Notification of concern

You should submit a notification to social services if you are concerned about the wellbeing of a child, a young person, an adult or an older person.

Your concern may relate, for example, to:

• difficulties in coping at home
• violence
• parental exhaustion
• the need for support with parenting
• another situation in which the person may need help from social services.

The earlier a concern is identified, the easier it is to get help for the situation. Therefore, it is advisable to submit a notification as soon as possible.

If the person is missing or you suspect that a crime has been committed, contact the police or call the emergency number 112.

If your concern is related to a mental health or substance abuse problem, contact the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County’s mental health and substance abuse services directly.

1. The person consents

Use the form Contact with the authority responsible for social welfare services when the person is aware that you are contacting the authority and has given their consent.

Fill in the form with the details of both the person who needs help and the person submitting the notification. The aim is to assess the situation as early as possible and redirect the person to the services they need.

(external link)

2. The person does not consent or is unable to give their consent

Use the form Notification to social welfare services for assessing the need for support if the person does not want help, does not understand that they need help or is unable to seek help themselves.

The notification can also be submitted anonymously. The more information you provide in the notification, the faster the matter can be processed.

This notification concerns an adult.

(external link)

For minors, please submit a child welfare notification. 

3. The concern is about a child or a young person

Submit a child welfare notification if your concern is about a child or a young person under the age of 18 and you suspect that they need support from child welfare services.

The notification must be submitted without delay.

A private individual may submit the notification anonymously. An authority or another person with a duty to notify must always provide their name.

Based on the notification, child welfare services will assess the child’s situation and inform the guardians and the child aged 12 or over. If there is reason to suspect that a person responsible for the child’s care has assaulted or sexually abused the child, the guardian will not be informed about the notification immediately. Information about the notification will only be provided once that doing so is safe for the child.

(external link)

Anyone can submit a notification.

For example, you can submit a notification as a neighbour, relative, friend or acquaintance if you are concerned about someone’s wellbeing.

Private individuals do not have a statutory duty to notify, but it is important to submit a notification when a concern arises.

Many professionals and public officials have a statutory duty to notify. This duty applies to employees in, for example, social welfare and healthcare, education, early childhood education and care, youth work, the police, rescue services, parishes and other authorities. In practice, the statutory duty to notify applies to almost all public services where employees encounter children or people in vulnerable situations. 

For public officials, the statutory duty to notify is personal and cannot be delegated. Each person who has a duty to notify must submit the notification themselves.

Different rules apply to different types of notification.

If you are a public official and providing your details would put you at risk, you can describe the risk and the grounds for it in the notification. The notifier’s details may be withheld if disclosing them to the person whom the notification concerns would be likely to put the notifier at risk. The information may also be withheld if disclosing it to the person whom the notification concerns would be contrary to a very important public interest, the best interests of the child or another very important private interest. If you are submitting the notification in your official capacity and believe that doing so could put you, your family members or other people close to you in likely danger, you may, in such a situation, submit the notification fully anonymously using the form Notification to social welfare services for assessing the need for support.

Social welfare professionals will receive the notification, process the matter and contact the person whom the notification concerns. They will then determine whether the person needs support or services from social welfare and what kind of support or services these could be. 

Complete the form as thoroughly and carefully as possible. If you know the person’s personal identity code or date of birth, include this information in the notification. This helps social welfare services reach the right person more quickly.

In general, the person who submitted the notification cannot be told how the matter is progressing without the client’s consent due to data protection regulations.

An adult may refuse an assessment of their service needs and any help offered. In child welfare, the best interests of the child always come first.

The information in the notification will be stored in the social welfare client information system and in the Kanta Services.

The person whom the notification concerns usually has the right to see the information in the notification. Please note that the information entered in the notification will also be visible in MyKanta to the person whom the notification concerns.

Submit a notification without delay if:

• the best interests of the child require it
• the person is clearly unable to take care of their own wellbeing, health or safety
• the situation involves an urgent eviction or a threat of homelessness
• the person has no food or medicines
• the situation involves violence.

In life-threatening situations, always call the emergency number 112.

An authority’s confidentiality obligation does not prevent it from submitting a notification.

Under the Social Welfare Act and the Child Welfare Act, the duty to notify applies notwithstanding confidentiality provisions (Social Welfare Act, Child Welfare Act). This means that professionals must submit a notification even if the information would otherwise be confidential.

A notification must also be submitted even if you suspect that someone else has already submitted one or if the person is already a client of social services.

The form for contacting social welfare services can be used in matters concerning mental health and substance abuse services only when the matter is related to housing.

If the matter concerns guidance, counselling or treatment in a mental health or substance abuse situation, you should contact outpatient services directly (tel. 029 151 2295).

We recommend submitting notifications through our e-services:

• Contact with the authority responsible for social welfare services(external link)
• Notification to social welfare services for assessing the need for support(external link)
• Child welfare notification(external link)

If you cannot use e-services, you can print and complete a paper form: 

• Form: ontact with / notification to the social welfare services  for assessing the need for support(external link) (PDF). Please Choose at the beginning of the form whether you are completing contact with the authority responsible for social welfare services or notification to social welfare services for assessing the need for support.

Please send the paper form to:

Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County
Social Services Guidance
Lintuvaarantie 2 A
02650 Espoo

You can also return the form to the mailbox next to the main entrance of the Espoo service unit. Lintuvaarantie 2 A.

Social Services Guidance

via Lunna or by phone on weekdays from 9:00 to 12:00
tel. 029 151 2360

Senior Info

via Lunna or by phone on weekdays from 9:00 to 15:00
tel. 029 151 2270

For public authorities and professionals in child welfare matters
arkisin klo 8–15
p. 029 151 3530

In urgent matters outside these hours, please contact the Social and Crisis Emergency Services:
tel. 029 151 2221