Independent experts in child welfare services
Project owner
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Project categories
PhD Project
Project period
August 2020 - July 2024
Project summary
This PhD-project explores the use of independent experts in child welfare services from the child welfare services' perspective.
The overall objectives of this project are to explore the social workers' practice and experience with independent experts in Norway and Sweden, to identify how organizational and institutional settings influence the practice and function of independent experts in child welfare services.
PhD-project comprises 3 tentative papers, including:
- A scoping review: Independent experts in care order proceedings.
- A paper exploring the practice related to independent experts in the Norwegian child welfare services and how the social workers consider the quality and usefulness of the expert reports.
- A paper comparing Norwegian and Swedish child welfare regarding the use of independent experts in preparations to, and for care order proceedings.
Method
A qualitative, explorative study, including focus groups and individual interviews of social workers.