The inspection of Älmhult municipality began in October last year, after a social secretary alerted that the social services circumvent the requirement that investigations may not take longer than four months.

This by closing and reopening cases - without any action being taken.

A few days after the report, the social services themselves alerted that 49 child investigations had been going on for more than four months.

IVO has now made a decision in the case.

The problems may "have had serious consequences for children and young people who have needed emergency protection", they write in their decision.

Hidden for long investigation times

IVO also perceives that the municipality closed investigations and directly opened them as a new case "in an attempt to remedy too long investigation times, after this has been noticed as a misconduct (...) which lacks support in law".

- It may seem strange.

But it has not been done to break any rules, says Vidar Lundbäck (C), vice chairman of the social committee in Älmhult.

Why have you done that way, when there is no support in the law?

- I can not answer that.

But we have pointed out that you can not do that.

More problems were discovered

In June, when IVO requested information from the municipality, more cases were discovered - 27 more child investigations that had been going on for too long.

Among other things, this has caused children's situation to deteriorate over time.

According to IVO, it is remarkable that the municipality itself did not have the investigation times for this, even after the inspection had begun.

The municipality has now submitted a long list of measures to IVO - the results will be followed up in 2021.