35 Selected topics from 2020 During some of our visits, we have seen that considerable time has passed before schooling has been organised, or that the education offer has been extremely limited. The same applies to recre­ ational activities and contact with peers outside of school hours.14 This has been exacerbated when in addition, the adolescent does not live with other young people at the institution. Everyone has a need for friends, for a sense of belonging and community and social interaction.15 Good relations and the ability to master situations outside of the institution are important factors to ensure that adolescents thrive and succeed after they move away from the institution. Many young people struggle to find friends when they live at an institution and those who relocate frequently, lose contact with friends.16 Adolescents at child welfare institutions and those subject to individual initiatives are particularly vulnerable as it is often a goal to break contact with old networks and to form new ones. In addition to professional education, the school shall help students to develop social skills. Children also have a right to leisure time and recreational activities.17 This is important for a good childhood and for the child’s right to development.18 These rights also apply to adolescents who are placed in an institution without their consent and can be important to make their stay a the institution meaningful, and to help them develop. Stability and safety can be impacted by too many staff The institution will be the child’s home during the period they are placed there.19 Stability and conti­ nuity in the staff group is an important factor for ensuring the safety and confidence of the children. Frequently, part of the reasons for relocating the child to a separate placement is the need for stable and close follow-up. However, we have experienced that there can be a high level of staff turnover, also at institutions where children live alone with staff, and despite the fact that staff are on live-in rotas. At one institution, an adolescent had to relate to thirty one staff members on live-in rotas for the four to five months the ­adolescents had been placed there alone. At a ­ nother institution, an adolescent had met twenty one members of staff on live-in rotas during a period of four months.20 At both of the institutions a large number of temporary staff were used that were not part of the regular team nor permanently employed at the institution. Numer­ ous shifts also meant that staff members had little time to become acquainted with the adolescents or to plan activities with them. Routinely being overseen by new and unknown staff can lead to insecurity, loneliness and difficulty in establishing trust and relations for the child. Without trust between the staff and the child, it is difficult to 14 Several bodies have a role and a responsibility in arranging schooling for adolescents that are placed in a child welfare institution. 15 Report Storting 28 (2015–2016) “Fag–Fordypning–Forståelse”, page 22. 16 Ombudsperson for Children (2020) “De tror vi er shitkids [They call us shitkids”]. Report on children who live in child welfare institutions – 2020” page 50. 17 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child article 31. 18 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: General commentary no. 17 (2013) CRC/C/GC/17, section 8. 19 Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, Guidelines to regulations 15 November 2011 concerning rights and the use of coercion during stays at child welfare institutions, Q-2012-19, page 14. 20 See report after the Parliamentary Ombudsman's visit to Stendi AS, Nymogården child welfare institution, 12–14 November 2019, page 6: “A large number of temporary staff were used that were not part of the regular shift team or permanently employed at sheltered accommodation. Live-in rotas presented additional challenges when there were numerous changes in shift teams. Numerous shifts also meant that staff members had little time to become acquainted with the adolescents, or plan activities with them.”