The Nightingale programme: Preparing future child welfare workers for an increasingly diverse society

Topic: Migration and minorities in child welfare or Program-evaluation and quality in child welfare Title: The Nightingale programme: Preparing future child welfare workers for an increasingly diverse society. What our... [ view full abstract ]

Topic: Migration and minorities in child welfare or Program-evaluation and quality in child welfare

Title: The Nightingale programme: Preparing future child welfare workers for an increasingly diverse society.
What our society needs is good relationships and bonds between individuals. In an increasingly diverse society, the complexity in establishing these relationships is also increasing. The Nightingale is a mentoring programme that started in Norway as a pilot project in 2008. The programme was developed by Malmø University in Sweden several years ago. It is also implemented in several other European countries, as well as Uganda. Through the programme, students apply to become mentors for children aged between 8 and 12 years old. Mentors and children meet once a week, outside school hours, for eight months, in order to partake in activities together. The mentors are recruited by teachers from their university, and the children are recruited by their local school, based on teachers’ assessment of who might benefit from participation in the programme. A central aim of The Nightingale is to increase cultural sensitivity and communication skills among students that are going to work in the Child Welfare Services, Social Work or Social Education. This is to be achieved through students meeting and interacting with ethnic minority children and their families. Students’ and children’s mutual enjoyment and learning is understood to have broader societal implications also beyond these, such as improved integration and participation of minority children and their families into social mobility networks, education and employment. The Nightingale programme is funded and coordinated by the Norwegian government.
Objectives: To present major findings of a scientifically based evaluation report of The Nightingale programme in Norway. This has international interest and possible implications for integration of ethnic minority children in their new place of residence.
Methods: Analysis and interpretation of the evaluation report of The Nightingale programme in Norway made by NOVA, Norwegian Social Research.
Results: The key success factor of the programme is an already proven concept that relies on solid empirical data from Sweden. Major findings from the NOVA evaluation report include a) both children and mentors have positive experiences of participating in the programme; b) in practice, the programme meets its aim, although little is known of the long term effects of participation; d) the programme manual provides a clear `how to’ guide and a precise framework outline for the setting up and running of the programme; e) there are low drop-out rates among mentors and children; f) training, guidance and follow-up is central to results, and g) recruitment and matching of mentor and child are central success factors for the establishment of good relations.
Conclusion: The Nightingale as a concept has attracted considerable interest both nationally and internationally. It is currently established at eight different universities and colleges throughout Norway. Knowledge about minority children and their families is important now and in future. Acquirement of cultural competence is crucial to social workers, teachers and other employees who are in direct contact with children and families. Also, children and their families benefit from participating in activities, and establishing networks in their new place of residence. Mentoring is a worthwhile social investment that yields benefits to society in both the short and long term. For children and mentors alike, The Nightingale mentoring can be a means of gaining access to a wider community, but also a means of gaining greater insight into themselves and others as individuals.