Swedish social agency pilots reinforcement teams to better protect at-risk girls

Socialstyrelsen has begun deploying reinforcement teams to ten pilot municipalities as a novel method for the social services sector. According to Jenny Storm of Håbos socialförvaltning, the teams provide operational support that helps map local conditions without taking over case work. The pilot focuses on girls in the risk zone, establishing a structured collaboration among social services, schools, police and leisure organisations to spot early signs of criminal or substance-abuse pathways.

Municipalities also work more closely with child- and youth-health services, which can now use local facilities and hold meetings in families’ homes rather than distant cities such as Enköping or Uppsala. Storm says the new structure has improved the capture of at-risk girls, creating a ripple effect. Annika Öquist of Socialstyrelsen notes that while overall shootings have eased, crime remains high, and the project’s insights will be converted into nationwide guidance.