The Health and Youth Care Inspectorate and the Justice and Security Inspectorate are very concerned about the closure of the Zeeland youth care organization Intervence. They write this in a letter to Minister Dekker of Legal Protection and State Secretary Blokhuis of Public Health.
All thirteen Zeeland municipalities have a contract with Intervence from 1 January cancelled. The organization, with some sixty employees, assists hundreds of children and young people who have to deal with youth protection and juvenile rehabilitation.
Three other organizations, Briedis Youth Protectors, the Salvation Army Youth Protection & Probation Service and the William Schrikker Group, must take over the guidance.
No plan, no decision
On December 15, the Zeeland municipalities want to make a final decision about canceling the contract. Whether a final decision can be taken on that day depends on the judgment of the inspections. They advise on behalf of the Ministry of Security and Justice.
But in order to arrive at a judgment, the inspectorates want the Zeeland municipalities to come up with a detailed plan. As long as there is no plan with which the inspections agree, the municipalities cannot take a final decision on the discontinuation of Intervence.
Act carefully
In the letter, which is in the hands from Omroep Zeeland, observes Chief Inspector Korrie Louwes of the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate that no preparations have yet been made for the clients and employees of Intervence.
Louwes emphasizes in her letter, which was also written on behalf of the Justice and Security Inspectorate, that a careful plan is important. “This is especially important as it concerns the most vulnerable children and families in our society and acting carefully towards employees can help keep them safe for this difficult work.”
The inspections need four working days to assess such a plan. If there is no plan, the inspections will suspend their judgment and no final decision can be reached on 15 December about the termination of Intervence.
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