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Swedish social services work to promote the best interests of the child

SWEDISH SOCIAL SERVICES WORK TO PROMOTE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD

NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH AND WELFARE

Swedish social services work to promote the best interests of the child

In Sweden, the social services in each municipality are responsible for ensuring that children and young people grow up safe and secure. If a child’s parents or guardians are unable to assume proper responsi-bility, the public sector must provide the protection and support the child needs.

Public responsibility for the welfare of children up to 18 years of age is clearly stated in the Swedish Social Services Act. In addition, rights of children with disabilities are regulated by the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments. To ensure children’s rights, Swedish legis-lative texts have been extensively revised in line with the general principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The legislation clearly tasks public officials of each municipality with the responsibility for ensuring that all who reside there are given the assistance and support they need. As a result of municipal self-governance, local efforts to meet the legal requirements may be structured in different ways.

Local public agencies must collaborate to safeguard children

Swedish social services are responsible for assessing whether or not a child’s needs are being met and for maintaining contact with children and their families. In work with children at risk of child abuse and neglect, they are required to collaborate with healthcare professionals, schools and the police. Collaboration between local agencies is also required within the remit of proactive work, in which healthcare services and schools play a central role.

Everybody should report suspicions of child abuse and neglect

It is recommended that everybody who suspects that a child is being maltreated report this to the social services. The aim of this recommendation is to increase the number of maltreated children that come to the attention of the social services and receive help. In addition, it is mandatory for people engaged in certain types of childrelated work to report if they, in their professional capacity, suspect child maltreatment. Among others, this applies to people employed at certain government agencies, social services, schools and pre-schools, healthcare services and correctional care. 3

SWEDISH SOCIAL SERVICES WORK TO PROMOTE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD

NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH AND WELFARE

The best interests of the child should be decisive

Upon receiving a report of suspected child maltreatment, the social services are required to immediately assess whether or not the child needs emergency protection. If an assessment is necessary it must be commenced immediately. Children have the right to have their opinion heard regarding issues that directly affect them. The best interests of the child should be given special consideration in assessment of children in need and their families and be decisive when social services make a decision about any form of intervention.

Protection and support should preferably be voluntary

Protection and support provided by the Swedish social services to children and young people should preferably be on a voluntary basis and implemented in cooperation with the child and his or her guardians. It is common for the social services to offer community-based care, such as a volunteer contact person or contact family. Alternatively, they may decide that a child would benefit most from out-of-home care, such as emergency housing, a foster home or a residential care home.

Compulsory care when voluntary does not suffice

In the event that the social services cannot reach an agreement on voluntary care with the guardians or a child over 15 years of age, an application for a compulsory care order can be made to a court. Compulsory care can be provided in the homelike environments mentioned above. However, if necessary, compulsory care for children over 12 years of age may be provided in a secure institution with special powers.

Efforts to increase protection of children

Recent changes in Swedish legislation have placed an even greater focus on children’s rights. The best interests of the child are now legally required to be the determining factor in decisions made by the social services regarding the protection and support of children. The legislative changes also give the social services greater opportunities to talk with children without the consent or presence of their parents or guardians. Furthermore, children and young people in out-of-home care are entitled to their own social worker who is responsible for all contact with them.

The new legislation has resulted in several procedural changes for the social services:

Procedures must be in place for preventing, detecting and combating risks posed to children’s safety and wellbeing.
When suspected child abuse and neglect is reported to the social services they must immediately assess whether or not the child needs emergency protection.
The social services must provide training for emergency homes and foster homes. Additionally, an agreement detailing the care to be provided to the child must be signed between the emergency home or foster home and the social services.
The social services are able to offer community-based interventions to children over 15 years of age, even in cases where the child’s parents or guardians do not give their consent.

Social service monitoring

The Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) supervises the social services in accordance with laws and other regulations. Residential care establishments are inspected twice a year. The Inspectorate is also responsible for granting permits for private facilities and activities related to social service provision. http://ivo.se/om-ivo/about-health-and-social-care-inspectorate

Regulations, knowledge support and quality indicators

The National Board of Health and Welfare provides regulations, recommendations, knowledge support and quality indicators relevant to the social services. www.socialstyrelsen.se/english

Facts

There are around 2 million children aged 0 to 18 years in Sweden. In 2010, social services received 140,000 reports concerning the suspected maltreatment of 60,000 children. For about half of these children (30,000) the reports led to an investigation by social services. In cases where the investigation resulted in an intervention, 83 per cent of the interventions were voluntarily accepted. In the remaining 17 per cent of cases a compulsory care order was required.

Social service monitoring

The Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO) supervises the social services in accordance with laws and other regulations. Residential care establishments are inspected twice a year. The Inspectorate is also responsible for granting permits for private facilities and activities related to social service provision. http://ivo.se/om-ivo/about-health-and-social-care-inspectorate

Regulations, knowledge support and quality indicators

The National Board of Health and Welfare provides regulations, recommendations, knowledge support and quality indicators relevant to the social services. www.socialstyrelsen.se/english