Child and youth care reform & the Youth risks reference index (VIR)

Tijne Berg- le Clercq

The Netherlands Youth Institute

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Netherlands Youth InstituteThe Dutch National centre of Expertise on children, parenting and families

Main areas of expertise:•Effective parenting and healthy child development•Challenges in parenting and child development•Guidelines, effective interventions and instruments•Strengthening professionals working with children and families

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Our success stories

• Child well-being nr 1!• High % children in formal child-care• Low youth unemployment• Few early school-leavers

* the 'Drive to Reduce Drop-out Rates' approach

* Strong connection school- youth care services

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Characteristics of the Dutch youth care system

• Division between policy and financing & implementation and practice

• Division between prevention and universal services and specialised care (old system), fragmentation

• Division between voluntary and forced care

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Problem analysis of the current system

• Imbalance in focus: too much at risk• Fragmentation: 17 professionals in

one family• The prevailing practice

of referrals• Unmanageability

and contradiciting consequences• Increased use of care & medical

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From present to future

National levelHealth insurance ActExceptional medical expenses ActMental health care, care for physical and mental disabilitiesSecure institutions

Provincial levelYouth Care ActYouth Care AgenciesIndicated ambulant, foster and residential care,

MunicipalitySocial support actParenting support, Youth and Family Centres, public health, general services

National levelHealth insurance ActExceptional medical expenses Act(without child and youth services)

MunicipalityNew Youth Act

All responsibilities decentralised, including mental health care

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The future situation: municipalities• By 2015 shift of tasks & youth care

responsibilities to municipalities • Integration of all domains at local

level• No separate assessment agency• Less demand for specialised

services?• More early intervention

and support and less referrals?

Some things will never (?) change …

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• Reporting code: 5 steps (for suspicions of child abuse)1. Identify the signs 2. Peer consultation and, if necessary with AMK3. Interview client 4. Assess the nature and severity of the identified

child abuse5. Reaching a decision: organizing assistance

yourself or filing a report

• Youth risks reference index (VIR):Use for reasonable suspicion of threats to ‘necessary

conditions’ for healthy & secure child development

Youth risks reference index (VIR)What?A Dutch national electronic (IT) signposting system

that matches risk signals

of youth (up to 23 years),

as reported

by professionals working with youth10

Youth risks reference index (VIR)Who?

National guidelines on authorized organizations include: •Child health professionals•Social workers•Family guardians•Child protection agencies•Schools•Police•Youth care agencies•Etc. etc.

Local differences in authorized organizations 11

Youth risks reference index (VIR)

How? (implementation)•Legal regulations on:

– Who can enter risk reports: Authorized organizations & indivuals

– What information can (not) be shared – Technical standards on how to share info

•National starter pack for municipalities •National & regional PR-materials •National funding for development of national system•Municipalities pay for connecting their organization•Non ringfenced funding for local implementation•Via support of VIR-providers

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Youth risks reference index (VIR): researchWhat?•Keymolen & Broeders (2011) of Scientific Council for government policy: analysis of VIR development

•DSP-groep & Jas (2012): practical use of VIR & authorized organizations

•Lecluijze et al. (2013) of Maastricht University: Implementation of VIR in practice in the southern part of NL

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Youth risks reference index (VIR): researchWhen?

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Youth risks reference index (VIR): research

Where? Great local & regional diversity:•# reports•Mechanisms to ensure that a match leads to action

Who? Most reports made by:•Schools•Child health professionals•Organisations providing social support

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Youth risks reference index (VIR): research

Why? Main reasons & barriers for (non)reporting:

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Reasons Barriers

* Professional assessment: it is necessary

*Duty to inform client/ parents about making risk reports

* Desire to know if other professionals share concerns

* Can not make adequate assessment of consequences of reporting

* Required according to reporting criteria

* Too little information available to make a report

Youth risks reference index (VIR): researchHow? Recommended ways to optimize (working with) the VIR:•Training in ICT & privacy regulations•Unambiguity in registration criteria/ risk concept•More information about VIR to authorized professionals•Expand group of authorized organizations (eg child care, youth workers & midwives)•Promotion of VIR by authorized organizations•More publicity about its surplus value: supraregional cooperation)•Give feedback on the reported signals•Expand ICT application with an address-‐ or family match

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Youth risks reference index (VIR): Future situation

• Included in new Youth Act & related regulations

• Expansion of ICT application with a family match

• VIR can help realise the ambition of 1 family-1 plan

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Thank you for your attention

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More information:www.youthpolicy.nlTijne Berg- le Clercq: t.berg@nji.nl