"To find the best arrangement regardless of cost"
Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Child Affairs, received today a report from the steering group on the provision of services to children with complex needs. The group's role was to map and assess the service needs of children with complex needs and/or significant developmental and mental disorders. It was tasked with reviewing the organization of resources and services in this area, with the rights of children and their access to adequate services as guiding principles.
“We want children to receive the services they need at any given time and for them to receive them quickly. The starting point in this work was to find the best organization regardless of cost. After that, to examine costs and make proposals for cost sharing between the state and local authorities. The steering group has now submitted its proposals for more efficient services, which also involve better use of financial resources without additional costs. We will now continue to work with the proposals to improve services for this vulnerable group of children, and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this work for their input,” says Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Child Affairs.
The steering group presents 14 proposals:
Tiered residential core
Strengthen treatment foster care
Specialized short-term accommodation/respite admission
Strengthen and scale up SkaHM (a home offering short-term accommodation in Reykjavík)
Care homes/treatment homes
Treatment home for repeated treatment admissions
Specialized detoxification department
Treatment unit for children with severe behavioral issues
Treatment unit for children with severe mental health problems
Reception in emergencies for children with severe mental and/or behavioral issues
Team of specialists
Intake and assessment of service needs
Support for parents to keep children at home longer
Preventive actions
A detailed cost assessment was made of the proposals. The results of the cost assessment show that significant operational efficiency can be achieved in providing services for children with complex needs. Annual savings could reach up to 1 million ISK. The savings primarily arise from having one party manage the planning and execution of services. With such a setup, there is an opportunity to utilize human resources and knowledge for the services more effectively than before, and more individuals can access services.
Þór Hauksson Reykdal, a member of the steering group, Helga Sif Friðjónsdóttir, representative of the Ministry of Health, Arnar Haraldsson, a member of the steering group, Halldóra Dröfn Gunnarsdóttir, vice-chair and representative of the Ministry of Education and Child Affairs, Ásmundur Einar Daðason, Minister of Education and Child Affairs, Haraldur L. Haraldsson, chairman of the steering group, Hanna Dóra Hólm Másdóttir, representative of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Regína Ásvaldsdóttir, mayor of Mosfellsbær and representative of Reykjavík City, Rannveig Einarsdóttir, representative of the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, and Funi Sigurðsson, representative of the Children and Family Agency.
On 16 June 2022, the Minister of Education and Child Affairs appointed a steering group on the provision of services to children with complex needs. The steering group included representatives from the Ministry of Education and Child Affairs, the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, Reykjavík City, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, and the Children and Family Agency. The steering group is a continuation of the collaboration between the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Education and Child Affairs regarding actions to enhance access to services for children. The waiting times for children and their families for adequate services and resources can have significant effects on the well-being of children and the welfare of families. Adequate and timely access to effective services contributes to increased well-being, improved mental health, and reduces the likelihood of more severe issues later on.
Source: stjr.is
