About Riksförbundet Frivilliga Samhällsarbetare (RFS)
RFS in short
RFS is a non-profit organisation with more than 40 local chapters and 4,000 members who carry out legally regulated voluntary assignments. “Voluntary community workers” is the collective term for all the roles within our organisational umbrella.
RFS is religiously and politically independent, and was founded in 1968 at the initiative of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service and several supervision associations.
Our members
Our members are voluntary community workers who carry out non-profit assignments regulated by law. They make a difference by reducing isolation in remand centers, prisons, and within psychiatric care, providing social support, or safeguarding legal and financial rights as legal guardians, conservators, or specially appointed custodians.
Our local chapters
We have local chapters from Luleå in the north to Trelleborg in the south, and from Gotland in the east to Gothenburg in the west. They organise meetups for exchanging experiences, training sessions, and information meetings, and collaborate with authorities, municipalities, and other organisations.
Contact us
As a member, you are welcome to get in touch with us for support and advice.
Phone hours: Mondays 13:00–15:00 and Thursdays 09:00–11:00.
At times we may not be able to answer and then we kindly ask you to email info@rfs.se.
Which are the non-profit assignments regulated by law?
RFS organises voluntary community workers with legally regulated voluntary assignments. These assignments include legal guardians and conservators, support persons and contact persons, assistant supervisors, visitors to remand centers and prisons, and trustees.
There are also assignments such as specially appointed custodians, guardians for unaccompanied minors, and contact or support families.
Why is the support important?
For the client, or patient recieving the support, the volunteer community worker may be the only contact in his or her life who is not a public official. The volunteer contributes to everyday conversations aimed at helping the client or patient feel comfortable and well.
The volunteer community worker could help out with the following things:
- Provide support and companionship
- Assist with personal matters
- Help expand the patient or client´s social network
- Support his or her contact with public authorities