The summary is divided into four main themes. These are (i) experiences with the use of assessment templates, (ii) risk assessments, (iii) the users' experiences with child protection investigations and (iv) conditions that are important for the child protection authorities' decisions after an investigation. 

Overall, the research literature does not provide unequivocal conclusions about which conditions have the greatest significance for the outcome of a child welfare investigation. However, there are indications that differences in thresholds for closing a case are better explained by characteristics of the child welfare organization than by characteristics of the social worker. 

Knowledge gaps were identified in important areas: 

• Description of whether the use of different research methods leads to different or better decisions being made.

• Description of the child's perspective on the child protection agency's investigation work.

• What significance does the family's ethnicity have for the Norwegian Child Welfare Service's investigation work.

• Which case information does the Norwegian Child Protection Agency collect and attach the most weight to when cases are concluded.