MULTIsignal: The local Reference Index for youth at risk
Introduction
In the Netherlands, sealed by a change in the Law at the end of 2009, it is arranged that every municipality in the Netherlands works with a local so called Reference Index for professionals, that need to work together on youth at risk (in Dutch: Verwijsindex Risicojongeren - VIR). More than 300 municipalities have chosen the Reference Index from MULTIsignal and make use of the national electronic system, The VIR.
The VIR is a national electronic system that brings together signals of worry by professionals about multiproblem youth (up to 23 years). The VIR has four missions, namely:
- to improve the exchange of information between the different professional systems;
- to facilitate an efficient collaboration between professionals as well as coordinated assistance;
- to improve the assistance for children at risk;
- to prevent problems from escalating;
- to realise the ambition: one child- one plan.
Social workers who work in youth health care, education, youth care and with the police, etc. (no exclusion), can use the VIR system. They can report and pass on the records with information about children and youth who might possibly get problems with their personal development. When the VIR receives two or more records about one youngster there is a ‘match’ and an active signal goes to the reporting authorities. With this information, involved professionals can easily contact each other to gear activities to one another and to combine their working effort. Due to the reporting in the VIR, social workers can inform each other, know if a child or youngster is seen by a colleague, so that they can confer on the best approach. By doing this, the focus stays on every child.
The VIR is related to other actors in the field of local youth policy. These actors include Youth and Family Centres, Digital Youth and Family Centres, School Care and Advice Teams, Digital File Youth Health Care, “Safety Houses”, and actors in the process of tackling child abuse.
For more information you can contact Anouk Gommans, general manager of MULTIsignaal: Anouk@multisignaal.nl. Telephone: 0031 187 640080
