The summary report from the facilities for children, who – due to various reasons — cannot be cared for by their biological or foster family, provides an overview of findings from systematic visits to twelve children's homes and educational institutions. Lawyers from the Office of the Ombudsman, together with experts on children's issues, visited them in 2019-2021 as part of the agenda for the prevention of ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty. The Deputy Ombudsman Monika Šimůnková, who is in charge of this agenda, then formulated recommendations for both the Ministry of Education and the facilities themselves.

"At present, there are 6 500 children living in children homes or educational institutions in our country, which is still a very large number. Although I would like to see them grow up outside institutions, preferably in a family environment, I accept that institutional care has a role to play in the current child care system and I appreciate the work of all those involved in caring for children in institutions. I believe that by systematically visiting and monitoring of these institutions, we are helping to ensure that institutions can create the best possible conditions for children. These are necessary to give as many children as possible the chance to live a full adult life," said Monika Šimůnková, Deputy Ombudsman.

In her opinion, the current legislation does not sufficiently take into account the individual needs of children. The Act on Institutional Education has been in force for 20 years with minor modifications. According to Šimůnková, there is no reasonable concept that would distinguish and work with children's needs. The consequence is that children in institutions sometimes have to adapt to a stricter regime than would be appropriate for them.

Moreover, systematic visits showed that both the directors and the staff of the establishments would welcome a modification of regulations to better reflect the current situation. In fact, unlike informal bringing up in families, in institution the staff can only do what the law explicitly empowers them to do. Sometimes they are on the edge of the law in their decisions, even if they are made for the benefit of the child. A simple example of this would be simple outings. The law on institutional care grants children a number of rights. It allows the authorities to intervene if the child breaches his or her obligations. However, it is no longer possible to do the same if it is in the child's own interests, for example, to protect the child's health and safety. Children over the age of seven have the right to go out on their own. However, the law does not specify how to deal with outings for children who, because of their immaturity or other mental or physical vulnerability, are unable to move safely independently outside the facility. If the home management does not allow such a child to walk independently, it is currently in breach of the law.

"Furthermore, there are no clearly defined criteria for service provision and no legal standards for quality of care. For example, the Ombudsman has been pointing out since 2011 that the law does not contain a definition of so-called educational and therapeutic care. Facilities that provide it are now facing the impossibility of employing medical staff," Šimůnková lists other shortcomings of the current legislation. For example, she recommended that the Ministry of Education define the target group of educational and therapeutic care not through the medical diagnosis of children, but through the individual needs of each specific child.

The recommendations for institutions are directed at two main areas: removing elements of institutionalisation is a crucial step in preparing children for independent life after leaving the institution. "An unintended consequence of having to manage the care of several children in one place is that all activities, from daily routines to meals to leisure time, are often over-organised. However, life in the facility should be tailored to the needs of the children as much as possible. It should therefore not be primarily driven by the operational or organisational needs of the facility," explains Štěpán Jílka, who is responsible for children's facilities at the Ombudsman's Office. In his opinion, children in institutions should not only have the chance to spend their free time as they wish, but above all they should be given the opportunity to learn their duties - from preparing meals or shopping to managing money or preparing for a future profession.

The summary report also includes an analysis of 241 court decisions ordering institutional care obtained during visits to nine facilities. In the vast majority of cases, the courts cited multiple reasons for ordering a child to be institutionalized. The most frequently mentioned were the child's behavioural disorders and problems at school. However, for judgments ordering institutional education in a regular children's home, i.e. not in a facility for children with behavioural problems, the most common reasons were social, such as the family's poor housing or financial situation.

The analysis also showed that in the vast majority of cases (88.4% of the decisions), the courts used less severe measures such as supervision of the child, stay in an educational care centre or in a facility for children in need of immediate assistance before imposing institutional education. Proceedings for institutional care most often lasted between one and three months.

The summary report will now be sent to all institutions of institutional and protective care and other institutions so that their representatives can apply the findings and recommendations in their practice. The Deputy Ombudsman will then invite The Ministry of Education to use her recommendations to work on systemic changes in the care of children at risk.

