Respite care and support contact – services that improve the quality of life. Summary of countrywide supervision in 2007 of respite care and support contact services

In 2007 the County Governors carried out countrywide supervision of respite care and support contact services, as laid down in the Social Services Act. The aim of supervision was to investigate whether the municipalities ensure that:

• support contact services and respite care are allocated in accordance with the requirements laid down in the Social Services Act, section 4-2, b (measures to provide respite for persons and families with especially burdensome caring work) and c (support contacts for persons and families in need of them owing to disability, age or social problems)
• people who provide respite care and support have adequate knowledge and skills.

Supervision of allocation of services included the areas of providing information about the services, administrative procedures related to assessment of clients, and implementation of decisions about respite care and support contact services.

In 61 of the 66 municipalities where supervision was carried out, the county governors detected deficiencies in one or both of the areas investigated. In three-quarters of the municipalities, the county governors detected deficiencies related to allocation of respite care and support contact services. Over half of the municipalities did not ensure that people who provided respite care or support had adequate knowledge and skills to carry out their work. In many of the municipalities there was potential for improvement in the management and leadership of the services, and improvement of respite care and support contact services.

The county governors will follow up the municipalities where supervision was carried out.