– This is an unsustainable situation which is not the child welfare’s fault. Ellen Galaasen says so. She is the leader of the Child Welfare Pedagogues in the Academic Association. A public health nurse in Bergen discovered that a report of concern did not reach the child protection service. It was the start of a larger case about a technical data failure in the reporting system that Visma, Bufdir, KS and 244 municipalities have collaborated on. Reports of concern to child protection in Norway have been automatically deleted before child protection received them. – This can be interpreted as another example of “here you have not received a response from the child protection services”. Then we have to rebuild trust in a way, even if it does not apply to the municipality you work in. The data failure comes on top of a number of media coverage of child protection in recent years, often with negative coverage. Galaasen is concerned that it may be difficult to distinguish between criticism directed at the child protection service, and other criticism where the child protection service is not to blame for the error that has occurred. – All such notices help to generate pressure on the reputation of the child welfare services. But in this case it is about factors that are beyond their control, she says. Hello! I have covered the issue of the missing child welfare reports. Have you caught the bug? Do you have information or tips on the matter? Dependent on trust In order to help children and young people, child welfare services depend on both private individuals, professionals and public employees reporting concerns through reports of concern. When child welfare services are repeatedly mentioned in negative contexts, she fears that distrust will be created for them. – Then the threshold for contacting us will be higher and it can be difficult to get cooperation with those we want to cooperate with, she explains. – We don’t get any help in talking about child protection, she adds. Ole Henrik Kråkenes in the Joint Organization underlines that the computer system that deletes reports of concern is not about the quality of the child welfare’s work. Photo: Sara Angelica Spilling / The joint organization (FO) Galaasen is supported by Ole Henrik Kråkenes. He is the leader of the professional council for child welfare pedagogues in Fellesorganisationen (FO), Norway’s largest union for employees in child welfare. – This case shows a vulnerability in the digitization of the child welfare system and not the professional quality of the work that the child welfare service does, he says. Kråkenes underlines that child protection educators and social workers work with children and parents with whom they are completely dependent on having a good relationship in order to help them. – We are also completely dependent on the trust of the surrounding community, who must help catch these children, he says. Child welfare officers are hanged Galaasen in the Academic Association points out that child welfare officers are constantly exposed to criticism in the national media. And on social media, employees are hung out in groups with both name and picture. Among other things, the child welfare services are referred to here as “power-hungry” and that they are looking to take children. – Such criticism is difficult to defend against, and can make employees afraid to speak out publicly or talk openly about their work in child protection, she says. Kråkenes also points out to the politicians their responsibility to improve the child welfare service’s reputation: – The child welfare service must help some of the most vulnerable. Then we need help from both politicians and other agencies to speak up about the good work that child protection does. It is rare that this gets the most column space in the media. The Minister of State: – Report again Through the senior communications adviser in the Ministry of Children and Families, Thea Nathalie Finstad, the ministry replies that child protection depends on a high level of trust in the population and a good reputation. – It must be felt safe to report something to the child welfare services. Child protection exercises a special power and can intervene in the most private – the right to family life. Employees need trust to be able to work together as best as possible with the children and their families. The ministry further states that it is important for working conditions and safety that the services are managed and hired in a good way. – Employees in child protection must feel safe at work and be proud of the important work they do. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp) says the case has the highest priority in the ministry. On Wednesday, she made a clear call: People who suspect that reports of concern have not reached the child welfare services earlier should submit the report again. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp) has announced that the matter will be investigated. Photo: Heidi Ditlefsen / news Over time, there has been a downward trend in the number of reports to child welfare services. In a status report from Bufdir, they tentatively conclude that it is primarily other conditions than the technical failure that are the cause of this. This is both based on the fact that the trend started before the error occurred in the system, but also that there has been a downward trend in municipalities that have not made use of Visma Familia, where the technical error was located.
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– Not to blame for the data error – news Vestland
