BV2800 Social Therapeutic Work with Children and Youth Course description

The course deals with milieu-therapeutic work in different kinds of institutions with children and young people, and their families. It provides an introduction to legal and sociological perspectives on the use of power and coercion against children and young people, and the tension between care and control in the exercise of child welfare professional work. The significance of neglect for health and development and how milieu-therapeutic work can facilitate the development and growth of children and young people are central topics. The course also includes skills training in professional interaction and skills training in documentation.

The language of instruction is Norwegian.

The student must have completed and passed the first year of the bachelor's program in child welfare.

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

Knowledge

The student

• has knowledge of the legal and organizational framework conditions for milieu-therapeutic work in different kinds of institutions
• has extensive knowledge of sociological and milieu-therapeutic perspectives on working with children and adolescents in institutions
• has extensive knowledge of problem-causing connections between neglect and health and development
• has extensive knowledge of children's rights in child welfare institutions and legal limitations on the use of coercion
• has knowledge of work with unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in institutions and the legal situation for this group

Skills

The student

• can apply legal methods to determine the legal rules applicable to work in institutions
• can apply the principle of legality and the principle of proportionality in the assessment of coercive measures in institutions
• can reflect on working with children and young people in institutions from a sociological and milieu-therapeutic perspective
• can assess institutions and measures from power, care, and class perspectives
• can interact with children, young people, and families to ensure their participation and involvement in milieu-therapeutic work
• can demonstrate cultural sensitivity in milieu-therapeutic work
• has insight into and can analyze and critically reflect on documentation involved in milieu-therapeutic work.

General competence

The student

• has insight into and can reflect on power relationships and ethical issues in work within institutions
• has insight into their own preconceptions, attitudes, and values, and can reflect on how these influence the relationship with children and young people.

The teaching takes place with physical attendance on campus. The work is carried out through lectures, self-study, group work, skills training with and without the use of video, and other teaching methods as needed. The course also includes skills training in professional interaction and skills training in documentation. Follow-up and guidance are provided during the skills training.

In order to be allowed to take the exam, the student must have the following mandatory activities approved:

• Assignment 1: Skills training in professional interaction over 4 days, 4 hours each

Skills training is carried out across the two courses BV2700 Work in Child Welfare Services and BV2800 Milieu-Therapeutic Work with Children and Youth and their families. Participation in the skills training is counted collectively for both courses and is registered under the course BV2800 Milieu-Therapeutic Work with Children and Youth and their families.

The attendance requirement for compulsory teaching activities is 80%. If a student's overall absence exceeds 20%, a comprehensive assignment will be given as compensation for the absence and lack of active participation. If a student's overall absence exceeds 40%, the student loses the right to take the exam in the course BV2800 Milieu-Therapeutic Work with Children and Youth and their families.

Each student is responsible for documenting their attendance. The length of the teaching days will vary, and each student is responsible for keeping themselves informed about the duration of each teaching day. The reason for the requirement of attendance and active participation in skills training is that the student acquires competence and practical skills that are part of the purpose of the course, and which the student cannot acquire by only reading the syllabus and/or taking exams.

• Assignment 2: INTERACT - INTER1200.

The following assignment must be approved: Submitted individual log. Scope: 500 words +/- 10%. The log assumes participation in a two-day seminar. Absence will result in an individual compensatory task. See also https://www.oslomet.no/forskning/forskningsprosjekter/interact

The exam in the course is an individual oral exam with a time frame of approximately 40 minutes. The time frame includes the examination and assessment with an oral explanation.

The following aids are allowed:

• The exam version of Lovdata Pro on your own PC.

Graded scale A-F.

Internal and external examiners are used to assess all the candidates.

Jakob Mykland Revheim

Hans Wiggo Kristiansen

The course is equivalent to the courses BV2500 Child Welfare in the Welfare State - Legal and Sociological Perspectives on Work in Institutions and BV2600 Psychosocial Perspectives - Environmental Therapeutic Work with Children, Youth, and Their Families.