Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Placeringsbeslutet - En studie av förvaltningsrättens bedömning av socialnämndens beslut om placering av barn och unga enligt LVU

Axelsson, Louise LU (2024) JURM02 20241
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract (Swedish)
Varje år ges tusentals barn och unga insatser inom ramen för den svenska samhällsvården. Placeringar i bland annat familjehem, på HVB, SiS-hem eller i det egna hemmet utgör en väsentlig del av samhällets vård till denna utsatta grupp. Vid ett tvångsomhändertagande inom ramen för LVU är det socialnämnden som enligt 11 § första stycket LVU ska besluta var barnet eller den unga ska placeras. Nämndens beslut kan sedan enligt 41 § första stycket 1 LVU överklagas till allmän förvaltningsdomstol som då ska pröva lämpligheten i placeringsbeslutet. Vid lämplighetsprövningen har domstolen rätt att ändra, ersätta eller upphäva nämndens beslut.

Utöver allmänna principer om barnets bästa, saknas det detaljreglering kring hur förvaltningsrätten ska... (More)
Varje år ges tusentals barn och unga insatser inom ramen för den svenska samhällsvården. Placeringar i bland annat familjehem, på HVB, SiS-hem eller i det egna hemmet utgör en väsentlig del av samhällets vård till denna utsatta grupp. Vid ett tvångsomhändertagande inom ramen för LVU är det socialnämnden som enligt 11 § första stycket LVU ska besluta var barnet eller den unga ska placeras. Nämndens beslut kan sedan enligt 41 § första stycket 1 LVU överklagas till allmän förvaltningsdomstol som då ska pröva lämpligheten i placeringsbeslutet. Vid lämplighetsprövningen har domstolen rätt att ändra, ersätta eller upphäva nämndens beslut.

Utöver allmänna principer om barnets bästa, saknas det detaljreglering kring hur förvaltningsrätten ska pröva lämpligheten i socialnämndens placeringsbeslut. Domstolens tolkning och tillämpning är därför av stor betydelse i det enskilda fallet. Detta examensarbete syftar till att, genom en rättsfallsstudie, analysera domstolens prövning av lämplig placering för barn och unga som vårdas enligt 2 § respektive 3 § LVU. Studien belyser återkommande argument i bedömningen samt den diskussion som domstolen för. Vidare syftar arbetet till att studera hur domstolens bedömning förhåller sig till gällande rätt. Analysen genomförs i form av en empirisk undersökning av förvaltningsrättsdomar från år 2023. Domarna har begärts ut från sju olika förvaltningsrätter.

Omständigheterna i mål om LVU skiljer sig åt från fall till fall, vilket innebär att det inte har varit möjligt att fastställa några exakta slutsatser kring vad domstolen anser vara till barnets bästa vid en placering enligt LVU. Det har emellertid av rättsfallsstudien varit möjligt att urskilja ett mönster i domstolens argumentationslinjer. Inledningsvis är det tydligt att domstolens bedömning av barnets bästa huvudsakligen styrs av det enskilda barnets vårdbehov. Andra rättsliga principer tillämpar domstolen sekundärt, vilket är förenligt med gällande rätt. Vidare får omständigheter som den potentiella risken med en viss placering och barnets egen vilja betydelse vid domstolens bedömning. Hur stor betydelse barnets uttryckta vilja tillmäts är det inte möjligt att dra någon generell slutsats om.

Avslutningsvis har studien funnit att placering i det egna hemmet är en placeringsform som domstolen tillämpar restriktivt. Vid en sådan placering krävs det en avsevärd förbättring i hemförhållandena och omsorgsbristerna, vårdnadshavarna ska även ha insikt i barnets vårdbehov samt att det ska finnas möjlighet till ett välfungerande samarbete mellan vårdnadshavarna och socialtjänsten. Vården av det enskilda barnet ska vidare befinna sig i sitt slutskede. Det kan däremot inte nås någon generell slutsats om inom vilket tidsspann som vården anses befinna sig i sitt slutskede. (Less)
Abstract
Every year, thousands of children and young people are cared for within the Swedish social welfare system. A crucial aspect of society’s care to this vulnerable group is the possibility of carrying out placements in for example foster families (familjehem), HVB residential care homes (HVB), a SiS’s special residential homes for young people (SiS-hem), or in their own homes. When a child is taken into compulsory care under the provisions of the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (hereafter LVU), it is up to the social welfare committee to decide where the child is to be placed according to section 11, first paragraph of the LVU. The committee’s decision can be appealed under section 41, first paragraph of the LVU to the... (More)
Every year, thousands of children and young people are cared for within the Swedish social welfare system. A crucial aspect of society’s care to this vulnerable group is the possibility of carrying out placements in for example foster families (familjehem), HVB residential care homes (HVB), a SiS’s special residential homes for young people (SiS-hem), or in their own homes. When a child is taken into compulsory care under the provisions of the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (hereafter LVU), it is up to the social welfare committee to decide where the child is to be placed according to section 11, first paragraph of the LVU. The committee’s decision can be appealed under section 41, first paragraph of the LVU to the Administrative Court. The court is then obligated to try the appropriateness of the placement decision. The court has the right to amend, replace or reverse the committee’s decision.

