Evaluation of National care pathways in Child welfare service

The Norwegian Directorate of Health and Bufdir have initiated several measures to ensure better health care for children and young people in child welfare services. One of the measures is: Evaluation of National care pathways in Child welfare service — mapping and investigation of mental, somatic and sexual health, dental health and substance abuse. SINTEF will continue to evaluate the scheme until 2027, and investigate whether the extent of mapping/investigation of children in child protection is increasing, and whether more people receive holistic care for their health needs through this measure.

The evaluation will investigate the following main research questions.

1. To what extent does the introduction of national care pathway contribute so that children and adolescents in Child welfare services are being are assessed for mental and somatic health problems, dental and oral health problems, as well as sexual health problems and substance abuse problems?
2. To what extent does the national care pathway contribute to coherent and coordinated care for the child's health needs?
3. What are children and carers’ experiences participating in the process?
4. To what extent does the process contribute to a better/changed distribution of responsibilities and tasks and cooperation between the municipal Child welfare service, municipal health and care services, the dental health service and the specialist health service for children and young people?
5. How do employees in the municipal Child welfare service experience that responsibilities, tasks and cooperation between the relevant services for children and young people work?
6. How do employees in the municipal health and care service, the dental health service and the specialist health service for children and adolescents experience collaboration in the (care pathway) process?

Organisation

The evaluation is organised in four work packages which investigate:

1. The care pathway’s contribution to more health care and comprehensive care.
2. Children's and carers' experiences with the care pathway.
3. Distribution of responsibilities and cooperation in the services.
4. Implementation of the National care pathway.

Data collection

The data collection will be done through a combination of mapping and surveys and qualitative interviews aimed at the various stakeholder groups in the processes, and the use of register data.