Emergency assistance
Do you or anyone you know need urgent help?
SOS Alarm 112
Call the emergency number 112 in case of danger to life, property or the environment. When you call 112, the operator will alert the ambulance service, police, fire brigade, air/sea/mountain rescue, provide information on poisons or connect you to the social services emergency helpline, crisis support and on-call priests.
Learn more at 112.se [Link to external website]. External link.
SOS Alarm 113 13
The information number 113 13 is intended to reduce the burden on the 112 emergency number. You can call 113 13 to provide or obtain information regarding serious accidents and crises.
Learn more about the 113 13 information number External link. (Link to external website)
Social services helpline
Weekdays 08.00–17.00: Call 0910 73 50 00 and ask to speak to the social services helpline.
Outside office hours, weekends and public holidays: Call 112 and ask to speak to the social services emergency helpline.
For less urgent matters
- Police
Call 114 14 for all matters that do not involve crimes or incidents that are in progress or have just occurred. - For healthcare advice
Call 1177 for around-the-clock healthcare advice. - Risk line
Call 020 93 00 00 to report accident risks and hazards. - Fire and rescue services
Call 0910 73 50 00 for non-emergencies. - Social Services Department
0910 73 50 00
Report of Concern to Social Services
You can submit a report of concern to personal and family counselling services (social services) if you are concerned for the wellbeing of a child, young person or adult. You do not need any proof. It is sufficient that you suspect that something is wrong.
For example, you may suspect physical or psychological abuse, substance abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, self-harm behaviour or that a parent or guardian is incapable of taking care of their child.
You may make a report of concern to social services as a private citizen or in your professional capacity. As a private citizen you may choose to remain anonymous; however, this may make it more difficult for social services to investigate the matter.
As a private citizen, you are not entitled to know how social services investigates the case nor what measures are taken.
Submitting a report of concern to social services
The quickest and easiest way is to report your concerns via our e-service (in Swedish only).
Submit a report of concern [Link to external website in Swedish] External link.
You can also fill out a form , 101.1 kB, opens in new window. (in Swedish only) and post it or leave it at the municipality’s customer service desk.
Please note that you must submit your report to the municipality in which the person in question lives. All reports of concern will be treated as urgent.
Is the situation an emergency?
Always call 112 if the situation is an emergency that presents a danger to life. You can still submit a report of concern to social services after you have made the call.
If you are unsure how serious the situation is, call social services on 0910 73 50 00 and ask to speak to a social worker. It would be helpful if you submitted a digital report of concern before you call.
Reporting concern in a professional capacity
Certain professions have a legal duty to report concerns. This means that they must immediately report to social services if they know or suspect that a child or young person is being abused.
This legal obligation applies to healthcare professionals and staff working in schools and preschools, social services, the police and prison and probation services. It also applies to others who work with children and young people in a professional capacity, such as youth workers.
If you report concern in a professional capacity, you must give your name and place of work. Further information on the duty to report can be found in
Ideally, you should use our e-service to ensure quick and easy case management.
When you submit a report of concern to social services in your professional capacity, you will usually be entitled to know if social services decides to launch an investigation, or if an investigation is already ongoing.
What happens when the Social Services Department receives a report of concern?
Social services deals with all reports of concern as a matter of urgency. If necessary, social services will launch an investigation. A social worker will then meet with the person or family to whom the report relates in order to jointly review their situation.
If you are concerned for a child or young person’s wellbeing
It is always an adult’s responsibility to pay attention and act when a child signals that she or he is suffering mentally or physically. If you are concerned, you should first attempt to speak to the child to try and understand a bit more about what is troubling them. Show that you see them, that you care and that you want to help.
Social services
Social services staff are available to assist you around the clock.
Weekdays 08:00–17:00: Call 0910 73 50 00 and ask to speak to the social services helpline.
Outside office hours, weekends and public holidays: Call 112 and ask to speak to the social services emergency helpline. You will then be connected to a social worker.
