This paper presents a protocol for a cluster-randomised study that evaluates the effectiveness of a skill-training programme for social work professionals with the aim of improving the follow-up of low-income families within Norwegian labour and welfare services. The protocol describes the programme as well as the research design of the trial.While the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration are responsible for developing and implementing the programme, researchers at Oslo and Akershus University College are conducting an independent evaluation of its effectiveness. The cluster-randomised field experiment will take place over a 40-month period, involving 29 labour and welfare offices, 58 family coordinators and, based on estimations, 650 families. The research is funded by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, who has reviewed the protocol.

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Policymakers emphasise knowledge-based practices and evaluate their effectiveness. The Norwegian Directorate of Labour and Welfare has developed a model for Holistic follow-up of Low-income Families (the so-called HOLF model). The model includes several elements common in social work, such as relational and empowering practices, in addition to the implementation of intervention-specific tools and principles. Because most of the family coordinators are professional social workers, we measure pre-implementation practices related to intervention elements relevant to the HOLF model (i.e., relational skills, empowerment, comprehensive follow-up processes, goal-focused meetings, and the coordination of services). The data come from a baseline survey conducted among 58 family coordinators in 29 Labour and Welfare offices in a cluster-randomised trial. The results demonstrate that family coordinators had high levels of relational skills prior to the intervention, were goal-focused in their meetings, and emphasised empowerment, whereas comprehensive follow-up processes and the coordination of services were less apparent. Hence, this study shows the importance of measuring various social work competences prior to programme implementation, as some practices the intervention aims at improving might already be more or less prevalent.

Purpose This randomized controlled study evaluates the effects of coordinated follow-up within a family intervention project on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment. The trial has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03102775). Methods Of 2634 families, 1429 families were randomized to be offered follow-up by a family coordinator, while 1205 families participated in ordinary follow-up without a family coordinator. An analysis of longitudinal administrative data was performed to estimate the effects of the intervention on parents’ participation in activation programs and employment by comparing the two follow-up methods. Results Based on fixed effects logistic models, the follow-up with a family coordinator is associated with non-significant effects on participation in activation programs (OR = 1.05, 95% CI [0.81, 1.37]) and employment (OR = 1.11, 95% CI [0.67, 1.82]). Discussion The results provide no significant evidence on the effectiveness of coordination efforts for disadvantaged families on activation and employment.

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