Family counselling service, 2014

The family counselling offices dealt with 32 695 cases in 2014; the same level as the year before. In Region South and Region East there was a decrease of 1 per cent in the number of family counselling service cases. In all other regions, there was an increase in the number of cases. Region North has most cases in relation to number of inhabitants, i.e. 8.8 per 1 000 inhabitants. As in previous years, Region West has the lowest number of family counselling cases; 5.0 per 1 000 inhabitants.

Increase in number of new cases related to help for children and adolescents

In 2014, there were nearly 25 400 new cases. In 42 per cent of these cases, the primary client reported a theme related to the relationship as the main reason for the enquiry. About 39 per cent of the primary clients contacted a family counselling office for parental collaboration or guidance. Fourteen per cent of the enquiries were about “Other or complex family problems” and in 5 per cent of the cases, help for children and adolescents was the reason for enquiry. This is an increase of 38 per cent in the number of new cases related to help for children and adolescents.

Shorter waiting times and longer treatment time

For the 25 400 new cases, the average waiting time per case was 30 days; a decrease of 1 day from the year before. The average treatment time after the first session was 147 days for the 23 600 cases that were closed in 2014, compared with 146 days in the previous year.

The figures for 2014 show that there were a few more new cases and some more closed cases in 2014 than the year before. The family counselling cases took somewhat longer measured in days. The strongest percentage increase was in the number of family counselling service cases lasting longer than 18 months, of 9 per cent.

More parental guidance

As regards the main form of family counselling, there are minor changes from the year before. Couple counselling still has the greatest share, with 39 per cent of all the 32 695 cases. In 2014 there was however an increase from the year before in the share of counselling of parents, from 24 to 25 per cent of all the cases.

The main theme of the largest share of the family counselling cases closed in 2014, 22 per cent, was strengthening the relationship. Collaboration with regard to a child/children where parents do not live together was the main subject for 21 per cent, and in 14 per cent of the cases the main theme was to clarify/end the relationship.

In 2014, the family counselling services worked with 71 clinical groups. Separation in the family was the theme for 24 of the groups, and 12 groups had relationship as a theme. However, the theme in group sessions for most groups (30) was violence or abuse.

More mediations for parents

The family counselling offices are the core unit in the Norwegian mediation service, and mediation is a major part of the family counselling service. Nearly 20 800 mediations for parents were completed in 2014; an increase of 6 per cent from the previous year.

Eighty-two per cent of all mandatory mediations for cessation of cohabitation concluded in 2014 were conducted by family offices; a decrease of 1 percentage point from the year before. This kind of mediation is also conducted by external mediators. The family offices concluded nearly 725 more cases in 2014 than the year before, while in the same period there was an increase of about 420 cases conducted by external mediators. Sixty per cent of the cases were concluded after the mandatory one hour.

Mediation in connection with separation or divorce accounted for 34 per cent of all mediations, and the breakdown of cohabitation accounted for 32 per cent. Disagreements between the parents about parental responsibility, place of residence and access arrangements (mediations according to the Children Act) accounted for 34 per cent of the mediations. Few cases are referred back to mediation after they have been referred to the court system; this applied to 31 mediations in 2014. All of these figures are on a par with the previous year.

Data on agreements and outcome of mediations for parents, and children’s participation was collected for the first time in 2014. About half of the mediations conducted by the family counselling offices resulted in written agreements. Children participated in 1 018 mediations in 2014.

Fewer man-years

In 2014, the number of man-years in the family counselling service was 413; a decrease of 14 man-years from 2013. With regard to the number of man-years per 10 000 inhabitants, there are almost no changes from 2013 (0.8).

The family counselling employees worked on an average of 79 cases each in 2014. This is an average increase of 4 cases per employee compared to the previous year, indicating that the employee's workload with respect to client cases has increased.

Reduction in external activities

Family counselling cases make up only one of many areas that family counselling offices work with. For example, courses and guidance for students, the support services and the general public also make up a large share of the work. Hours spent on these external activities were just over 15 270 in 2014. This is a reduction of 26 per cent compared to the year before. This causes changes in the proportions of time spent on different kinds of external activities.

The national child welfare and family counselling service spent NOK 370 million on family counselling in 2014; an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year.