social welfare – children • During an interview with a child who had been taken into care, it came to the attention of the interviewers that the child had been without a named designated social worker for months and that the child had not been allowed home for visits in nearly four months, owing to the lack of an up-to-date care plan. The Deputy-Ombudsman took the initiative to investigate why the social services of the customer municipality had not ensured that the child had a designated social worker at all times. The Deputy-Ombudsman also decided to carry out a more general review of how the municipality in question ensured that the rights of the children in foster care were honoured and safeguarded. The Deputy-Ombudsman found that, to better comply with and promote the rights of the child, both the institution and the social worker should preferably make a record on the documents concerning the child of when and how meetings with the child have taken place and whether the child was met one-to-one. • Some of the social workers failed to submit the updated customer care plan to the institution in a timely manner at the beginning of the placement. As a result of such delays, some of the children were not able to leave for their home visits as had been previously agreed. The Deputy-Ombudsman stressed that customer care plans should be shared with relevant institutions in a timely manner to ensure the appropriate arrangement of foster care. Delays in drawing up a care plan must not compromise contact and communication with the child. Health care/right to privacy • According to a psychologist at the unit, the pressing problems at the unit were the lack of children’s rehabilitation assessment and that the local authorities did not provide the neuropsychological services that the children needed, as required by the Child Welfare Act. Yet nearly all of the children residing at the unit had some degree of an attention disorder or difficulty in language or learning. The Deputy-Ombudsman took the initiative to investigate the adequacy and arrangements of neuropsychological services for children placed at the institution. 61