El síndic de Greuges, Ángel Luna, ha abierto una queja de oficio para investigar la información que difunde Sanidad sobre las listas de espera de consultas externas de atención especializada y pruebas diagnósticas, así como de intervenciones quirúrgicas para cada paciente en concreto. Toda esta información, según dicta la normativa vigente, debería estar al alcance del usuario tan solo introduciendo su número SIP en la página web de la Conselleria de Sanidad y Salud Pública.

Sin embargo, la realidad es que actualmente no se conocen los datos globales, ni la situación por especialidades ni patologías en consultas externas o pruebas diagnósticas. Asimismo, el usuario tampoco puede acceder al “Registro Individualizado de Lista de Espera de Consultas Externas y pruebas diagnósticas/terapéuticas”. Al paciente únicamente se le ofrece información sobre el total de días que lleva esperando y el tiempo aproximado pendiente hasta que le realicen su intervención. Una estimación orientativa, basada en cuántos días han tardado el 80% de los pacientes ya operados en su mismo hospital y servicio.

El defensor considera que esta información es esencial para que los pacientes incluidos en las listas de espera puedan controlar y exigir a la Conselleria de Sanidad el respeto de su derecho a acceder, en condiciones de igualdad, a las prestaciones sanitarias en un tiempo máximo.

Por otra parte, el Síndic solicita a Sanidad que le informe de las medidas adoptadas en las oficinas de control de la demora, creadas en cada departamento de salud, para mejorar la transparencia de las listas de espera. Del mismo modo, el defensor requiere la evaluación del grado de cumplimiento de los cuatro objetivos previstos en el Plan ÓPTIMA para diciembre de 2023: a) disminuir el número de pacientes en lista de espera quirúrgica en un 25%; b) reducir a cero el número de pacientes que esperan más de 180 días en lista de espera quirúrgica; c) reducir la demora media a 70 días; y d) reducir a un 20% el número de primeras consultas externas de más de 60 días.

Cabe destacar que, a fecha de abril de 2022,  la demora media estructural de lista de espera quirúrgica en la Comunidad Valenciana es de 95 días. Y, de un total de 61.783 pacientes, 13.100 esperan entre 91 y 180 días para ser intervenidos, mientras que 11.146 sufren una demora de más de 180 días para operarse.

Las mayores listas de espera se concentran en  el Departamento de Salud de Sant Joan D’Alacant; D’Alcoi; General de Valencia; General de Alicante; La Fe; y Vinaros. Por el contrario, el de Manises; Gandía; Sagunt; Denia; y Doctor Peset, de Valencia, son los que tienen menores demoras, con una considerable diferencia.

Enlace para ver la resolución de inicio de investigación sobre este asunto:

11858011.pdf (elsindic.com)

Zoran Pašalić, the Protector of Citizens, stated today that in the fight against trafficking in human beings, timely identification of trafficking either in the family or particular social groups is of utmost importance, and then urgent, adequate coordinated competent authorities’ reaction to protect THB victims.

“Trafficking in human beings poses a severe social problem, which is frequently invisible and may be anywhere without us being aware. This is why it is crucial to timely identify that it is human trafficking, which is something competent authorities should pay special attention to, and they would be monitored by the Protector of Citizens in the capacity of the National Rapporteur in the field of Human Trafficking who addressed the protection of victims of trafficking over the previous years,” Pašalić said.

Following the information from the media about suspicion of the trafficking in human beings, the Protector of Citizens launched its own initiative investigation to control the work legality and regularity of the Social Welfare Center “Solidarnost” Pančevo, Center for the Protection of Human Trafficking Victims, Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy and the Ministry of the Interior. This case ended before the court with a conviction against the abuser.

In the control investigation, the Protector of Citizens determined that the SWC in Pančevo and the Center for Protection of Victims of Trafficking did not react timely in this case, thus creating an environment that led to trafficking because they failed to timely recognize that it was human trafficking, and sent recommendations to these authorities to rectify shortcomings and improve the work.

“When it is not recognized timely that it is trafficking in human beings, the traumas that victim suffers are extremely difficult and long-lasting. This is why it is very important to determine as soon as possible, on the grounds of available information, that it is trafficking in human beings, especially when the victims of trafficking are children” Pašalić underscored.