Suitability assessment

The suitability assessments shall ensure that children, pupils, patients and users of various services do not come into contact with professionals who are unfit to work in the field they have been trained for.

The suitability assessments are regulated by the regulations relating to suitability assessments in higher education.

A student can be assessed as unfit for the profession if the student poses a risk to physical and mental health or to the rights, safety or life of an infant, pupil, patient, client or user the student may come into contact with during their supervised professional training or in their future professional practice.

Periodic suitability assessments are carried out throughout the entire duration of the student’s studies (cf. section 2 of the regulation).

HVL has its own suitability assessment board.

Programmes of study that contain a suitability assessment

Overview of programmes of study that include a suitability assessment

Special suitability assessment

If there is sufficient reason to believe that a student is unfit to work in the profession, a special suitability assessment will be carried out (cf. section 2 of the regulation). The Public Administration Act’s rules on procedures relating to suitability assessments also apply to special suitability assessments. 

Notification of doubt

Special suitability assessments start with a notification of doubt. In accordance with section 9 of the regulation, a justified notification of doubt must be sent in writing to the head of the institution of the relevant campus (see below).

Anyone who is in contact with the student can submit a notification of doubt - for example their practical training tutor, their academic tutor, other students, others working in their supervised practical training workplace and administrative staff. Whoever submits the notification of doubt will not be party to the case and is not entitled to a response.

Notifications of doubt that are clearly unfounded shall not be processed by the head of the institution. Notifications of doubt must not be sent by email.

Notification of doubt form (in Norwegian) 

Head of the institution

The head of the institution’s tasks

The head of the institution shall

  • follow up on submitted notifications of doubt in accordance with section 10 of the regulation 
  • forward cases regarding suitability assessments to the Suitability Assessment Board
  • inform students and employees on the specific programmes of study of how suitability assessments are implemented 

Procedure 

Procedure for suitability assessment cases at HVL