The aim of this study was to obtain parents’ perspectives on the development and importance of teacher-student relationships (TSR) and parental involvement in upper secondary school. The study had a qualitative approach where 14 parents of upper secondary school students were interviewed. The data were analysed via a thematic analysis and organized into three main themes: (1) ‘The multitalented teacher’: mastering school subjects and personal relationships. (2) ‘Parents are responsible’: to support and guide students in teacher-student relationships. (3) ‘Between childhood and adulthood’: students must gradually take on more responsibility. The findings demonstrate that home and school are pivotal contexts in the lives of upper secondary students, and contribute to the development of a tripartite relationship between teacher, student, and parent (TSPR). Parental involvement is described as crucial, especially for students at risk. The study calls for awareness of how positive TSPR in upper secondary school can be developed.

Recovery-oriented care has become a leading vision across countries. To develop services and communities in more recovery-oriented directions, enhanced understandings of recovery in terms of personal and social contexts are important prerequisites. The aim of this study is to explore the nature and characteristics of the experiences of recovery. The method used is a form of qualitative meta-synthesis that integrates the findings from multiple qualitative studies published by one research group. Twenty-eight empirical papers with a focus on recovery as personal and contextual experiences were included in this meta-synthesis. Five meta-themes were developed: (a) being normal, (b) respecting and accepting oneself, (c) being in control, (d) recovery as intentional, and (e) recovery as material and social. The themes describe how recovery encompasses dynamics between personal experiences and contextual dimensions. This meta-synthesis consolidated an understanding of recovery as dynamics of the self and others, and as dynamics of the self and material resources. This understanding of recovery suggests the need to work not only with the person, but also with families, networks, social systems, and local communities, thus developing mental health and substance abuse services in more collaborative, open-ended, and context-sensitive directions.

Brukermedvirkning fremheves som nødvendig både i politiske styringsdokumenter og i faglige diskusjoner som omfatter sosialt arbeid generelt og barnevern spesielt (Barne- og likestillingsdepartementet, 2017b; Hansen & Ramsdal, 2015; Meld. St. 29, 2013; NOU 2011: 11, 2011; Olsen, 2017; Slettebø, Brodtkorb, & Dalen, 2012). Barnets rett til medvirkning i barnevernet har fått økt oppmerksomhet og er styrket gjennom lovverk og forskrifter (Barne- og likestillingsdepartementet, 2017a; Barnekonvensjonen, 1989). Slik medvirkning kan forstås som barns rett til å bli involvert i beslutninger som gjelder dem, men det kan også bety at barn og unge involveres i arbeidet med utforming av tjenester eller tilbud. Det siste blir ofte omtalt som kollektiv medvirkning (Slettebø et al., 2012). Denne formen for medvirkning bygger på tanken om at mottakerne av tjenestene har viktig erfaring og kunnskap, og at dette gjør dem til nyttige samarbeidspartnere i utviklingen av offentlige tjenester (Egilson, Dybbroe, & Olsen, 2018; Haukelien, Møller, & Vike, 2011). Gjennom å snakke med, rådføre seg med, lytte til og samarbeide med tjenestemottakere vil en kunne oppnå bedre og mer tilrettelagte tjenester.

Background: Video consultations has been suggested to lower the threshold for child and adolescent mental healthcare treatment. This study explores how young people receiving child welfare services experience video consultations in child and adolescent mental healthcare. The study is part of a larger Norwegian study of access to health services for this target group. Methods: The study has a mixed methods design including qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey, with young people receiving child welfare services. The qualitative interviews included 10 participants aged 15–19. The survey included 232 participants aged 16–24 of which 36 reported having received video consultations in mental healthcare. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey data was presented as frequencies to clarify the distribution of positive and negative perceptions of video consultation. Results: The results show that the participants experienced video consultations as more superficial and less binding, compared to in-person sessions. They raised concerns of the therapeutic relationship, however some found it easier to regulate closeness and distance. In the survey several reported that their relationship with the therapist got worse, and that it was much more difficult to talk on screen. Moreover, a large proportion (42%) claimed that video consultations did not fit their treatment needs overall. However, a minority of the participants found it easier to talk to the therapist on screen. Conclusions: The study reveals important weaknesses and disadvantages of online therapy as experienced by young people receiving child welfare services. It is particularly worrying that their criticism involves the relational aspects of treatment, as children receiving child welfare services often have relational experiences which make them particularly sensitive to challenges in relationships. This study shows that youth involvement in decision making of video consultations in therapy has been rare. Clinicians should be aware of these young people’s doubts regarding the quality of video consultations in child and adolescent mental health care. Further studies should examine how user involvement can be incorporated in video consultations in therapy and how this could improve experiences and the quality of video consultations.

Collaborative competence group (CCG) is a research method within the collaborative research tradition. These groups are in line with a co-creation approach in which multiple stakeholders contribute to finding solutions to shared problems. Although CCGs have increased in use over the past decades, research on this method is limited. In this article, we explore and discuss the development and work in CCGs in an Erasmus + founded project: Co-creation through social inclusion in education (COSI.ed). The CCGs have been conducted in five countries over a three-year period: Denmark, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Spain. We have analyzed documents used in the CCG work and focus group discussions among the CCG facilitators. The findings show how it is essential to recruit adequate stakeholders and how the network can contribute as gatekeepers in this identification. Preparation for the CCG meetings is essential, and a close collaboration with the main project team is crucial. A feedback loop is created by requesting feedback from the main project team and bringing back feedback from the CCG discussions. The facilitators experienced that it could be challenging to involve all stakeholders in the discussions. We discuss how it is possible to foster solutions for sustainable CCGs. We also discuss the challenges and possibilities associated with the facilitator role. Moreover, challenges related to the power imbalance are discussed. We conclude that CCGs can be used as a tool for co-creation in collaborative research within a broad range of disciplines.