Domestic violence or violence in intimate relationships
Violence committed against a partner in an intimate relationship is a crime. Have you or anyone you know been subjected to threats or violence? Don’t hesitate to seek help!
Find out more about domestic violence and violence in intimate relationships. Link to Swedish-language website
Kvinnofridslinjen – Sweden’s National Women’s Helpline
Call 020 50 50 50 around the clock. Calls will not appear on your telephone bill. Kvinnofridslinjen is Sweden’s national helpline to support women who are subjected to threats and violence. The helpline is staffed by social workers and nurses with experience of providing support to those subjected to all forms of violence. They can explain how to report a crime to the police, or refer you to support services in your area. They can also provide access to interpreters.
Kvinnofridslinjen – Sweden’s National Women’s Helpline [Link to external website] External link..
Women’s helpline in Skellefteå
Guldstadens kvinnojour is a local association that can help you if you are subjected to violence, threats or abuse or fear that you may be. Guldstadens kvinnojour is a non-governmental organisation and is not affiliated to the municipality nor any political party or religion. The helpline is staffed solely by women, all of whom have a duty of confidentiality. If you prefer, you can remain anonymous when speaking to the helpline.
What kind of help can the helpline offer?
Guldstadens kvinnojour can assist you by:
- arranging sheltered accommodation for you and your children where you can feel safe;
- helping you to contact organisation such as the Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence against Women, social services, healthcare providers, the police, legal counsel and housing providers;
- offering advice and support regarding your situation;
- accompanying you to provide support in any trial; and
- helping and supporting you and your children once you leave sheltered accommodation.
How do I contact the women’s helpline in Skellefteå?
You can call the helpline Monday to Friday on 0910 150 03. If you need to speak to someone outside office hours, at weekends or on public holidays, call 112 and ask to speak to the social services emergency helpline.
The Police
Assault is a crime whether it takes place in the home or outside. Domestic violence includes threats, physical violence, psychological abuse or sexual violence, including being forced to have sex within a relationship. The police are responsible for investigating crime and assessing your need for protection. You can report a crime you have been subjected to or witnessed to the police. The police will interview you about what has happened. You have the right to take someone you trust with you to the interview to support you.
What help can the police offer you?
The police can assist you in a number of ways:
- You may be provided with a personal safety alarm so that you can quickly call for help.
- A restraining order may be issued against your abuser prohibiting them from visiting or contacting you.
- You may be offered a protected address, so that the authorities do not reveal how you can be contacted.
- If the threat is deemed sufficiently serious, you may be given a protected identity – i.e., a new name and personal identity number – so that it will be difficult to track you down.
How should I contact the police?
The police have two telephone numbers: in an emergency, you should always call 112; if you have any questions and you are not in an emergency, you can call the police information number, 114 14. These numbers are the same wherever you are in Sweden. You can also email the police at polismyndigheten.vasterbotten@polisen.se.
The courts and legal counsel
When a crime is reported to the police, a prosecutor and the court will decide whether the suspect should be detained and held in custody, which will often be the case if, for example, they consider that their is a continued risk of abuse. Once the police have investigated the offence, a prosecutor will decide whether to prosecute the suspect, in which case there will be a trial.
During the trial, the prosecutor will help you to prove that the person who has committed an offence against you is guilty as charged. You are also entitled to have a counsel for the injured party appointed to help and support you during the investigation and trial.
If you require any other legal counsel – for example, if you intend to divorce your abuser – you can contact a private law firm.
What help am I entitled to during a trial?
- During the investigation and trial, you are entitled to have lawyer appointed to support you free of charge. This is called a counsel for the injured party. The police will help you to arrange this.
- You can obtain support free of charge from the Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence against Women, Guldstadens kvinnojour (the voluntary women’s helpline in Skellefteå) and Victim Support Sweden, all of whom can offer advice during and after the trial.
