Local Co-Operation for Unaccompanied Children: A tool to assess and improve reception conditions

Save the Children Sweden together with UNHCR’s Bureau for Europe, NIDOS in the Netherlands, Coram Children’s Legal Centre in the UK, Save the Children Italy, Don Calabria Institute, the Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies in Italy and the County Administration in Västra Götaland in Sweden, have received funding from the EU for a 12 month project, ending in September 2014. The project aims were to identify and promote good practices on reception and protection based on national mappings carried out in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.

This tool builds on practical experiences from Sweden. It was developed together with the County Authority in Västra Götaland (project partner), which has a national co-ordination mandate regarding unaccompanied children among the 21 counties in Sweden. Discussions and meetings took place during the pilot project, with actors such as local authorities, social services, guardians, experts and young unaccompanied migrants themselves. These discussions together with research on international standards, national and local reports and practices form the basis of this tool.

The tool is meant to be a guide and inspiration to assess and improve local reception conditions through a series of practical steps, including workshops, with the purpose of collectively assessing reception conditions and creating an action plan. By promoting regular collective assessment and actions, the tool aims to strengthen inter-agency co-operation and improve reception conditions for unaccompanied children. It emphasises the need to engage with the local community, primarily through increased civil society involvement in the process.

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