Besides general principles of the best interest of the child, how the Administrative Court tries the appropriateness of the welfare committee’s placement decisions is not something that is regulated in detail. Therefore, the court’s judicial interpretation and application play a significant role in each individual case. Through a case law study, this master thesis aims to analyse the court’s assessment of appropriate placements for children and young people cared for under section 2 and 3 of the LVU. The study highlights recurring arguments in the court’s assessment as well as the discussion. Furthermore, the thesis aims to study how the assessment relates to the applicable law. The analysis is based on an empirical study of administrative case law from 2023, involving judgements requested from seven different Swedish Administrative Courts.

The circumstances in the cases vary, particularly those involving the application under the LVU. Consequently, it has not been possible to draw any precise conclusions about what the court considers to be in the best interest of the child when a child is placed under the LVU. However, the case study has made it possible to discern a pattern in the Court’s reasoning. The Court’s reasoning when it comes to the best interest of the child is mainly determined by the individual child’s care needs. Other legal principles are applied secondarily by the court, which is in line with the applicable law. Furthermore, circumstances such as the potential risk of a particular placement and the child’s own will are important for the court’s judgement. However, it is not possible to draw a general conclusion regarding the measure of importance related to the child’s own will.

Lastly, the study has found that the placement of children in their own homes, still under compulsory care within the LVU, is a form of placement that the court applies restrictively. Such placements require a significant improvement in the home conditions and care deficiencies, the legal guardians must also demonstrate an understanding of the child’s care needs, and there must be a well-functioning cooperation between the guardians and the social services. Furthermore, the care of the individual child must be in its final stage. However, it is not possible to draw any general conclusions about the time frame when the care is considered to be in its final stage. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Axelsson, Louise LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
The Placement Decision - A Study of the Administrative Court's Assessment of the Social Welfare Committee's Placement Decisions of Children and Young People Under the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU)
course
JURM02 20241
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Förvaltningsrätt, socialrätt, Placeringsbeslut:LVU:Placering av barn och unga, Rättsfallsstudie
language
Swedish
id
9152845
date added to LUP
2024-06-13 15:20:07
date last changed
2024-06-13 15:20:07
@misc{9152845,
  abstract     = {{Every year, thousands of children and young people are cared for within the Swedish social welfare system. A crucial aspect of society’s care to this vulnerable group is the possibility of carrying out placements in for example foster families (familjehem), HVB residential care homes (HVB), a SiS’s special residential homes for young people (SiS-hem), or in their own homes. When a child is taken into compulsory care under the provisions of the Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (hereafter LVU), it is up to the social welfare committee to decide where the child is to be placed according to section 11, first paragraph of the LVU. The committee’s decision can be appealed under section 41, first paragraph of the LVU to the Administrative Court. The court is then obligated to try the appropriateness of the placement decision. The court has the right to amend, replace or reverse the committee’s decision. 

Besides general principles of the best interest of the child, how the Administrative Court tries the appropriateness of the welfare committee’s placement decisions is not something that is regulated in detail. Therefore, the court’s judicial interpretation and application play a significant role in each individual case. Through a case law study, this master thesis aims to analyse the court’s assessment of appropriate placements for children and young people cared for under section 2 and 3 of the LVU. The study highlights recurring arguments in the court’s assessment as well as the discussion. Furthermore, the thesis aims to study how the assessment relates to the applicable law. The analysis is based on an empirical study of administrative case law from 2023, involving judgements requested from seven different Swedish Administrative Courts. 

The circumstances in the cases vary, particularly those involving the application under the LVU. Consequently, it has not been possible to draw any precise conclusions about what the court considers to be in the best interest of the child when a child is placed under the LVU. However, the case study has made it possible to discern a pattern in the Court’s reasoning. The Court’s reasoning when it comes to the best interest of the child is mainly determined by the individual child’s care needs. Other legal principles are applied secondarily by the court, which is in line with the applicable law. Furthermore, circumstances such as the potential risk of a particular placement and the child’s own will are important for the court’s judgement. However, it is not possible to draw a general conclusion regarding the measure of importance related to the child’s own will. 

Lastly, the study has found that the placement of children in their own homes, still under compulsory care within the LVU, is a form of placement that the court applies restrictively. Such placements require a significant improvement in the home conditions and care deficiencies, the legal guardians must also demonstrate an understanding of the child’s care needs, and there must be a well-functioning cooperation between the guardians and the social services. Furthermore, the care of the individual child must be in its final stage. However, it is not possible to draw any general conclusions about the time frame when the care is considered to be in its final stage.}},
  author       = {{Axelsson, Louise}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Placeringsbeslutet - En studie av förvaltningsrättens bedömning av socialnämndens beslut om placering av barn och unga enligt LVU}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}