Mayor Eyglóardóttir praises quality assessment of child protection services in Borgarbyggð

The mayor of Borgarbyggð has praised the initiation of a quality assessment of the municipality’s child protection services, despite the investigation revealing serious deficiencies. Guðveig Eyglóardóttir, the mayor, admitted that the council was unaware of the severity of the situation when the assessment began.

The Quality and Supervision Agency of Welfare Matters (GEV) launched the investigation in late March 2023 after receiving numerous complaints about child protection services in Borgarbyggð and Hvalfjarðarsveit. The evaluation covered data from January 1, 2022, to April 1, 2023, and identified a lack of clear procedures and guidance for staff, poor documentation, inadequate information preservation, and significant shortcomings in communication and collaboration with involved parties.

Mayor Eyglóardóttir stated that the council welcomed the audit as a necessary step toward improvement. The findings indicate that there have been substantial changes in child services within Borgarbyggð since GEV began its work, offering a clear path forward for enhancing the quality of support offered to children and families.

Eyglóardóttir acknowledged the sensitivity of child protection issues, emphasizing that addressing these shortcomings is different from managing other, more routine municipal matters. The council also highlighted that no complaints have been received in the past year regarding the child protection services, which reflects a positive shift in the service’s perception and effectiveness.

The mayor recognized the unique challenges faced by elected representatives, who must balance accountability with a lack of direct oversight in operational matters, but expressed optimism about the changes being implemented in response to the audit results.