child with umbrella in puddle with autumn leaves looking up towards the camera

Project: Connected Children: Partnership for a knowledge-based and innovative prevention

This project combines practice and research for the development of knowledge-based prevention. The aim is to develop early and coordinated interventions for children and youth in difficult life situations, as well as strengthen promotion for children and youth in general.

Project information

Project manager
Torbjörn Forkby
Other project members
Mats Anderberg, Sofia Enell, Johan Malmqvist and Angelika Thelin, Linnaeus University; Karin Pernebo, Linnaeus University and Region Kronoberg; Josefin Bernhardsson, FoU Nordost; Kari Jess, Dalarna University; Pamela Massoudi, Region Kronoberg; Anna Petersén, Örebro University; Sweden
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University, FoU Nordost, Dalarna University, Örebro University, Region Kronoberg and the eight municipalities in the County of Kronoberg, Falun Municipality, Ystad Municipality, Lidingö Municipality
Financier
Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte)
Timetable
1 Jul 2021–30 Jun 2027
Subject
Social Work (Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences)

More about the project

Connected Children is a practice–research partnership aimed to develop knowledge-based promotion of wellbeing and prevention of development problems among children and adolescents. The programme engages with relevant national and international policies. The view is to develop early and coordinated interventions for those in difficult living situations, and to strengthen facilitative initiatives for children and adolescents in general.

Connected Children involves research-supported development work at four sites in Sweden, all of which draw inspiration from the Scottish GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every Child) model. The model is perceived to foster and to contribute to holistic thinking about children and adolescents, early identification and the coordination of interventions among different supporting actors. The idea is to take advantage of, and enhance, children’s or adolescents’ ordinary living context and better accommodate their own perspectives and participation in issues important to them.

The knowledge processes within the programme are organised under three main themes, all of which have proven to pose major challenges in the practical work:

  1. System optimization: Systemic and management changes within organisations that allow them to achieve their goals.
  2. Alliance building: Collaboration and interplay among the various actors.
  3. Holistic life-course perspective: Targeting practices through which children and adolescents in need of supplementary developmental support are identified, offered interventions, and followed up.

These three themes are connected through the overarching question of how the developmental work relates to children’s rights, including how their voices and agency are accommodated.

The programme will include interdisciplinary studies and comparative analyses of the change processes, how their intentions are translated locally, and what consequences they have for children, adolescents, and parents.

This program runs for six years and is a continuation of and geographical broadening of the previous research project Organizing for trust – coordinated efforts for children's best. It is also part of the research in the Research on Interventions and Support for Children and Youth (RISCY) research group.

Staff