Alignment or Earthquake? Municipal Child Welfare Managers’ Interpretations of Practice Changes Following ECtHR Rulings in Norway

Norway has been found in violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in a number of child welfare cases, particularly concerning restrictions on family life and contact between children in care and their biological parents. This study employs a critical discursive psychological approach to analyse qualitative data from 12 interviews with municipal child welfare managers. It examines how managers interpret and negotiate the reported implications of the ECtHR rulings for contact assessments and the relationship between reunification, family life and stability. The analysis identified three interpretative repertoires. The first concerned managers’ understanding of the essence of the ECtHR rulings and the need to revise previously standardised practices. The second concerned professional capacity and organisational support as conditions for implementing legal and professional changes. The third concerned the negotiation of reunification, family life, stability, continuity and protection in individual contact assessments. The findings show how managers acknowledge the need for reform while defending professional judgement and responsibility for safeguarding children’s best interests. Relational competence, organisational support, professional networks and training are described as important conditions for responding to the rulings. The study does not independently measure the impact of the rulings but shows how they have become an important reference point for interpreting and justifying changes in Norwegian child welfare practice.