Welfare law (BBA104)

Content

The course consists of the following main topics:

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

Learning outcome

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.
• An overview of the Child Welfare Act and the various phases of a child welfare case.
• Knowledge about the part of family law that focuses on children, young people and their families.
• 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.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Recommended prerequisites

Exam

Coursework requirements

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.

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Study Program Director:

Method of work

Lectures, group work with supervision, 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.

Open for

Literature