More than half of the country’s sheltered accommodation is at risk of being closed down due to new stricter legal requirements on security and staffing.
– We are of course very positive about higher security, but we see a concern that there will be very few women who will qualify for this eye of the needle, says Josephine Diffner, chairman of Motala Kvinnojour.
Today, there are 282 sheltered homes in Sweden that function as a haven for women who are exposed to violence. Over half of all sheltered accommodation is run by non-profit organisations, for example women’s shelters. 37 percent are run by private actors and 9 percent by the municipalities.
On April 1 this year, several changes to the law came into force with the aim of strengthening the protection of women and children in sheltered accommodation. Among other things, whoever runs sheltered accommodation must apply for a permit from the Inspectorate for Care and Care (IVO).
– It is important that we have a permit requirement because before it has been possible for practically anyone to start a sheltered accommodation. This has meant that women have de facto found themselves in dangerous situations when the idea is exactly the opposite, says Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.
Volunteers are not counted as staffing
In order to be granted a permit, requirements include sufficient staffing, that the business is run by a manager with university education within the Social Services Act and that there are sufficient protective devices, such as safety doors.
According to IVO, volunteers are not counted as staffing in the sense of the law, which affects many women’s shelters that mostly work on a voluntary basis.
According to the National Organization for Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Services, many women’s emergency services today lack the resources to meet the new requirements. This includes, among other things, increased costs for rebuilding current housing in accordance with the requirements for shell protection and employing full-time trained staff. They welcome increased security requirements, but point out that the work of women’s shelters should not be compared to private actors who only provide housing.
– We think that there is a need for different types of sheltered accommodation. If we’re talking about gang crime, we might need this high security rating, but our business is a low-threshold business that aims for the woman to have inner security, emotional support and help to make contact with various agencies in society, says Josephine Diffner, who is Chair of Motala Women’s emergency room.
Only 95 out of 282 have applied for a permit
So far, only 95 applications have come in to IVO out of 282 shelters. According to the authority, those actors who have not applied by August 1 will be ordered to do so or banned.
– I am in continuous contact with several of Sweden’s women’s emergency services and I will call for a first follow-up in September or October to see how the implementation has worked, says Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall.