A socially sustainable Västerås

Västerås aims to be a municipality where everyone can live a safe, dignified, and equal life, regardless of age, ability, or financial circumstances. Shared welfare is a cornerstone of this community-building effort. In a society based on solidarity, we help one another—each according to their ability, to each according to their need. There must be housing, transportation, and urban planning that take into account people’s different circumstances throughout their lives. We believe there must be freedom of choice, predictability, and real influence over the initiatives implemented so that Västerås can be a good municipality to live in and grow old in.

Social inequality in Sweden and in Västerås has grown. Far too many people are living in insecurity, under harsh working conditions, and under financial strain. At the same time, market-driven policies and privatization have weakened democratic control over the welfare system. The Left Party wants to reverse this trend.

Social policy work in Västerås will be characterized by early and preventive measures, strong publicly funded municipal services, respect for human rights and self-determination, and close collaboration with civil society.

Combating violence in all its forms is a fundamental issue of gender equality. Men’s violence against women is one of our most serious social problems and requires strong, long-term, and preventive measures. At the same time, we know that people with disabilities, older adults, and those with substance use disorders are also at increased risk of experiencing violence. The Left Party wants Västerås to take a comprehensive approach by strengthening preventive efforts, securing long-term funding for women’s shelters and other non-profit organizations, improving expertise within social services, schools, and care, and ensuring that support services are accessible to everyone regardless of functional ability, age, or life situation.

To ensure that everyone can live a good life, we need stronger collaboration, both with the region and with civil society. Many people have needs that span multiple areas of responsibility, where healthcare, social support, and rehabilitation must work together. Through better collaboration with the region, efforts can become more cohesive and effective. At the same time, civil society organizations play a crucial role through their commitment, local roots, and knowledge of people’s real needs. Non-profit organizations, associations, and volunteers contribute to community, social activities, and support that complement municipal care. Through structured collaboration, loneliness can be counteracted and quality of life improved for many. We view the IOPs (ideal-based public partnerships) that the municipality has with civil society very positively and wish to further strengthen them. In Västerås, we will collaborate broadly and work with a long-term perspective. This will better equip us to create security, reduce vulnerability, and build a society where no one is left behind.

Elderly Care

Elderly care should give everyone the opportunity to age with security, independence, and respect. Today, staff are under pressure from heavy workloads, micromanagement, and a lack of resources, which negatively affects both the work environment and the quality of care.

Elderly care faces major challenges as the population ages and needs change. The municipality must plan for a growing number of older adults with more complex needs and ensure that resources, staff, and housing options are in place in a timely manner.

A particularly important issue is access to dementia care facilities. There must be enough places to meet the needs, and these facilities must be staffed with the right expertise. Dementia requires knowledge, continuity, and security, both for the person with the disease and for their relatives. The municipality has a responsibility to ensure that staff have the proper training and working conditions to provide care characterized by respect, security, and high quality.

At the same time, more older adults should be given the opportunity to continue living at home longer, if they so choose. This requires home care services that are flexible, person-centered, and based on the individual’s needs rather than rigid schedules. Preventive measures, rehabilitation, and close collaboration between different services are crucial for creating security in everyday life. We support the “my hours” concept, where older adults are given the opportunity to manage their own care based on their needs. When older adults are given the opportunity to live independently, both their quality of life and their sense of empowerment are strengthened.

For elder care to be sustainable over time, working conditions must be improved. Introducing a six-hour workday in elder care is an important step toward creating a more attractive workplace, reducing sick leave, and improving the quality of care. Staff who have the energy, enjoy their work, and stay on the job are essential for good elder care. It is an investment in both the work environment and quality, not an expense.

Welfare technology also needs to play a larger and more prominent role. Digital solutions, safety-enhancing technology, and smart assistive devices can contribute to greater independence, a better work environment, and more efficient care when used correctly. Technology should be a support, never a substitute for human contact, and should always be based on the needs and dignity of older adults.

The municipality needs to take greater responsibility for elder care by providing more services directly. A strong municipal system ensures greater transparency, stronger democratic oversight, and the ability to organize care based on quality and need rather than profit motives.

Elderly care that is characterized by security, quality, and dignity requires political priorities. It is a responsibility we owe to both today’s and tomorrow’s elderly, and a measure of the kind of society we want to help build.

The Left Party in Västerås wants to:

• Abolish the Freedom of Choice Act (LOV) in elder care
• Eliminate the minute-by-minute monitoring in home care services
• Ensure that our elderly are provided with the right type of housing
• Introduce the “My Hours” concept
• Introduce a six-hour workday in elder care
• Increase compensation for home care services

People with disabilities

In Västerås, everyone should have the opportunity to live a dignified life, with the ability to make choices about their free time, their work situation, and their family life. We want to see a Västerås where all residents are treated with respect and feel safe. People with disabilities are a group that often faces discrimination in society, but that has no place in a Västerås for everyone.

To improve the circumstances for people with disabilities, a holistic approach is needed that places the individual’s rights, needs, and dreams at the center. A fundamental starting point must be self-determination and genuine influence over the services they receive. Support provided under, for example, the LSS (Act on Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments) and the SoL (Social Services Act) should not be designed based on what is most practical for the organization, but rather on what creates security, participation, and quality of life for the individual. Being able to participate in making decisions about one’s daily life—how one lives, works, and spends one’s time—is crucial to feeling dignity and control.

