On 24–25 June 2025, representatives of the National Preventive Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (KMPT) visited the Social Welfare Home in Bolesławiec. The inspection was preventive in nature and was conducted without prior notice. The facility at 17 Piastów Street is intended for 48 elderly people—this was the number of residents staying there at the time of the inspection.
One of the most serious allegations concerned the director of the Social Welfare Home initially refusing inspectors access to residents’ medical records and personal files. The documents were made available only halfway through the second day of the inspection, which, according to KMPT, significantly hindered the performance of its statutory inspection mandate. The report also drew attention to the unprofessional manner in which director Bogusław Szeffs communicated with representatives of the Commissioner for Human Rights—he allegedly addressed them using the informal “you” or the word “dear”.
The inspectors also pointed to the problem of exceeding the permitted number of residents. The documentation shows that during some periods as many as 52–53 residents stayed at the Social Welfare Home, even though the voivode’s permit provides for a maximum of 48 places. KMPT emphasizes that such a practice increases the risk of improper treatment of residents, especially in the event of staff shortages.
The report also reveals shortcomings in record-keeping. The Social Welfare Home did not maintain a register of extraordinary incidents or a register of the use of direct coercive measures, even though care reports described situations such as residents’ falls and interventions by emergency medical teams. According to KMPT, such incidents should be formally recorded.
The provisions of the Residents’ Regulations raised serious concerns. The inspectors deemed it unlawful, among other things, to allow residents to be “disciplined” by withholding payments from their deposits, transferring them to other rooms, or through provisions permitting personal searches and searches of personal belongings. KMPT emphasizes that human rights and freedoms cannot be restricted by a facility’s internal regulations.
The report also highlighted an insufficient number of caregivers. The Social Welfare Home employs 12 caregivers, with two people working each shift—both day and night. According to KMPT, the staff are overburdened, which may lead to professional burnout and a decline in the quality of care provided to residents.
In total, the National Preventive Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture issued 19 detailed recommendations for the director of the Social Welfare Home and one for the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office. They include, among other things, adjusting the number of residents to the permit, changing the regulations, improving medical and complaints procedures, increasing the number of staff and removing architectural barriers.
The Commissioner for Human Rights’ report is preventive in nature and, as emphasized, is neither disciplinary nor investigative proceedings. Its purpose is to improve the facility’s operation and ensure that residents of the Social Welfare Home in Bolesławiec have dignified, safe living conditions and that their rights are fully respected.
Despite a personal promise from the head of the Social Welfare Home, we received no explanation for two months.