Child and youth welfare facilities Expansion of inclusive groups Several Laender are adapting their approach and have stopped expanding purely intensive pedagogical facilities in favour of looking after children and adolescents with increased care requirements inclusively in regular shared accommodations. This is the case in Upper Austria, for example. In Vorarlberg, a pilot test was started in several children’s residential groups a few years ago to implement the integrative approach in cooperation with the child and adolescent psychiatry services. Experience to date has been very positive which is why the test is to be extended to all children’s residential groups. Work is also being done in Lower Austria on implementing socially inclusive residential groups. This will ensure the regional availability of therapeutic groups that better meet the requirements. In order to be able to meet the special needs of children and adolescents, concepts for socio-pedagogical shared accommodations were adapted and intensive shared accommodations created in Carinthia too. Increase in staffing ratio required An increase in the staffing ratio is critical for the success of these models. Other key conditions are the advanced and further education of the staff as well as the multi-professional composition of the care team. The stability of the group shall not be threatened by the admission of too many children with increased care needs. Exceptions to admission approval and deviations from the concept would cause an overload of the team and the children’s group. Personnel must be involved in decision on admission process The residential group team must be involved in decisions regarding the admission of individual children. The child and their family must also have the opportunity to get to know with facility and be involved in the decision. A care plan must be prepared and continuously developed and evaluated. In 2019 the City of Vienna opened several shared accommodations for a maximum of four children and adolescents with psychiatric care needs. The shared accommodations cooperate with the child and adolescent psychiatric out-patient clinic of the Psychosocial Service of the City of Vienna. Range of special places must be increased 75 Regardless of whether the Laender are pushing the expansion of inclusive groups or creating special groups, it is particularly important that the range of special places is increased.