You have the right to:

• Know why you are in a residential care home or foster home.
• Be involved in plans made about your future, e.g. how long you will be living there and where you will eventually move to.
• Know who your social worker is and how to contact him or her.Your social worker is responsible for keeping in contact with you, visiting you and monitoring your progress.
• Talk to your social worker in private.
• Say what you feel and be listened to. Not to be subjected to punishment.
• Know what is written about you. You have the right to ask a question several times if there is something you do not understand or wish to know more about.
• If you think something is not correct you have the right to have your opinion recorded in your journal.

Do you know your rights?

Information for children and young people living in Swedish residential care homes or foster homes.

If you are over 15 you have the right to:

• Apply to the social services if there is anything that you think you need.
• Appeal any decisions that the social services makes about you.
• Say yes or no to whatever the social services propose. If the social services wish to place you in a residential care (HVB) or foster home, for example, they need the 'OK' from you. But this does not apply if you have been placed in compulsory care under the Swedish Care of Young Persons Act (LVU).

School or other pursuits

You have the right to:

• Receive the support that you need for your school work.
• Receive assistance in your education or other pursuits.

Accommodation

You have the right to:

• Live in a secure and safe environment.
• Know the rules and routines that apply where you live.
• Be respected for who you are.
• Talk to the staff or your foster parents whenever you need to.
• For your personal belongings to be left alone.

Health and meals

You have the right to:

• Receive the health and medical care and dental care that you need.

• Receive meals that are nutritious and which cater to your requirements if you are vegetarian, for example, or if you do not eat certain types of food for other reasons.

Contact with parents and friends

You have the right to:

• In normal cases, to have contact with your parents, siblings or other people who are important to you. Your wishes are the primary consideration in these contacts − even though it may not always be exactly the way you want it. Your social worker can tell you more .
• If the decision is made to place you in compulsory care for young people with certain problems (LVU), the social services can decide how the contact between you and your parents is arranged. If you are aged 15 or older you can appeal such a decision in a Swedish court of law.

Who do I talk to when something is wrong or not functioning properly?

• First you should talk to your foster parents, the staff at the residential care home or another adult who you feel you can confide in.
• If you have views about the situation where you live, about the plans that are being made for you or if you are dissatisfied with the arrangements to meet your parents or other people, you should talk to your social worker.
• If you cannot reach your social worker or if you think he or she does not listen to you, you can turn to your social worker's supervisor.

Contact the Swedish Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO)

• Contact the IVO if you wish to ask us about your rights or tell us about any shortcomings in the social services or health and medical care.
• Don’t hesitate to contact us! We are here for you! Contact IVO >
• You can be anonymous when you contact IVO. But if you wish the IVO to investigate or look into a problem in more detail we normally need a little more information, e.g. the name of the residential care home or foster home in question.

IVO has a supervisory role over the Swedish social services, which means that:

• IVO shall check that the social services provide children and young people with adequate, quality care.
• IVO shall check that the social services handle your case in accordance with existing laws and regulations.
• You have the right to talk to the IVO without asking for permission.
• IVO has a special responsibility to perform inspection visits of residential care home for children and young people every year.