The Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SSR) has asked social workers if they have experienced waiting to intervene according to the law on the care of young people (LVU) due to economic reasons over the past two years.
This involves, for example, social workers assessing that a child or young person should be placed in a Sis- or HVB-home, but where managers or politicians have said no.
"Unsustainable"
10 per cent of respondents state that they have waited to intervene due to economic reasons. 20 per cent have been involved in decisions on other measures than the one deemed most suitable, due to economic reasons.
This is a major problem that municipalities do not have sufficient economy to handle this. It is unsustainable that municipalities do not provide the right measures when they are needed, says Fredrik Hjulström, social policy manager at the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations (SSR).
In total, 1,450 social workers who work with children and young people have responded to the Novus survey, which is regularly sent out to the Swedish Confederation of Professional Associations' members in the profession. The question about measures that do not materialize due to economic reasons was added two years ago after members signaled that it was becoming increasingly common.
Can affect gang recruitment
If municipalities wait to provide children and young people with what is deemed necessary, it can have serious negative consequences.
Gang crime has made the social services' mission larger and more difficult. But pushing measures forward is not good. More money is not the solution to everything, but it is needed here, says Fredrik Hjulström.
When decisions are made about children or young people with the support of LVU, the situation is already serious. The best is if municipalities can identify problems earlier and work preventively.
If we are to stop recruitment, we must primarily work more preventively so that young people do not want to take on these violent assignments. Gang leaders who order new violent crimes and recruit young people seem to never stop, says Fredrik Hjulström.
