Resident in Group Home Slapped by Staff Member

After serious allegations surfaced in a lex Sarah notification to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo), an employee at a residence was fired.

The abuse occurred at an LSS group home in Värmland and was witnessed by colleagues of the employee in question.

When assisting the resident with washing, the employee allegedly both slapped and threw water in the person’s face. The abuse caused the resident to become frightened and cry.

Samnytt has reviewed the report submitted in March this year to Ivo Örebro, which is classified as a “serious misconduct” by the social services in Sunne municipality.

The report states, among other things, that the case concerns an employee who “subjected a resident to physical abuse through rough and careless care during showering/washing situations, as well as through open-handed striking (slapping).”

Other types of abuse are also alleged to have occurred, according to the report:

Fired

In parallel with the notification to Ivo, the municipality also initiated a personnel case and dismissed the employee. They have also reviewed working methods and routines for handling such cases and are planning further measures:

LSS Group Homes

An LSS group home is a housing form for people covered by the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS). The purpose is to give people with extensive and long-term disabilities the opportunity to live as independently and safely as possible with support based on their individual needs.

There are several types of LSS residential units. Group homes mean that a small number of residents live in individual apartments within the same building or property and have access to shared staff and common areas. Service housing usually consists of individual apartments in an area where residents can receive support and help from staff who are nearby. For people in need of extensive support, specially adapted housing can also be provided.

Staff at LSS group homes can help with everyday activities, personal care, communication, social contacts, and creating structure in daily life. The operations should be based on the resident’s autonomy, integrity, and needs. LSS group homes are operated by municipalities or private providers commissioned by the municipality and are supervised by the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO).