Hjelpetiltak ble pålagt i svært få saker. I juni 2015 vedtok Stortinget et tillegg til barnevernloven som trådte i kraft i 2016, der muligheten for å pålegge hjelpetiltak ble sterkt utvidet. Formålet er å «forbedre situasjonen til barnet og forebygge mer inngripende tiltak som omsorgsovertakelse» (Prop. 72 L, 2014-2015). Denne lovendringen er såpass ny at det foreligger begrenset kunnskap om hvordan den fungerer i praksis. Rapporten oppsummerer funnene fra delprosjekt 1: "Pålagte hjelpetiltak", i prosjektet "Virkning av hjelpetiltak i barnevernet". Prosjektet er et samarbeid mellom NTNU Samfunnsforskning og VID vitenskapelige høyskole, på oppdrag fra Bufdir​.​

Denne rapporten er hovedrapporten fra forskningsprosjektet «Familieråd når det haster med å finne en løsning» som er gjennomført ved VID vitenskapelige høgskole og NTNU Samfunnsforskning. Rapporten sammenfatter funn knyttet til ulike aktørers erfaringer med akutt familieråd.

Ifølge barnevernloven skal barneverntjenesten vurdere mulig gjenforening mellom foreldre og barn idet de fremmer forslag om omsorgsovertakelse til fylkesnemnda. Uavhengig av om gjenforening er aktuelt, skal barneverntjenesten tilby foreldre oppfølging og veiledning umiddelbart etter en omsorgovertakelse. Den europeiske menneskerettsdomstolen (EMD) har kritisert det norske barnevernet for manglende oppfølging av foreldre etter omsorgsovertakelse, og for ikke å ha jobbet aktivt for gjenforening mellom barn og foreldre (Sørensen, 2020). Slik vi ser det, står en allerede presset barneverntjeneste overfor store oppgaver knyttet til oppfølging av foreldre og gjenforening mellom barn og foreldre etter en omsorgsovertakelse. I disse sakene er relasjonen mellom barnevern og foreldre ofte krevende, noe som blant annet kan forklares med at barneverntjenesten står i en vanskelig dobbeltrolle som både hjelper og kontrollør. Hvordan skal barneverntjenesten komme i posisjon til å gi veiledning og oppfølging som oppleves meningsfull for foreldrene, samt lykkes med å få til gode prosesser knyttet til gjenforening mellom barn og foreldre?

As neoliberalisation and other global disruptions change the understanding of human rights and social justice for social workers, how are protests organised by marginalised groups against social welfare and public health regimes understood and participated, or even resisted, by social workers? Although there is a vast literature on protest and community organising in the social work tradition, there is less exploration of marginalised groups organising against the systems in which social workers are employed, thereby leading to dilemmas for social workers. Hence, more knowledge is necessary about social workers’ capability to respond to such protests. Using collective action and social movement theories, this paper introduces a conceptual framework in order to identify key factors and variables when marginalised groups organise against social welfare and public health regimes and social workers are involved. The conceptual framework concerns social workers’ value negotiation of human rights and social justice principles, collective action framing, ethical decision-making, and ultimately, the thought process behind a social worker’s response to collective actions against social welfare and public health regimes. Nyliberalisme og andre globale utfordringer endrer forståelsen av menneskerettigheter og sosial rettferdighet for sosialarbeidere. Hvordan blir protest fra marginaliserte grupper mot velferds- eller folkehelseregimer forstått og deltatt i - eller også motarbeidet - av sosialarbeidere? Tross omfattende litteratur om protest og samfunnsarbeid i sosialt arbeid, er marginaliserte grupper som organiserer seg mot systemene sosialarbeidere er ansatt i – og dilemmaene dette fører til for sosialarbeidere – lite utforsket. Derfor er det behov for mer kunnskap om sosialarbeideres muligheter til å svare på slike protester. Artikkelen bygger på teorier om sosiale bevegelser og kollektiv handling, og introduserer et begrepsmessig rammeverk for å identifisere sentrale faktorer og variabler når marginaliserte grupper organiserer seg mot velferd- og folkehelseregimer, der sosialarbeidere er involvert. Rammeverket omfatter sosialarbeidernes verdiforhandlinger knyttet til menneskerettigheter og prinsipper for sosial rettferdighet, forståelsesrammer etiske beslutningsprosesser, og til syvende og sist, tankeprosessen bak en sosialarbeiders respons på kollektive handlinger mot velferds- og folkehelseregimer.

People with intellectual disabilities have increased life expectancy compared to just a few decades ago, and there is a lack of knowledge about the experiences of transition into retirement for this group. In this study, semi-structured in-depth interviews with seven retirees with intellectual disabilities were conducted in order to investigate their reasons for retirement, experiences of the transition, their activities and satisfaction with their lives as retirees. Data was analysed with systematic text condensation. Most participants described that, although they experienced the retirement process and transition as abrupt, retirement had a positive impact on health, satisfaction and self-determination. Findings in this novel study in a Nordic context are need of increased knowledge on ageing and retirement among people with intellectual disabilities, and that individual guidance might improve their transition into retirement., How do people with intellectual disabilities in Norway experience the transition to retirement and life as retirees?