Failing to stop fires at child welfare institutions

In 2021, there was an average of almost one fire a week in Norwegian child welfare institutions, figures from Bufdir show. It was the children themselves who lived there who were often the cause of the fire. news has told the story of “Markus”, who himself chose to set fire to the institution he bid on. Markus had moved between 10 different child welfare institutions in 2021. When he was told that the journey home had been cancelled, he set fire to his bed in anger. The fire escalated quickly, and the entire building was completely damaged. Even with the fact that the 17-year-old had to appear in court for what he had done. This is what Markus’ bedroom looked like after the fire at Stjørdal on 7 December 2021. Photo: Police – Tragic development Due to the sharp increase in fires, a committee was set up to look at what could be done to stop the fires . They recommended this. Measures with immediate effect The institutions must assess the risk of fire every day. Ensure the guidelines for fire safety and fire safety training. Get a better routine for registering fires in the child welfare system. So they have better control over how much is burning. Priority measures for 2022 Purchase fire-retardant material for the institutions. These materials are duvets, pillows, mattresses, bed linen, curtains and towels. Have awake night guards at the institutions. Develop the registration system used by child care. Establish a fire safety team in Bufdir. Form a formal collaboration with Kripos and DSB. Priority measures in the longer term Develop new standards for new institutional buildings. Consider an own system that ensures responsibility for fire safety in child welfare institutions. See how the measures taken in 2022 work against fires in child welfare institutions Source: “Final report of the working group fire safety in child welfare institutions” (Bufdir). Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe described the development as “crazy in every possible way”. She promised that she would follow up on this personally. But 2022 has broken all records. The number of fires is increasing dramatically. Toppe thinks it’s serious. – Yes, it’s a tragic development, and it worries me a lot, I’m a bit shocked myself that there are so many. Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe says that it is serious that the number of fires continues to increase. Photo: Morten Waagø / Morten Waagø Will clean up Toppe points out, among other things, that some of the measures that were introduced in 2022 have not been allowed to work for so long. But she is clear that this is something they must go into even more thoroughly. – We must go in and look at this, we must listen to the children, we must listen to the employees, so that we know more about the reason why have become so many arsonists. The children’s ombudsman believes that help must come earlier to children who live in institutions. – That as soon as they come under public care, they get an early survey of what they are struggling with, and that they get targeted and safe help at an early stage, says children’s ombudsman, Inga Bejer Engh. The Minister for Children and Families agrees, she says that it should be safe to live in a child welfare institution, and is honest that there are challenges in providing good enough help to children who live in institutions. – But it is my responsibility to clean up. And to achieve better quality and safety in child welfare institutions as well, says Toppe. Must look at child protection with new eyes And one of the things Toppe has done is to set up a new committee. They will look with new eyes at how institutional childcare works today. Among other things, they will look at how the child protection service cooperates with other services. – It is not just the child welfare services alone that can do something about this. Here, one is very dependent on many people contributing, and many standing up, says the head of the selection, Erik Stene. Erik Stene says they have also set up their own youth committee, which consists of young people who live in or have been offered institutional care in child protection. Photo: Morten Waagø / news Among other things, they are out visiting children who live in institutions. In addition, they have so far received over 250 entries from more than 50 different actors and organisations. Young people who live in institutions today often experience far too many moves. In addition, as Stene points out, these young people have a lot of ballast with them, which they need help to handle. – So it doesn’t help to know a lot if you can’t do anything with it. And that is exactly what we as a committee will now come up with. What will we do in the future so that this is the best possible for the young people and their loved ones who are affected by this. The committee will finish its work by October 2023. Hello! Do you have thoughts about the case you have read, or would you like to make an input? news has produced several cases about child welfare recently, and appreciates your feedback.



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