The Deputy-Ombudsman Maija Sakslin issued a reprimand to the Joint Authority for Health Care and Social Services in Kymenlaakso (Kymsote) which has acted unlawfully in neglecting the proper organisation of child welfare supervisor services.

The Deputy-Ombudsman also proposed recompense for one complainant. A long waiting time to meet with the child welfare officer thus caused the family financial losses since the child had been left without confirmed child maintenance and entitlement to maintenance support. 

The complainant had booked an appointment in early October for the conclusion of a new child maintenance agreement. The previous fixed-term agreement ended at the end of 2020 and in terms of the family’s finances, it was important to get the new agreement done and confirmed. However, schedules of child welfare officers were so busy that the complainant should have made the appointment as early as the beginning of August 2020 to be able to confirm the agreement before the beginning of 2021. The Deputy-Ombudsman considered that it was neither reasonable nor appropriate to require that the child's custodian whom the child was living with should have made an appointment so early.

The Deputy-Ombudsman has requested that the joint authority notify the Ombudsman of the actions it has taken in the matter by 28 February 2022. 

The decisions no 602/2021 and 6380/2020 have been published (in Finnish) online at www.oikeusasiamies.fi. 

For more information, contact Principal Legal Adviser Kirsti Kurki-Suonio, tel. +358 9 432 3357.