- You can apply for national assistance to pay the costs arising from the trial.
How do I get in touch with the courts and lawyers?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the Swedish Prosecution Authority by telephone on 010 562 64 80.
Healthcare
If you have been assaulted, contact your local health centre or A&E department to receive treatment for your injuries. It is important that you are thoroughly examined and that the doctor or nurse describes in writing and photographs your injuries. Try to make sure that the person who has assaulted you is not with you when you see the doctor or nurse.
How can the health service help me?
The health service can help by arranging for you to have continued contact with:
- a counsellor, who can listen to what you have to say and offer support and advice;
- a psychiatric clinic at the hospital, where you can receive help if you have any psychological problems; and
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (BUP), where your children can receive care and assistance if they have any psychological problems.
How do I get in touch with the health service?
If you need help in an emergency, call 112 or visit your nearest A&E department.
If there is no emergency, you can contact the psychiatric clinic in Skellefteå yourself and speak to someone there. You can reach the clinic’s emergency helpline on 0910 77 19 19.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (BUP) can be reached on 0910 77 19 20. The clinic is open during office hours.
Rådgivningen Oden – for alcohol, drug and gambling-related problems
Abusers may sometimes act under the influence of alcohol. Both the abuser and the victim can turn to Rådgivningen Oden for help and advice. Staff at Oden have considerable experience of the problems associated with alcohol and other drugs. You can speak to them alone or as a family.
It will not cost you anything to visit Oden and everyone working their has a duty of confidentiality regarding anything you say to them – as long as this does not conflict with their duty to report concerns about the welfare of your children, in which case they will contact social services.
How do I get in touch with Rådgivningen Oden?
You can either visit the office of Rådgivningen Oden at Köpmangatan 13 F in Skellefteå or telephone on 0910 73 65 54. Telephones are staffed from 08:00 until 17:00. At other times you can leave a message on the answering machine and someone will call you back.
Addiction Clinic
If you have any questions about alcohol or other drugs, you can also contact the Addiction Clinic at Skellefteå Hospital. The Addiction Clinic, which is situated close to the Psychiatric Clinic, is open during office hours.
How do I get in touch with the Addiction Clinic?
The Addiction Clinic can be reached by telephone on 0910 77 10 00 during office hours. If you have any questions or concerns you can also call the addiction helpline on 0910 77 19 30 between 16:00 and 09:00.
Victim Support Skellefteå
If you are the victim of or witness to a crime, you can get help and support by calling Victim Support Skellefteå. Those staffing the helpline have a duty of confidentiality and are not permitted to disclose anything you say to them to a third party.
How do I get in touch with Victim Support Skellefteå?
You can either call Victim Support Skellefteå on 0910 70 18 20 or the national organisation Victim Support Sweden on 116 006.
Learn more about the work of Victim Support Sweden External link. (Link to external website).
The social services emergency helpline provides urgent assistance to you or anyone you know who needs it, whether due to domestic violence or some other acute situation such as concerns for a child’s welfare in the home.
How can I get in touch with the social services emergency helpline?
Weekdays 08:00–17:00: Call 0910 73 50 00 and ask to speak to the social services helpline.
Outside office hours, weekends and public holidays: Call 112 and ask to speak to the social services emergency helpline. You will then be connected to a social worker.
Psychological and social care in the event of major accidents and crises
Skellefteå Municipality has a special group tasked with providing psychological and social care in the event of major accidents and crises. The group, which is called Posom, is activated by SOS Alarm and will then establish a support centre to which you can turn when a major accident or crises arises.
There are many places you can turn to for support, assistance and advice when you or your loved ones find yourselves caught in a crisis and need to speak to someone or obtain information. Many of these helplines are staffed around the clock 365 days a year and callers can remain anonymous. Many of them are run by voluntary organisations.
