Welfare law (BBA104)

The course provides an introduction to the legal frameworks for professional practice within public administration in general and the child welfare sector in particular.

The course provides an introduction to the legal frameworks for professional practice within public administration in general and the child welfare sector in particular. The course aims to provide a fundamental understanding of legal methodology and enable students to apply legal rules in practice.Child welfare workers must have knowledge of a range of laws to effectively fulfill their duties and safeguard children's rights. The course introduces several laws relevant to the child welfare field. The importance of human rights will also be highlighted through key provisions in the Constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Upon completing the course, the student should have practical knowledge of locating relevant regulations and skills in applying legal provisions. Furthermore, the student should be able to stay updated on legal sources and have a fundamental understanding of the relation between different regulations.

The course consists of the following main topics:

1. Legal method
2. Introduction to laws central to the child welfare field, including the Child Welfare Act, the Children Act, the Guardianship Act, the Kindergarten Act, the Education Act and the Social Welfare Act
3. Basic administrative law principles
4. Procedural rules in the Public Administration Act
5. Children’s human rights, with particular emphasis on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
6. Rights of indigenous peoples (including the Sámi people), ethnic minorities and refugees with a focus on children, young people and their families.

After successfully completing and passing the course, candidates will have achieved the following learning outcomes in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate has:

• Knowledge about the legislative process and legal method relevant to the vocational education.
• Knowledge of essential laws for child welfare workers, including an overview of the Child Welfare Act and the different phases of a child welfare case.
• Knowledge about basic administrative law principles.
• Broad knowledge about the general procedural rules in the Public Administration Act.
• Knowledge about international law that is relevant to the child welfare field, including key articles in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the relationship between the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Norwegian law.
• Knowledge about indigenous peoples (including the Sámi people), ethnic minorities and refugees with a focus on children, young people and their families.

Skills

The candidate can:

• Assess a legal issue by applying legal method; find, orientate and update themselves in relation to legal sources.
• Provide advice and guidance on family law issues that may arise in connection with work involving children, young people and their families.
• Apply the principles and rules of administrative law during case processing in public administration with a particular focus on child welfare cases.
• Assess the importance of key rules on children’s human rights in connection with work involving children and young people and their families, including children’s right to family life, the best interests of the child, the child’s right to be heard and the right to non-discrimination.
• Apply basic knowledge about the rights of children and families of indigenous peoples (including Sámi people), ethnic minorities and refugees when practicing their profession as a child welfare educator.

General competence

• The candidate has knowledge about relevant laws, conventions and principles within the child welfare service’s field of work, and is able to apply the basic principles and rules of administrative law regarding case processing in their professional practice.

This compulsory task must be approved in order for the student to take the examination. Approval/non-approval of compulsory activities is announced on Studentweb, normally no later than 7 days before the examination. Students who lack approval will be withdrawn from the examination.

Written assignment: Approved individual coursework of 800 words +/- 10%, excluding table of contents and bibliography. Referencing style: APA 7th.

Attendance Requirement: Attendance is required for two specifically defined teaching activities in the first part of the course. See the announcement on Canvas. If the attendance requirement is not met, the student loses the right to participate in the exam.

Lectures, seminars, compulsory assignment and self-study.

The primary goal of the course’s work methods is to prepare students for the examination.

All teaching is relevant to the examination.