Did not do necessary background checks: Assault accused temp worked without permission - Manymore

How could a person without relevant education, who incorrectly stated experience on his CV, be allowed to work with vulnerable youth for a year and a half?

In the wake of VG's revelations about a temporary worker accused of assault who worked at Fossumkollektivet without legal permission, serious questions are being raised about control routines and responsibilities in child welfare.

A serious system failure

VG documented in the fall of 2023 that the temporary worker, who is now charged with assault, attempted rape and sexually abusive behavior against several young girls, got a job in Sweden after losing his position at Fossumkollektivet. It is frightening that a person with a lack of qualifications and an ongoing investigation could still get work in a similar position.

Bufetat confirms that there was a violation of the law in the hiring, while Fossumkollektivet describes it as a formal error. According to the institution, a verbal application for exemption was made for the temporary worker, but a written application was not submitted until after he had worked for a year and a half.

Failing control routines

The Norwegian Child Welfare Service has strict requirements for competence for employees who work with vulnerable children and young people. The law requires that employees have a relevant bachelor's degree, but institutions can apply for an exemption from this if the candidate has relevant experience. In this case, the temporary worker had neither the correct education nor an approved exemption, which makes it clear that the control routines failed.

Furthermore, it shows VG's case access to documents that Fossumkollektivet applied for exemption for 45 temporary workers and extra shifts after Bufetat conducted an inspection in 2023. This raises questions about how extensive the practice of hiring unqualified personnel actually is.

What can be done to prevent similar cases?

Minister for Children Lene Vågslid has described the case as "very serious" and expects Bufetat to follow up. But how do we ensure that this does not happen again? Here are some measures that should be considered:

1. Stricter background check requirements: A more comprehensive verification of work experience, education and references should be introduced.
2. Digitalized and transparent exemption process: All applications for exemption should be registered digitally and be able to be monitored in real time by supervisory authorities.
3. More frequent inspections and spot checks: Bufetat should conduct unannounced checks to ensure that hiring processes comply with regulations.
4. Better whistleblowing system: Employees and young people should have a safe and anonymous way to report irregularities.
5. Better routines for checking police certificates, across borders: Make it more difficult to evade checks by changing countries, for example from Sweden to Norway.

The way forward

The Fossum collective has assured that all applications for exemption have now been approved, but the damage has already been done. Trust in the institution and the system surrounding child welfare has been weakened, and steps must be taken to restore it.

This case shows how important it is to have good procedures for hiring and supervising child welfare workers. When society entrusts the care of the most vulnerable to institutions, we must be able to trust that they are in safe hands. It now remains to be seen whether the authorities will take the necessary steps to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.