EPN

SBV4200 Application of law in child welfare work Course description

Course name in Norwegian
Rettsanvendelse i barnevernfaglig arbeid
Study programme
Masterstudium i sosialfag - studieretning barnevernsarbeid, deltid / Masterstudium i sosialfag - studieretning barnevernsarbeid / Masterstudium i sosialfag - studieretning barnevern, deltid / Masterstudium i sosialfag - studieretning barnevern
Weight
5.0 ECTS
Year of study
2023/2024
Curriculum
FALL 2023
Schedule
Course history

Introduction

Application of law in child welfare work is based on analyses of key legal issues arising in child welfare work. The focus is on the use of legal methodology to resolve legal issues in order to determine what is applicable law in an area. Students will gain insight into legal methodology and how to use judicial politics to argue their points. 

The language of instruction is Norwegian.  

Required preliminary courses

None.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:   

Knowledge 

The student has 

  • in-depth knowledge of what a legal argument can be based on  

  • in-depth knowledge of how to reason when deciding what is the applicable law  

  • in-depth knowledge of which elements are legally relevant and the relative weight of the various elements in a legal argument  

  • in-depth knowledge of the normative basis of jurisprudence and how it differs from other social sciences  

  • in-depth knowledge of key issues in the field of child welfare  

Skills 

The student can 

  • use legal methods to resolve legal issues in the child welfare field  

  • apply the law in a sound manner  

  • analyse and take a critical approach to different sources of information and use sources of law to structure and formulate professional arguments  

  • critically analyse legal regulation of the child welfare service’s remit and exercise of authority 

General competence  

The student can 

  • analyse legal issues  

  • reflect critically on judicial policy issues in the child welfare field  

  • reflect critically on judicialization processes that are not in the best interests of vulnerable children and adolescents and their families  

  • contribute to innovative thinking on legal regulation in the field of child welfare  

Teaching and learning methods

Emphasis is placed on problem-based student-active forms of learning with concrete practical tasks and analyses of judgments.  

Course requirements

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam: 

  • Coursework requirement 1: A written assignment with a scope of 1,000 words (+/- 10 %)  

The purpose of the coursework requirement is to practise writing legal texts.  

The required coursework must be completed and approved by the stipulated deadline in order for the student to take the exam. If the coursework is not approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version once by a given deadline. 

Assessment

The examination in the course is a national assessment exam in law organised by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). The exam form is a individual supervised exam of 4 hours.

Permitted exam materials and equipment

The following aids are permitted: Lovdata Pro.

Grading scale

Pass/fail.

Examiners

The exam papers are assessed by a national corps of examiners.

Course contact person

Merete Havre