In Malmö, there is the Ivo manager who signed the decision to ban operations at the Stockholm region's only accommodation for multi-illness children, Safiren.
Joonas Terje describes the process as something out of the ordinary. Discussions were held in larger forums than usual.
- It was outside the formal decision-making process because we needed support. Are we doing the right thing here? The decision has consequences for an especially vulnerable group with an especially great need for help. But we ended up having to, he says.
November 20 is the last day the home may be open, according to the latest ruling in the administrative court.
The background is the repeated administrative mistakes made by the region and the measure is the most powerful Ivo can take. It affects five families whose children often cannot survive without the round-the-clock care they receive at Safiren.
And in place with the children there are no shortcomings.
- That is the dilemma in legislation like this. We have found no signs of neglect. But in the law on register control there is no provision that says that then we do not have to follow the law, says Ivo manager Joonas Terje.
It is the criminal record extracts that are missing at Safiren. The region's rules for all other employment involving children also require extracts from the charge register, but once they have been reviewed and noted, the records themselves must be destroyed. Stockholm has also done this at the LSS accommodation.
- Yes, they say so. But we don't know that. They have not been able to demonstrate that they have done so.
Don't you believe them?
- Yes, it is certainly credible, but it is not enough to support our assessment. After all, we often hear this from private actors and we cannot distinguish between businesses and businesses. Then you can question our legitimacy, says Joonas Terje.
At two previous inspections, Ivo urged the region to tighten the procedures at Safiren, because LSS residences are covered by a different set of regulations, where the register extracts must be saved for two years.
But nothing got better according to Ivo.
- And that in itself can make me personally upset. That a public activity does not take these relatively simple measures, but puts the children's housing at risk. I think they show a nonchalance and then we have to sharpen our decisions.
The law doesn't say per se that you have to ban it, but you can do it?
- Yes, that's right.
So regardless of whether it's you or the region that bears the biggest blame, why doesn't Ivo choose to propose rather than trap, for the children's sake?
- Yes, you can do that, but not year after year after year. Then you can instead go to the legislator and say that we don't like this law. Rather to free than to trap is not really the way politics is going, says Joonas Terje.
Recently, the requirements for registry checks were tightened for LSS in particular. Those residents must now undergo extended inspections, corresponding to those that take place at the HVB homes.
Even there, the registry checks have led to several criticized closures and questions have been raised about whether the tool really hits the criminal actors as it is supposed to?
- I dare not answer that. But I understand the dilemma, because it also affects otherwise well-functioning businesses, such as Safiren, says Ivo's unit manager Joonas Terje.
Do you understand that overall it can come across as heartless?
- Yes. And this kind of decision is not something we make with the left hand or with a light heart.
