Evidence based screening and intervention for children with signs of diminished well-being, emotional distress, behavioural issues, and/or psychological problems.

The project is relatively short, so we aimed to be realistic about what we could achieve within the given timeframe. Initially, the goal has been to gain a deeper understanding of the Norwegian mo...

The project is relatively short, so we aimed to be realistic about what we could achieve within the given timeframe. Initially, the goal has been to gain a deeper understanding of the Norwegian model versus the Danish model concerning the legislative frameworks addressing poor well-being. For instance, what does the legislation in each country stipulate regarding school absenteeism? Or how do the laws address situations where a child exhibits disruptive behavior or has a diagnosis? Subsequently, we wanted to immerse ourselves in each other’s daily practices to examine how these legislative frameworks are practically implemented. Moreover, we sought to explore whether they are feasible in real-life settings. Overall, the objective has been to extract the best practices from both countries to create a better understanding of how we can optimize early well-being interventions. Furthermore, we aim to provide recommendations on how to improve efforts in this area.

Throughout the project, we prioritized being specific about the activities we carried out. We conducted physical workshops, online meetings, and workshops, observed practices, and organized a major well-being conference. The physical workshops were held in both Norway and Denmark, with participation from Danish municipalities sharing insights into specific well-being initiatives and the political frameworks guiding them. For example, representatives from Copenhagen Municipality explained how they organize well-being efforts and discussed their challenges. The visit to Norway lasted two days, during which we held a workshop with the steering group, observed teaching in three classes, and conducted a larger workshop for the entire Rustad School. This workshop focused on practical well-being tools for use in classrooms and with individual students. We concluded with a well-being conference in collaboration with Frederiksberg Municipality, featuring 80 participants, external speakers, a children's choir, a panel debate, and video recordings of children sharing their perspectives on well-being challenges. Together we also developed digital materials via Konfront’s platform, including well-being screening.

Concrete outcomes of the project include the development of a Norwegian well-being screening tool and six Norwegian well-being initiatives focusing on the themes of sadness, attention, worry, school absenteeism, self-esteem, and behavior. The results from the screening tool highlight one of these themes, helping professionals identify the most urgent issue to address first. Additional results include: - A shared professional understanding of the overarching frameworks for well-being initiatives in both countries. - Improved insight into how Rustad School works with inclusive communities. - Increased focus on early well-being interventions. - Recognition of the importance of having a structured tool for addressing well-being. - Realization that legislation incorporating the child’s voice is insufficient without practical tools for teachers and educators. - Consideration that Norway’s legislation requiring schools to act within five days should be explored for implementation in Denmark. - The understanding that a well-being screening tool can serve as an effective means to create a common language among children, professionals, colleagues, and parents.