Children and adolescents (6–17 years) with mental illness
The Västerbotten Contact Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health provides a consolidated contact route to mental healthcare. The centre will assess your situation and refer you to the correct type of care, whether that be counselling, your local health centre or child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. The contact centre can be reached by telephone by calling 1177, key selection 2.
Västerbotten Contact Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health [Link to external website] External link.. The website is in Swedish.
Those of you between 18 and 25 years of age can contact Unga vuxna
Unga vuxna is a psychiatric clinic for young adults between 18 and 25 years of age. You can call them on 0910 77 19 19 between 08:00 and 21:00. If you need to talk to someone outside these hours, call the national healthcare helpline on 1177.
Advice and support by email, chat and telephone
There are a host of different associations and organisations offering advice and support online and over the telephone.
Learn more at 1177 [Link to external website in Swedish]. External link.
If you are under 18 years of age, you can call the Bris helpline
Bris – Children´s Rights in Society runs a free-of-charge helpline for anyone under 18 years of age. Call 116 111 if you would like to talk to someone or if you need help and advice. You can also anonymously and securely email or chat with a counsellor via Bris, join forums of your peers or simply read about important issues. Learn more on the
Bris website [Link to external website in Swedish. External link.
Bris also has a helpline for adults
If you are an adult who has any questions or needs advice about your own or someone else’s child, you can call the Bris adult helpline. You can also get advice on where you can obtain further assistance. The number of the Bris adult helpline is 077 150 50 50.
If you have witnessed or been subjected to a crime, you can call Victim Support
If you are the victim of or witness to a crime, you can get help and support by calling Victim Support Skellefteå. Those staffing the helpline have a duty of confidentiality and are not permitted to disclose anything you say to them to a third party. You can either call Victim Support Skellefteå on 0910 70 18 20 or the national organisation Victim Support Sweden on 116 006.
Learn more about the work of Victim Support Sweden External link. (Link to external website in Swedish)
Under 25 years of age and need to speak to someone?
Jourhavande kompis is an anonymous chat for children and young people below the age of 25. The helpline is staffed by other young people, not experts, who can provide support and first contact and help you to help yourself. You can reach them at:
www.jourhavandekompis.se External link. (Link to external website in Swedish).
Jourhavande kompis is open Monday to Friday from 18:00 to 21:00 and Saturday and Sunday between 14:00 and 17:00. Jourhavande kompis is part of the Swedish Red Cross.
Would you like to speak to a priest?
If you need to speak to a priest during the evening or nighttime, you can call the emergency number 112 and ask to speak to the on-call priest. The priest you will speak to has a duty of confidentiality, meaning that they are not permitted to disclose anything you say to a third party. You can reach a priest via 112 every day from 22:00 until 06:00. If you would like to speak to a priest during office hours, you can either contact your parish directly or by visiting the website below.
Skellefteå rural parish External link..(Link to an external website in Swedish.)
The women’s helpline is there to help if you are subjected to violence
If you are subjected to violence or feel afraid or threatened, Guldstadens kvinnojour can help you. The helpline is staffed solely by women, all of whom have a duty of confidentiality. If you prefer, you can remain anonymous when speaking to the helpline.
Guldstadens kvinnojour can assist you by:
- arranging sheltered accommodation for you and your children where you can feel safe;
- helping you to contact organisation such as the Centre Against Violence, social services, healthcare providers, the police, legal counsel and housing providers;
- offering advice and support regarding your situation;
- accompanying you to provide support in any trial; and
- helping and supporting you and your children once you leave sheltered accommodation.
How do I contact the women’s helpline in Skellefteå?
You can call the women’s helpline on 0910 150 03 during office hours Monday to Friday. If you need to speak to someone outside office hours, at weekends or on public holidays, call 112 and ask to speak to the social services emergency helpline.
You can always call the Red Cross helpline
Anyone who needs someone to talk to can call the Red Cross helpline anonymously. The person speaking to you will always have a duty of confidentiality. You can reach the Red Cross helpline on 0771-900 800 every day between 14:00 and 22:00.