SBV4600 The child welfare worker in relation and context Course description

The course sheds light on conditions for child welfare workers’ interaction and cooperative relationships with children, parents and other partners. It focuses on institutional, theoretical and ethical issues in child welfare work and on how they may influence the child welfare worker’s position and professional practice. The child welfare service’s remit, professional assessments and political guidelines, as well as conflicting loyalties that may trigger tension and dilemmas that must be dealt with when working with children and parents, will be discussed in the course. Conditions that impede and promote professional development are also addressed. The course also covers peer guidance, support from the working environment and management.  

The language of instruction is Norwegian.  

None.  

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  

• advanced knowledge of social policy, institutional and professional conditions for interaction in the child welfare service  

• the advanced theoretical knowledge required to establish cooperative alliances with children, families and other services  

• advanced knowledge of professional ethical issues  

• advanced knowledge of conditions that impede and promote professional development  

 Skills  

The student can  

• analyse circumstances of importance to child welfare workers’ understanding of their role and professional practice  

• analyse and handle professional ethical issues and dilemmas  

• analyse their own position on the basis of gender, age, class and their own life story and their bearing on the relationship with children and parents  

General competence   

The student can  

• analyse and take a critical approach to their own position and values in encounters with children, parents and partners and seek guidance as needed  

• use knowledge of one’s own and other professions’ expertise and areas of responsibility when considering the child’s best interests  

• apply their knowledge to safeguard children’s and parents’ rights to participation and co-determination

Teaching methods vary between lectures and student-active learning methods.  

• Coursework requirement 1: An individual written assignment of four pages. The assignment will be read and assessed by two fellow students before the lecturer assesses the assignment, with the enclosed comments by the fellow students, and decides whether or not it is approved  

The purpose of the coursework requirement is to further develop the students’ academic writing skills. It is crucial that child welfare workers are skilled at expressing themselves clearly and accurately in writing. 

The coursework requirement 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.  

The exam in the course is an individual oral exam. Forty-five minutes are set aside for each candidate.  

No aids are permitted.  

Grade scale A-F  

The oral exam is graded by one internal and one external examiner.