In this report we identify what are the biggest challenges in the collaboration between state and municipalities within child protection today. Furthermore, what measures and solutions could enhance the collaboration? The collaboration is assessed by using data from a qualitative interview survey which was carried out in the spring of 2009. Totally 19 informants, who are placed differently in the child protection organisation, either in Bufdir (Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, on a regional level (state), in Regional Response and Consultation team (state), or in municipalities, and two county committees for social affairs (state) were interviewed.
The main impression of the interviewer subsequent to having carried out the interview survey, is that there is quite a lot of anger and frustrations among the employees in the municipality child protection entities. This frustration seems to originate from the experience among them that the Bufetat does not execute their lawfully obliged core responsibilities well enough, which is to supply sufficient capacity and quality, in institutions and foster care to the municipalities. Furthermore the municipality child care officers experience Bufetat as bureaucratic and as an organisation which is difficult to handle. There has also been a development where decisions are moved away from the skilled teams, up into Bufetat. Instead of Bufetat functioning supportive, the informants experience them as time consuming and exhausting, which would be better spent on the children and their families.The responses from those who were interviewed, give reason to map how widespread these problems are experienced at a national scale.
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) funded this project.
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) funded this project.
