Streamlining Child Protection Processes with K2 Software: A Bufetat Case Study

Bufetat is a government agency in Norway, officially known as the Office for Children, Youth, and Family Affairs. The agency is responsible for state-funded child welfare and family counseling services nationwide. It regulates facilities, foster homes, counseling and adoption services, and steps in to safeguard children who have been abused, orphaned, or neglected. The agency provides vital and often urgent services, including professional support for families in crisis and finding emergency accommodation for unaccompanied minors seeking asylum from atrocities in other countries. In just the first five months of 2015, the agency intervened to help more than 13,650 young people.

Bufetat, a government agency in Norway responsible for state-funded child welfare and family counseling services, was struggling with an antiquated system of handling massive amounts of incoming documentation. The agency was dealing with over 7,500 new documents per month, which were being sorted and delivered by hand to its 5,600+ caseworkers. This traditional method was not only time-consuming but also inefficient, as documents were not always reaching the right people at the right time. The system lacked visibility, making it difficult for managers to review the status of cases without directly speaking to caseworkers, which further wasted valuable time. As the number of children and families in need of assistance continued to grow, Bufetat recognized the need for a more efficient internal case management system to respond to service requests more effectively.

Bufetat developed a bespoke case management system called BiRK and integrated K2 Software to initiate and automate key processes. The system incorporates around 35 different processes, which apply to a variety of child welfare circumstances. Every month, around 7,500 new documents are received and scanned by Bufetat. K2 Software automatically assigns each of these incoming documents to a caseworker and stipulates a number of tasks based on pre-defined processes. Caseworkers then review the documents, decide what actions are required, and initiate new workflows to manage subsequent actions. K2 Software ensures that all incoming documents are actioned in line with government procedures, providing a consistent approach to handling high volumes of work. In just one year, more than 356,000 workflows were initiated. The software also provides senior managers with greater visibility and control, allowing them to see the status of different cases, monitor how many tasks are allocated to each caseworker, and redirect tasks to different employees if necessary.

• The implementation of the K2 Software solution has significantly improved Bufetat's operational efficiency. The automated system ensures that all incoming documents are actioned in line with government procedures, providing a consistent approach to handling high volumes of work. This has not only streamlined the workflow but also improved the accuracy and speed of case handling. The software also provides senior managers with greater visibility and control, allowing them to monitor the status of different cases and the workload of each caseworker. This has improved managerial decision-making and resource allocation. Furthermore, the system has improved financial control, making it easier for managers to verify invoices from providers of childcare and child services before accounts are settled. The success of the system has led to its adoption by FYLKESNEMNDA, the judicial committee of Norway that makes decisions about complex child welfare and custody issues.

• 7,500 new documents per month processed and assigned
• 5,600 caseworkers each day supported by solution
• 356,000 workflows initiated per year