Vibeke Krane

Placement stability is a central objective in out‐of‐home care, yet many children experience repeated re‐placements. While previous research has largely focused on predictors and outcomes of placement instability, children's own experiences of transient care trajectories remain less explored. This article presents an original thematic synthesis of research on children's experiences of placement instability in out‐of‐home care, drawing on a subset of 31 primary studies identified through a broader scoping review of 194 peer ‐ reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024. The findings show that children experience placement instability as a profound disruption characterized by loss of relationships, emotional distress, feelings of rejection and limited predictability in everyday life. Repeated moves undermine trust, belonging and relational continuity. Limited access to information and minimal involvement in decision‐making emerged as recurring concerns. Conversely, stable relationships with at least one consistent and supportive adult, alongside meaningful participation, were identified as key protective factors. The findings underline the importance of prioritizing relational continuity, predictable care arrangements and genuine child participation in social work practice aimed at reducing the harmful effects of placement instability.

Youth social exclusion is widely recognised as a complex societal challenge with significant implications for individual well-being and social cohesion (United Nations Department of Economic & Soci...

Friendship represents a universal human phenomenon that is part of our lifeworld, manifest in close lasting friendships, fleeting friendships, dreams of having friends, or the experience of solitud...

This study explores parents' perspectives on needs for support in family reunification in the context of child welfare in Norway. A cross‐national challenge is the breakdown of reunifications, re‐entry to out‐of‐home care and frequent relocations for children. To develop services promoting more successful reunifications, there is a need for knowledge of birthparents' perspectives on the support required in reunifications. Twenty parents participated in individual, semi‐structured qualitative interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted, resulting in the development of three themes: (1) We do not trust those people; how can we then accept help from that service? (2) We need guidance to reconnect and money to make ends meet. (3) We need help to mobilize and coordinate a network. The findings reveal that parents express a strong need for follow‐up and support before, during and after reunification, although they state that this is not adequately addressed in practice. The study shows how trust in child welfare services is essential in reunification. The discussion focuses on the complexity of needs for help and support and how lack of trust could be a barrier to receiving support. We conclude that there is a need for institutional collaboration and tailormade support before, during and after reunification.

Collaborative competence group (CCG) is a research method within the collaborative research tradition. These groups are in line with a co-creation approach in which multiple stakeholders contribute to finding solutions to shared problems. Although CCGs have increased in use over the past decades, research on this method is limited. In this article, we explore and discuss the development and work in CCGs in an Erasmus + founded project: Co-creation through social inclusion in education (COSI.ed). The CCGs have been conducted in five countries over a three-year period: Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain. We have analyzed documents used in the CCG work and focus group discussions among the CCG facilitators. The findings show how it is essential to recruit adequate stakeholders and how the network can contribute as gatekeepers in this identification. Preparation for the CCG meetings is essential, and a close collaboration with the main project team is crucial. A feedback loop is created by requesting feedback from the main project team and bringing back feedback from the CCG discussions. The facilitators experienced that it could be challenging to involve all stakeholders in the discussions. We discuss how it is possible to foster solutions for sustainable CCGs. We also discuss the challenges and possibilities associated with the facilitator role. Moreover, challenges related to the power imbalance are discussed. We conclude that CCGs can be used as a tool for co-creation in collaborative research within a broad range of disciplines.

Background: Video consultations has been suggested to lower the threshold for child and adolescent mental healthcare treatment. This study explores how young people receiving child welfare services experience video consultations in child and adolescent mental healthcare. The study is part of a larger Norwegian study of access to health services for this target group. Methods: The study has a mixed methods design including qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey, with young people receiving child welfare services. The qualitative interviews included 10 participants aged 15–19. The survey included 232 participants aged 16–24 of which 36 reported having received video consultations in mental healthcare. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey data was presented as frequencies to clarify the distribution of positive and negative perceptions of video consultation. Results: The results show that the participants experienced video consultations as more superficial and less binding, compared to in-person sessions. They raised concerns of the therapeutic relationship, however some found it easier to regulate closeness and distance. In the survey several reported that their relationship with the therapist got worse, and that it was much more difficult to talk on screen. Moreover, a large proportion (42%) claimed that video consultations did not fit their treatment needs overall. However, a minority of the participants found it easier to talk to the therapist on screen. Conclusions: The study reveals important weaknesses and disadvantages of online therapy as experienced by young people receiving child welfare services. It is particularly worrying that their criticism involves the relational aspects of treatment, as children receiving child welfare services often have relational experiences which make them particularly sensitive to challenges in relationships. This study shows that youth involvement in decision making of video consultations in therapy has been rare. Clinicians should be aware of these young people’s doubts regarding the quality of video consultations in child and adolescent mental health care. Further studies should examine how user involvement can be incorporated in video consultations in therapy and how this could improve experiences and the quality of video consultations.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the daily lives and well-being of children and families. During the lockdown of Norway in spring 2020, many families were socially isolated and left with little support from their networks. Children and young people had limited contact with teachers, peers and other positive social contacts. The lockdown also affected the daily running of the Norwegian child welfare services (CWS), which are obliged to provide help and support to children at risk and their families. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore how leaders and staff in the CWS balanced their two-part mandate to protect children from harm, and to provide support and care during the first lockdown in Norway. Design and method: The study has a qualitative approach with a descriptive and explorative design. Thirty-six CWS workers and nine leaders participated. Focus groups, dyadic and individual qualitative interviews were used for data collection. The data were analysed with a thematic analysis. Findings: 1) ‘Running the services during a pandemic’ deals with the practical organization of staff and child welfare cases, and 2) ‘The quality of child welfare work during lockdown’ describes qualitative aspects of the child welfare work. Conclusions: The study revealed the prioritization of acute cases and a reduction in CWS contact with children and families. CWS staff worried about whether at-risk children were receiving the help they were entitled to. The study shows how the crisis led to innovative approaches and teleworking solutions. The CWS had to decide how to organize and run the services in a way that ensured both acute assessments and the long-term aspects of the CWS mandate. Considering the strain the long-term pandemic has placed on children at risk, the further organization and running of the CWS is of great importance.

Recovery-oriented care has become a leading vision across countries. To develop services and communities in more recovery-oriented directions, enhanced understandings of recovery in terms of personal and social contexts are important prerequisites. The aim of this study is to explore the nature and characteristics of the experiences of recovery. The method used is a form of qualitative meta-synthesis that integrates the findings from multiple qualitative studies published by one research group. Twenty-eight empirical papers with a focus on recovery as personal and contextual experiences were included in this meta-synthesis. Five meta-themes were developed: (a) being normal, (b) respecting and accepting oneself, (c) being in control, (d) recovery as intentional, and (e) recovery as material and social. The themes describe how recovery encompasses dynamics between personal experiences and contextual dimensions. This meta-synthesis consolidated an understanding of recovery as dynamics of the self and others, and as dynamics of the self and material resources. This understanding of recovery suggests the need to work not only with the person, but also with families, networks, social systems, and local communities, thus developing mental health and substance abuse services in more collaborative, open-ended, and context-sensitive directions.