Study plan - Bachelor in child protection and child welfare

Autumn 2024

The aim of this degree is to provide professionals entering this field of work with the right qualifications to enable them to identify the needs of, and provide the best help at the right time for, children, adolescents and families in vulnerable living situations. A child welfare officer has special expertise in solving issues related to child welfare and other relevant areas that include children and adolescents in vulnerable living situations.

The competences at the core of this work revolve around research and practice-based knowledge in the field of child welfare, as well knowledge provided by the children and adolescents and their parents. The work of a child welfare officer is grounded in the living situations and rights of the child and adolescent, as well as in respect for the right of the child when it comes to safety, care, understanding and love. The candidate will be able to prevent and detect instances of neglect and contribute to protective welfare services. Upon completion of the programme, the candidate will be ethically conscious, reflective and cooperation-oriented.

With their professional practice based on the social mandate of the child welfare services, the candidate will interact with children, adolescents and families in vulnerable living situations with understanding, empathy and respect.

The candidate will also have the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that children, adolescents and families in vulnerable living situations can experience safety, inclusion, learning and mastery. They will additionally have knowledge of how to work with prevention on the individual, group and societal levels, focusing at all times on what is best for the child. Child welfare officers will be able to contribute to professional and service development for vulnerable children, adolescents and their families.

The programme will ensure that the students acquire the competence and mindset required to ensure equality for all members of society through the provision of such services, such as the status of the Sami as indigenous peoples and their right to services provided in their own language and in respect of their culture. In addition, the course will also ensure the student’s competence in regard to Sami children’s rights to their own language and culture.

Completion of the course will qualify the candidate for the professional title of Child Welfare Officer.

The curriculum for the undergraduate degree in Child Welfare is based on the Regulation relating to the national guidelines for child welfare officer training, as well as the Regulation relating to the common framework plan for health and social studies courses.

The undergraduate programme at HVL is a full-time course totalling 180 credits taught over three years. Completion of the course will qualify the candidate to pursue various further education programmes, master’s degrees and, eventually, PhD programmes offered at HVL or other colleges or universities.

Suitability Assessment
The education has a suitability assessment. The purpose is to determine whether students pose a possible danger to the vulnerable groups they come into contact with during their education or in future professional practice. Ongoing assessment of all students takes place throughout the course. A separate customs assessment must take place if there is reason to doubt whether a student is customs. A student who is not in good standing can be banned from education for up to five years, and cannot receive a diploma. Etiquette assessment is regulated by the Universities and Colleges Act § 12-3, and the Etiquette Regulations (regulations on etiquette in higher education).

Criminal Record Certificate
All students must provide a criminal record certificate in order to participate in the practical training and clinical teaching components (cf. Chapter 6 in the Regulations relating to admission to higher education). The certificate must have been issued within the last three months.

Students who do not provide a criminal record certificate will not be allowed to partake in the practical clinical studies. A workplace or HVL may request a new criminal record certificate at any time during the course of the programme.

Admission

Completion of the course will qualify the candidate for the professional title of Child Welfare Officer.

Suitability Assessment
There are fixed suitability requirements in this profession. Ongoing suitability assessments of all students will be carried out throughout the duration of the programme and will include a comprehensive assessment of students’ professional and personal qualities in regard to their work in the role of a child welfare officer (cf. § 4 Regulations relating to suitability assessments in higher education). If there is any reasonable doubt as to a student’s suitability, an individual suitability assessment will be carried out (cf. § 2 in the Regulations relating to suitability assessments in higher education). If a student is found to be unsuitable for the profession, they will be prohibited from participating in the programme for a certain period of time. For more information, see the Suitability Assessment page on HVL’s website.

Learning outcomes

A candidate who completes the qualification shall have achieved the following final learning outcomes, categorised under knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:
The graduate...

has broad knowledge of the child welfare services’ societal mandate, its collaborators and the division of duties and responsibility within the welfare administration
has broad knowledge of the relevant Norwegian and international rights relating to the field of child welfare
has broad knowledge of the early life of the child, childhood, socialisation, learning, growth and development, with a special understanding of children, adolescents and families in vulnerable living situations
has broad knowledge of neglect, assault and violence and their possible causal relationships, expressions and consequences
has broad knowledge relating to assessing and understanding what is best for the child, and the right of the child and their family, including the rights of Sami children to their own language and culture
is familiar with the relevant debates and R&D work within the field of child welfare
can update their own knowledge of child welfare as a discipline and can apply this to their own work processes, in their practice within the health and sociopolitical field
has knowledge of the various pedagogical methods and measures used in milieu therapy and other child welfare related work
has knowledge of power dynamics and how these impact inclusion, anti-discrimination and equality, such that the candidate can contribute to ensuring equality for all members of society in their provision of the service
has knowledge of professional ethics, ethical values, dilemmas and issues within the field of child welfare

Skills:
The graduate...

can use their knowledge of research, their experience and the experiential knowledge of children, adolescents and parents as a basis for providing knowledge-based practice and for practising discretion when interacting with vulnerable children, adolescents and their families
can use the relevant knowledge provided by children and adolescents as part of the basis for ensuring their participation and cooperation
can acquire new knowledge and assess the measures available and use these when it comes to communicating and cooperating with children, parents and other services
can reflect on power dynamics and professionalism in their own role as practitioners in this field when interacting with children and families, and can justify their practice under supervision
can use their relevant professional knowledge about cultural diversity and demonstrate multi-cultural understanding and sensitivity in their provision of a service
can use their relevant professional knowledge and applicable legislation methodically and scientifically to ensure professional development, quality improvement and service innovation

General competence:
The graduate...

