Social services including care for older people

On instructions from the Government, the National Board of Health and Welfare and the Ombudsman for Children in Sweden have developed a national website containing information tailored to children and young people about social services and what social services can offer children and young people in need of support and protection.

The Swedish Agency for Health and Care Services Analysis is to survey and analyse homes for care or residence, as well as foster homes and emergency foster homes providing support from advisers. The Agency is conducting this work from the perspective of child protection and the rights of the child. Particular attention is to be given to the quality and costs of care. This was decided by the Government on 11 February.

On 8 February, Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Åsa Regnér met the relevant trade unions. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about the security situation in homes for care or residence and supported accommodation.

Unaccompanied minors are not distributed fairly between municipalities, their reception is unpredictable and the conditions for planning could be improved. The Government has therefore instructed the Swedish Migration Agency to produce a new allocation model for unaccompanied children and young people. The model entered into force on 1 April 2016.

The Government has tasked the National Board of Health and Welfare with conducting an in-depth analysis of the consequences for social services of the current refugee situation and the increase in the number of unaccompanied minors. The vulnerability of girls, access to interpreters and the skills needs in social services are three areas that are included in the remit.

The Government has presented the Government Bill 'Supported accommodation – a new form of placement for children and young people' (Govt Bill 2015/16:43) to the Riksdag. In the Bill, the Government proposes a new form of placement for children and young people aged 16–20 under the Social Services Act – supported accommodation.

On 29 October, the Government tasked the National Board of Health and Welfare with initiating and nationally coordinating initiatives to raise awareness of foster homes, emergency foster homes and legal representatives for unaccompanied minors and specially appointed custodians.

On 22 October, the Government tasked the National Board of Health and Welfare with setting up a call function for the purpose of responding to questions from and providing support for the municipal social services in connection with the current refugee situation. The call function will be based on relevant legislation and available knowledge within the Board’s areas of responsibility.

On 8 October, the Government tasked the National Board of Institutional Care with looking into the possibility of setting up and providing at least 1000 places in supported accommodation and homes for care or residence for children and young people aged 16 to 20.

In the Budget Bill for 2016, the Government proposed that SEK 250 million should be allocated annually during 2016–2019 to strengthen and develop these activities. The funds will be devoted primarily to increased staffing, as well as to initiatives to promote skills and quality.

On 12 October, the Government arranged the national action 'Sweden together'. Participants were invited to around ten seminars as part of the event. One of the themes was 'How we are developing reception of unaccompanied minors and young people'.

"In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of EU citizens staying in Sweden temporarily, many of whom come from Romania and Bulgaria. These people are in a vulnerable situation. We need to find effective ways to manage this situation, and cooperation between our countries is of course very important," said Ms Regnér when meeting her Bulgarian counterpart Mr Kalafin on 9 September.

Between 31 October and 3 November, State Secretary Pernilla Baralt visited Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, to discuss a draft of a bilateral cooperation agreement on social issues.

Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Åsa Regnér and the Government’s National Coordinator Martin Valfridsson hosted a conference on Friday 11 September. Conference participants included Romanian Secretary of State Ciprian Necula.

Romania and Sweden have appointed a working group comprising officials from both countries. The group met for the first time in Stockholm on 8–9 October. The group consisted of staff from Romania's Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Protection and Elderly, the Ministry of European Funds and the Embassy of Romania.

On Friday 27 November, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs held a consultation at official level with NGOs and agencies that work with vulnerable EU citizens in Romania. The Ministry listened to the NGOs' and agencies' problems, ideas, project proposals, topical issues and expertise.

On Monday 1 February, the national coordinator for vulnerable EU citizens presented his final report, Framtid sökes (Wanted: a future), to Åsa Regnér, the minister responsible for the issue, at a press conference. Martin Valfridsson, whose remit now ends, proposes that county administrative boards be instructed to coordinate this work, with the overall responsibility resting with the Stockholm County Administrative Board.

On 31 October, the Government sent the Swedish report ‘National follow-up of the regional implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) in Sweden’ to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). “People do not become more alike simply because they get older. We continue to have different interests. Our needs continue to be individual. A modern policy for older people must not only take this into account – this must be an obvious starting point that informs this policy. The rights of older women and men must be in focus when we develop care for older people in Sweden,” says Minister for Children, the Elderly and Gender Equality Åsa Regnér in connection with Sweden having now submitted the report.

Stopping men's violence against women is a priority issue for Sweden's feminist government. The Government is therefore now presenting a national strategy to prevent and combat men's violence against women.

The report describes the measures taken in Sweden during the period 2012–2016 to strengthen the rights of older women and men.