The case in summary: The family welfare offices must cut the offer for anger management and violence prevention due to a lack of investment in the state budget. Out of 55 registered for anger management courses in Skien, there is now only room for 12. The waiting lists for such courses are getting longer and longer, and people in crisis have to wait longer for help. Several family welfare offices across the country must save money. In the northern region, there will be no cut in man-years, but there will be cuts in the travel and operating budget. Region East has a savings need of around 10–12 million this year. Storting representative Olaug Bollestad (KrF) is shocked by the cuts and believes anger management courses can prevent partner violence and save lives. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. One week into the second month of the year, 14 people have been killed in Norway in 11 different murder cases. Several of the cases have in common that there has been a close relationship between the accused and the victim. Last year was the worst murder year in the country for a long time, with 38 people killed. At the same time, the offer to those who struggle with violent or aggressive behavior is cut. One man-year is being cut at each of the eight family welfare offices in Agder, Buskerud, Vestfold and Telemark. The reason is two years of lack of investment over the national budget, where wage and price growth has not been compensated. Less money means a poorer offer for the population, believes general manager Even Tengesdal at the Grenland Family Welfare Office. Here they have cut one and a half out of a total of ten man-years from 1 January. – It is very sad that this type of offer is getting worse, and that it is not being prioritized. Even Tengesdal is the general manager at the Grenland Family Welfare Office. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news – Completely behind the mark The increase in violence in close relationships and partner murder has put a strain on KrF leader Olaug Bollestad. She is shocked that the services at the family welfare office are being cut. Party leader Olaug Bollestad in KrF is shocked by the cuts at the family welfare offices. Photo: William Jobling / news – That the family welfare offices will be cut is almost unbelievable. It has rarely been more important to strengthen this type of work than now. Bollestad believes that anger management courses can help more people master their anger and aggression problems. – These are measures that can prevent intimate partner violence and save lives, and of which we needed more. These cuts are completely off target. Anger management and violence prevention In Skien, the course room is ready to receive people who need help with anger management and violence prevention. Here they talk about what is shameful, and what is very difficult to be open about. That’s what family and narrative therapist Bård Billbo Tofsland tells us. Bård Billbo Tofsland is a family and narrative therapist at the Grenland Family Welfare Office. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Out of 55 registered for anger management courses during the spring, they now only have places for 12. The waiting list is only getting longer and longer. Tofsland is sure that the courses have helped people to control their anger, so that they do not resort to violence. – I have no doubt that we are a preventive body for it to develop into something more serious. – People in crisis The waiting lists are also growing in Vestfold, where they have lost a position. – People who are in crisis have to wait even longer for help, says manager Anne Lise Edvardsen. Anne Lise Edvardsen, head of the family welfare office in Tønsberg. Photo: Privat The waiting time for mediation must be three weeks and some health services within four weeks. The office can’t do that now. – The events of the last few months have made us more aware of the importance of people getting help in time. Taking the input into account The Family Welfare Office offers very important services for people, says State Secretary Eli Blakstad (Sp) in the Ministry of Children and Families. Eli Blakstad, State Secretary for the Ministry of Children and Families (Sp). Photo: State administrator in Innlandet It is important for children, young people and their families to have good and safe lives, she says. – We will take the input with us further in the dialogue and in preparations for the budget process for 2025. From north to south Several family welfare offices across the country must save money, news has confirmed. In the northern region, there will be no cut in man-years, and therefore the travel and operating budget will be cut. This may affect the outdoor office offer in the region. In the west, they also escape downsizing. But they keep some positions vacant, says communications manager Trond Nygard-Sture in an email. Region East has a savings need of around 10–12 million this year. It is discussed internally how this should be resolved. – We do what we can to ensure that it affects the offer to the population as little as possible, says communications manager Tone Opdahl. In the Central Norway region, there are no plans for cuts, writes communications manager Anne Therese Melby.
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Family welfare offices’ budget cuts reduce the offer of violence prevention courses – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