can plan, implement, document, evaluate and justify measures taken and design services based on what is best for the child, both independently and in cooperation with others
has insight into their own preconceptions, attitudes and values, and are aware of the role of relationship skills in their work as a child welfare officer
has insight into and can attend to the rights of the child, adolescent and family, and can contribute to ensuring equality within the child welfare services in a society characterised by diversity
has insight into and can work with ethical dilemmas within the field of child welfare and in their own professional practice
can interact with children, adolescents and families living in vulnerable situations with understanding, empathy and respect

Content

The course consists of 11 specific training courses which, combined, cover the requirements for the learning outcomes and professional progression as outlined in the Regulation relating to national guidelines for child welfare officer training. The learning outcomes are integrated throughout the programme and categorised according to the following competence areas:

Specialist child welfare competence
Early life and family life
The role of the profession, ethics, and cooperation based on what is best for the child
Innovation, critical thinking and knowledge-based practice

The course has been designed on the basis of an integrated study model and includes ongoing professional orientation, central to which are the student’s understanding and the integration of theory and practice. The programme courses are spread across six semesters. A more detailed description of the learning outcomes, content, compulsory learning activities and forms of assessment used on the programme can be found in the individual course plans. Each course will have a final examination.

The Building and Academic Craft course is common to all bachelor’s degree programmes at HVL and is taught during the first semester. The courses reinforce each other and progressively place greater demands on the student’s competence and independence and their ability to reflect on their own specialised

Practice

The practical placement is a core part of the child welfare officer training programme and will enable the student to enhance their understanding of the relationship between research, theory and practice. The practical placement is carried out in authentic professional situations, through direct work with vulnerable children, adolescents and/or their families. During the practical placement, the students will gain experience in establishing contact with children and families, as well as reporting/assessing, evaluating and making decisions in child welfare cases. The students shall participate in cooperation meetings and become familiar with inter-disciplinary collaboration at the individual and system levels. The course is designed so as to provide student with two practical placement periods.

The first practice period takes place over four weeks during the second semester. This practice period will be carried out in either a kindergarten or a school, with the main focus being on preventative milieu therapy work. Here, the use of activities that promote play, learning, inclusion, mastery and participation will be central.

The second practice period takes place over 16 weeks during the fourth semester and is carried out in child welfare services on either the municipal or the state level. The main focus of this practice period is to practise child welfare-related work, cooperation and interaction with users of the child welfare services and other collaborators.

The Child Welfare Officer programme benefits from practical placements across Western Norway. The university organises the practical placements. Students can apply for facilitation for the practice period in line with the Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (cf. § 7-6 Facilitation for supervised professional training placements).

Students must obtain their own housing and pay for their own travel expenses during the practice period. Some of these expenses are covered by the applicable regulations.

The practical placement is compulsory. 90% attendance is required in the pre- and post-practical placement seminars. 90% attendance is also required for the practical placement, and requirements for attendance cannot be waived due to illness (cf. Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western University of Applied Science).

You can read more about the practical placements here: https://www.hvl.no/student/praksis/helseogsosial/barnevern/

Teaching

Various forms of active student teaching and working methods are used throughout the programme. The main forms include lectures, discussion-based seminars, skills training in groups with roleplay and videos, and group teaching in which students practise their oral and written presentation and feedback skills. Integration of theory and practice are at the core of the entire programme. The choice of work methods will be adapted depending on the objective of the different parts of the programme, and these will enable students to handle the various requirements that the field of practice requires of them.

Particular emphasis is placed on the students being able to work individually as well as in groups, and on the students being motivated to work both on their own activities and in cooperation with others. Assuming responsibility for one’s own learning is central to this programme. Digital teaching methods and learning tools are also used, and some lessons may be streamed online.

In this course, students will receive guidance both individually and in groups in regard to their skills training, the practical placements and project work, and throughout their work on the dissertation and other written assignments. The students will be divided into groups and they will work in these groups both with and without the tutor.

Certain components of the teaching are compulsory; which components are compulsory will be set out in the individual course plans. Compulsory teaching means that 80% attendance is required for the taught courses and 90% for the practical placements.

Assessment

Assessment and marking in this programme adhere to the Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Compulsory Learning Activities
“Compulsory learning activities” refers to all forms of testing that are indicated as a requirement for the student to sit the examination, attend the practical placements or continue with the expected study progression. Examples of learning activities include participation in teaching for skills training, written submission work, competence training and project work. Each course has its own descriptions setting out which of its learning activities are compulsory and which activities will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.

The student must pass the compulsory learning activities before they can sit the exam or attend the practical placement.

Forms of Assessment
The forms of assessment adhere to the Regulations relating to studies and examinations at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (website link). Each course will have a final examination. Various forms of final assessment are used over the duration of this programme, including written examinations, individual written take-home examinations, oral examinations (individual and group), individual written assignments over longer periods, individual assessments of the practical placements and individual undergraduate dissertations. More detail about the applicable forms of assessment can be found for each individual course plan.

For assessments on this programme, either a grading scale with five levels will be used, with A to E for pass grades and F for a fail grade, or marking on a pass/fail basis may be carried out.

Required progression

all first semester courses and BARNP1 must be passed before the student can begin the second year of study
all first-year courses must be passed and the student must have the right to sit the BARN200 and BARN210 examinations in order to begin the fourth semester (spring semester, second year)
all first-year and second-year courses must be passed before the student can begin the fifth semester (autumn semester, third year)
all first- and second-year courses must be passed and the student must have the right to sit the BARN300 and BARN310 examinations in order to begin the sixth semester (spring semester, third year)

See the individual course plans for more information on the prerequisites for each course.

Students who do not fulfil the requirements for progression will be moved down a cohort to repeat the year and will be given an adjusted individual education plan so that they can satisfy the unfulfilled requirements. When moved to a new cohort, the curriculum for that year will apply.