Report of concern for adults: how to proceed – and what happens next

This guide is informational. Always verify how the rules apply to your specific case.

Social servicesDocumentationChildren’s rights

You are here: 8/8 in the series Concern report to social services: your step-by-step guide (adult track)

Last reviewed August 16, 2026.

Yes, you can make a concern report for adults to social services, for example, in cases of suspected domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, or if someone is unable to care for themselves. A report is not the same as a decision, coercion, or care. Social services will assess whether there are grounds to contact the person voluntarily or proceed with an investigation.

This guide is for you as an adult who has been informed that someone has reported a concern, or who suspects that social services are investigating you without clear information. If it concerns children in the family, start with concern report for children and responding to a concern report (children). Related when the school's basis drives the concern: school deficiencies and concern reports.

How to make a concern report for adults

How do you make a concern report for adults? Contact the social services in the person's municipality (adult reception, domestic violence, substance abuse, or emergency social services), describe concrete events with dates, and ask what happens next. In case of immediate danger: call 112.

Contact the social services in the person's municipality. Search for the municipality's reception for adults, substance abuse, domestic violence, or emergency social services. Call 112 in case of immediate danger.
Describe what you have actually seen or heard. Provide dates, specific events, and why you believe the person needs protection or support. Avoid diagnoses and assumptions.
Provide contact information if you can. This allows social services to ask follow-up questions. As a private individual, you can ask the municipality about the possibility of remaining anonymous before giving your name.
Distinguish between adults and children. If children may be at risk, you should explicitly state this, as the rules and the social services' assessment are different in such cases. See also child protection report.
Ask what happens next. Request confirmation that the information has been received, but be aware that confidentiality may limit the feedback you receive.

Is it instead you who have been reported as an adult? Read further about what social services are allowed to do, voluntariness, coercion, and how you respond in writing. Document meetings with recording, filming of police intervention if the police are involved, and consider a report to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO) if there are deficiencies in the handling.

Concern report for adults: who can report and how?

Municipalities often have their own e-services for concern reports for adults. Reporters can be relatives, neighbors, healthcare personnel, police, employers, or others who have seen or heard something that raises concern. Unlike many child cases, there is rarely a general reporting obligation for private individuals towards adults, but certain professional groups may have specific obligations in certain situations (e.g., care in particular risks).

A report can be vague ("I am concerned") or detailed. Social services must still assess whether the information is sufficient for follow-up. You do not need to confirm everything stated in the report just because you are contacted.

Difference: concern report about children and about adults

	Children	Adults
Common reporters	School, BVC, healthcare (mandatory reporting in many cases)	Relatives, healthcare, police, neighbors (often voluntary)
Compulsion	LVU may become relevant	LVU does not apply to adults; other laws for serious mental illness or substance abuse
Intervention	Child protection, family support	Support according to the Social Services Act if the person wants or consents
Your guide	Respond to concern report (children)	This article

What happens after a report of concern for an adult? Not automatically coercion

Reception: the social services register the information and make an initial assessment.
Risk assessment: they consider the severity, repetition, and whether you may have your own need for protection or support.
Contact: you may be visited, invited for a conversation, contacted by phone, or receive a letter.
Investigation (if necessary): collection of information, often with your consent. Without consent, there are limited possibilities; outreach activities can still be discussed in cases of serious concern.
Intervention or closure: support is offered, the case is closed, or referred (e.g., healthcare, police, women's shelter).

A report does not have to be correct. You have the right to know what the investigation concerns sufficiently to be able to respond, to receive written documentation of important decisions, and to request corrections if journal entries are incorrect.

Coercion after a report of concern for an adult: LVM/LPT – not LVU

Many ask if the social services can "take" an adult. The rules differ from those for children:

LVU applies to children, not adults.
LVM (substance abuse) and LPT/LRV (psychiatric care) may be relevant in cases of serious danger to life and health, but these are different processes involving the court and specific requirements.
The Social Services Act often relies on voluntariness: support at home, contact person, financial assistance, relationship violence discussions.

If someone mentions coercion or "taking into custody" for you as an adult: request a written statement on which legal basis they refer to and what decision has been made. Feel free to call legal advice the same day.

Can: contact you, invite you to discussions, offer support, document what you say if you consent, request information from healthcare with legal support.
Cannot without legal support: force you into care, open the door without permission, arbitrarily obtain records or disseminate information without a confidentiality review.
You can: bring a support person, record meetings you participate in, request documents and request corrections if the record is incorrect.

Confidentiality, informants, and the right to know

Can you find out who reported you? Not always. Confidentiality can protect the informant, especially private individuals. You should still be informed what the investigation concerns and what information forms the basis, to the extent necessary for you to defend yourself.

Request in writing: "What specific information in the report of concern are you investigating? What sources will you gather?" If they refuse all information, this in itself can become a procedural issue to document.

Practical steps if you are contacted

Pause verbal confirmations. State that you want to know in writing what the report concerns before commenting on anything.
Schedule a meeting with preparation. Use the checklist for social services meetings.
Document. Record if you participate, film the police if an intervention occurs, and send follow-up emails the same day.
Request records and notes. Compare with your own timeline.
Correct errors. Write point by point what is incorrect and attach evidence.
If the handling is deficient: report to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO) or IVO if there is a care element involved.

Checklist: written timeline (save as an attachment)

Date when you learned about the report of concern (and how: letter, phone, via a relative).
What you have said so far (briefly, facts).
Which meetings have been scheduled and with whom.
Which documents you have requested and response dates.
Which support measures you actually want, if any.
Who can testify or provide written documentation for you.

Common situations and how you can think

Domestic violence: The social services can offer protected conversations and support. You do not need to continue living with the perpetrator to receive help. Document threats and police reports if they exist.

Substance abuse: Voluntary interventions are common. Coercion under LVM requires specific conditions.

"The neighbor is worried": A report can be based on misunderstandings. A written response with facts (rent paid, doctor's visit, work) can conclude the matter more quickly.

Concern report for adult mental health: what happens?

A concern report for adult mental health does not automatically lead to compulsory care. The social services first assess whether you can receive voluntary support: conversations, housing support, a contact person, or referral to healthcare. You can decline conversations, but they can still document the concern and in some cases make outreach contact.

LPT (psychiatric compulsory care) is a different process than the social services' concern report. It requires specific medical and legal conditions. Request a written statement on which law they rely on, and distinguish between the Social Services Act and psychiatry. Document meetings and request notes before deciding on interventions.

Concern report for an elderly person: how to proceed and what happens

A concern report for an elderly person is made to the social services in the municipality where the person resides, often via the reception for the elderly, dementia care, home care services, or emergency social services. Describe specific incidents: missed meals, falls, insecurity, financial exploitation, or the person being unable to manage independently. Call 112 in case of immediate danger.

For the elderly person who has been reported, the same main rule applies as for other adults: reporting is not mandatory. Social services can offer home care, emergency alarms, or family support. The LVU does not apply. The longer review – how to report, what happens, home care, dementia, and financial exploitation – is available in the guide on concern reports for elderly persons.

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Common questions about concern reports for adults

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How does one make a concern report for an adult?

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Contact the social services at the municipality's reception for adults, describe specific incidents with dates, and clearly distinguish if children are also at risk. Call 112 in case of immediate danger.