The background for the Act on amendments in welfare services legislation (cooperation, interaction and child coordinator) is that many children and youth needing coordinated and continuous services experience a lack of coordination and non-cohesive service offers. So that exposed children and youth receive a good and comprehensive service offer, the different sectors must collaborate well and it must be clear who has the primary responsibility to coordinate the offers. Several public committees and studies have pointed out that there is a need for regulation amendments that to a large degree ensure that children and youth receive a comprehensive service offer (see the list under 4.3 Relevant background documents).

The background for the Act on amendments in welfare services legislation (cooperation, interaction and child coordinator) is that many children and youth needing coordinated and continuous services experience a lack of coordination and non-cohesive service offers. So that exposed children and youth receive a good and comprehensive service offer, the different sectors must collaborate well and it must be clear who has the primary responsibility to coordinate the offers. Several public committees and studies have pointed out that there is a need for regulation amendments that to a large degree ensure that children and youth receive a comprehensive service offer (see the list under 4.3 Relevant background documents).

Changes have been made in the following regulations: the Health and Care Services Act, the Specialist Health Service Act, the Mental Healthcare Act, the Dental Health Services Act, the Patient and User Rights Act, the Child Welfare Services Act, the Nursery School Act, the Education Act, the Independent Schools Act, the Social Services Act, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Act, the Shelter Act, the Family Protection Act and the Integration Act. The aim is for the regulation changes to come into effect 01.08.2022.

In the parliamentary bill 100 L (2020-2021) it states that the ministries aim to evaluate the rules on cooperation in order to gain knowledge about the effect of the measure: ‘If the rules do not have the desired effect, the government will look at other measures, including assessing whether the rules should be combined in a joint Cooperation Act. The regulation changes must have time to work before the evaluation takes place. At the same time, too much time must not pass before we put other measures in place if the changes do not have the desired effect. The ministries aim to evaluate the regulation amendments four to five years after the regulation changes come into effect’.

A Guide will be developed for cooperation and coordination provisions. According to the schedule it will be completed 02.05.2022.