Social services in Sweden

There are social services in every municipality, and they are responsible for elderly care, individual and family care, and support measures for people with disabilities.

For more information on elderly care, individual and family care and support measures to people with disabilities, click the links Elderly care in Sweden, Individual and family care in Sweden, and Disability issues in Sweden.

Those residing in a municipality can turn to the social services for assistance with such matters as health and social care, information, advice, counselling, financial aid or other assistance that is not available to them by other means.

The social services provide support through such means as social service offices, emergency social service offices, on-call support and crisis offices, reception centres for refugees or other centres.

• How it works: Elderly care in Sweden
• How it works: Individual and family care in Sweden
• How it works: Disability issues in Sweden

Quality and respect for the individual is to characterise the work of social services

The Social Services Act and the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments are the sections of law that govern the work of the social services.

The Social Services Act states the conditions for assistance that social services can provide to those residing in the municipality. (Read more about the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments via the link How it works: Disability issues in Sweden.)

Under the Social Services Act, assistance provided by the social services is to be of good quality. The tasks are to be carried out by people with appropriate training and experience.

Services are to be based on respect for the people's self-determination and privacy. Assistance to individuals is to be designed and implemented together with the person in question.

• How it works: Disability issues in Sweden

Act on free choice systems gives people the right to choose care

The Act on free choice systems provides regulations for municipalities and county councils that wish to test the competitiveness of municipal and county council services by transferring the choice of support, health and care service provider to the individual.

Under the Act, free choice systems provide municipalities with an alternative to procurement under the Public Procurement Act. The Act on free choice systems can be applied to care and support activities to elderly people and people with disabilities, as well as to services within health and medical care.

• How it works: Disability issues in Sweden

Government responsibility for social services

The Government's efforts in the area of social services primarily consist of legislation, incentive and performance-based grants and the development efforts carried out by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sveriges Kommuner och Landsting, SKL) in agreements with the Government.

National Board of Health and Welfare reviews the quality of health and social care

The National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) is the expert and supervisory authority for the activities carried out by the social services. This means that the Board is to supervise social services activities so as to detect and call attention to any shortcomings that may affect safety.

The Board examines whether those who operate health and social care facilities follow and comply with regulations. Should the Board detect shortcomings, it requests that the facility rectify them. If those in charge do not do so, the Board can refer to the law to give weight to this request (order), revoke the facility's licence to practice or prohibit the activity to continue operations.

The Board also grants private actors licences to operate facilities in the area of social services, such as special housing for the elderly.

Other areas within the National Board of Health and Welfare's remit include following up and evaluating how legislation is applied, keeping statistics on such matters as illnesses, causes of death, elderly and disabled care, compiling and developing knowledge, publishing national guidelines for the social services, and preparing provisions, general advice and instructions for managers and staff in the social services.

Complaints about social services

Decisions taken

If you are not satisfied with a decision taken by your municipality concerning measures under the Social Services Act or the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments, you can appeal to a court of law.

Appeals can be made against decisions concerning rejections of applications and decisions concerning fees for home-help service.

Poor performance

If the complaint concerns the performance of the social services, the person concerned or a relative can discuss this with the staff or supervisors at the relevant facility.

At a municipal facility, complaints can also be addressed to the facility management or politicians on the social welfare committee. At a private facility, they can be addressed to the owners or the board.

In addition, the committee that took the decision on assistance can be contacted via the assistance officer or the social worker. The decision-making committee is always responsible for its decision, as well as for relevant follow-up.

Reporting

If speaking with supervisors does not help, or if you feel that there are serious shortcomings at a social services facility, you can report this to the National Board of Health and Welfare. Everyone has the right to file a complaint with the National Board of Health and Welfare's supervisory regions.

The National Board of Health and Welfare can criticise professionals who have committed errors. In serious cases, the National Board of Health and Welfare can request that the professional be given a probationary period, have their right to prescribe restricted or have their license revoked.

• Reporting malpractice or dissatisfaction in Health Care or Social Services on the National Board of Health and Welfare web site

Reporting incorrect or unfair treatment by an authority

If you feel that you have been treated incorrectly or unfairly by an authority, you can file a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsmen.

The Parliamentary Ombudsmen are tasked with ensuring that central and local government authorities follow laws and ordinances.

The Parliamentary Ombudsmen can criticise a public authority or an individual official and, in special cases, bring legal action against an official suspected of misconduct or some other breach of duty. The Ombudsmen cannot, however, change a municipal decision or a court judgment.

• The Parliamentary Ombudsman web site