It is equally important that people with disabilities are treated as full-fledged human beings and citizens, and not reduced to their disability or their support needs. The municipality’s services must be characterized by respect and inclusion. This concerns how people are treated, language use, and attitudes, but also how services are designed in practice. Services provided under the LSS must also be of good and consistent quality. When people feel seen and respected, both trust and the opportunity for an independent life increase.

The Left Party in Västerås is committed to ensuring that people can transition from subsidized employment to the regular job and education market. The municipality needs to actively work to remove barriers and create flexible pathways forward, in collaboration with employers, education providers, and other stakeholders. With the right support, more people can have the opportunity to study, work, and contribute based on their individual circumstances, which strengthens both the individual and society as a whole.

The way we plan and build affects us all, but for people with disabilities, it can be crucial to their ability to participate fully in society. In physical urban planning, we need to take into account physical, intellectual, and psychological accessibility. This requires awareness, innovative solutions, and dialogue with civil society. Everyone should be able to move freely in Västerås.

The Left Party in Västerås wants to:

• Introduce a six-hour workday in more organizations that work closely with the target group
• Increase support for civil society organizations
• Establish at least one IOP with civil society to strengthen the rights of the target group
• Strengthen the target group’s participation and self-determination
• Work to ensure a robust personal assistance program run by the municipality
• Offer professional development for staff working under the LSS and SoL
• Promote more accessible urban planning

Social Services

Social services are a central part of the welfare system and a crucial player in the fight against inequality and social vulnerability. Social services should not be treated as a last resort, but rather as an early and supportive force. Social services work with people in vulnerable life situations and should be characterized by security, professionalism, and trust.

A key responsibility of the municipality is to reduce homelessness. No one should have to go without a safe home. This requires long-term housing solutions, preventive measures, and a clear focus on housing as a social right. Social services must be given the resources to work proactively and in a coordinated manner, with interventions based on the individual’s needs rather than temporary emergency solutions. We want to move from emergency housing solutions to permanent housing by offering housing first or transitional housing that leads to a home of one’s own.

Västerås needs to take more significant steps to protect children and young people who are at risk of harm. Early intervention, accessible support for families, and close collaboration with schools and other stakeholders are crucial for identifying problems in a timely manner. When society fails to protect children, the consequences extend well into adulthood. Therefore, the child’s perspective must always be the guiding principle, and social services must have both the resources and the mandate to act when children are at risk of becoming vulnerable. One example of early support within the family is to develop family therapy and offer social home care services to families with particularly high needs in order to avoid out-of-home placements.

Social services play a key role in curbing the growth of and recruitment into criminal activity. This requires both a society that lays a solid foundation and social services that have the tools to intervene early and take preventive action. For those who want to leave a life of crime, it is important that we have a well-developed exit program. But social services cannot do this alone. That is why we want to strengthen collaboration with the police, schools, and after-school programs.

People who use substances harmfully or are dependent on them should be treated with compassion, respect, and access to support—not with stigma or punishment. We see a need for the municipality to strengthen its collaboration with the region to ensure low-threshold services that are easily accessible, flexible, and tailored to the individual’s needs. This involves ensuring rapid access to care and treatment, outreach services, needle exchange programs, supported housing, and coordinated efforts between social services and addiction treatment. No one should fall through the cracks due to jurisdictional issues or bureaucratic obstacles. By establishing long-term agreements between the municipality and the region, we can create a cohesive care chain where people receive support early on and on their own terms.

Strong protection for financial assistance is a matter of basic security. No one should have to live without the means to pay rent, buy food, or afford medication. Financial assistance should function as the ultimate safety net it is intended to be, without unnecessarily strict requirements or legally uncertain application. The municipality has a responsibility to ensure that assistance is fair, predictable, and adjusted to actual living costs.

In addition to financial assistance, it is important that Västerås offers a wide range of both employment opportunities and educational programs that lead to jobs for those of us who are furthest from the labor market. One example of this is Fontänhus, an initiative based on creating a community for people with mental health challenges, where they receive support, feel included, and have the opportunity to grow together with others.

The Left Party in Västerås has long advocated that no child should grow up in poverty in Västerås. For us, this perspective permeates all of our policies. It encompasses everything from additional summer vacation support in financial assistance to ensuring that a child’s ability to participate in extracurricular activities is never determined by their parents’ financial situation.

For social services to function effectively, greater trust is also needed. People seeking support should be met with respect, sensitivity, and understanding—not suspicion or bureaucratic obstacles. Trust is built through continuity, clear communication, and by allowing room for professional judgment. When people feel confident in social services, the potential for lasting and positive change also increases.

Social services therefore need to be even more present where people are and live. We want to continue collaborating with the community service centers and family centers in the city’s neighborhoods, so that it is easy for residents of Västerås to get help and support early on.

The Left Party in Västerås wants to:

• School social work teams at all elementary schools
• Establish preschool social teams
• Continue to strengthen collaboration with civil society
• Introduce social home care services for families
• Start a Fontänhus in Västerås