SCIL (Screener for intelligence and mild intellectual disability)

Halt Foundation

The SCIL is a short test to recognise whether someone aged 14 years and above, has a suspected mild intellectual disability (LVB). The result of the SCIL is calculated using an algorithm. The SCIL helps Probation officers quickly see whether someone needs extra support. Examples: extra guidance with a learning and/or work assignment or shorter conversations.

Last change on 6th of November 2025, at 22:03 (CET) | Publication Standard 1.0

• Publication category: Other algorithms
• Impact assessment: DPIA
• Status: In use

General information

Theme

Law

Begin date

2018-04

Contact information

[e-mail]

Link to publication website

https://www.halt.nl/ik-moet-naar-halt/hoe-gaat-het-halt-traject

Link to source registration

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jar.12310

Responsible use

Goal and impact

The SCIL helps Halt gain insight into whether a young person may have a mild intellectual disability. This is important to be able to adapt to what the young person needs to go through the Halt intervention as well as possible. Adjustments can be made in the way the young person is treated, use of language and the need for (extra) support while going through the Halt intervention. If a young person and/or parent/guardian so wishes, the Halt staff member can refer them for further investigation, such as an intelligence test.

Considerations

Research shows that there are many people in the Netherlands with mild intellectual disabilities who are not known to have it. Because you cannot immediately see it in them (even trained social workers cannot) and because they themselves sometimes do not know it either, they are often not taken into account enough. Many of these young people get into trouble, for instance with the justice system or with Halt. Misunderstandings can arise there with unpleasant consequences for the young person. For example: a young person does not make the learning assignment. It then seems as if he is not doing his best, but actually the assignments are too difficult. Or a young person does not fulfil agreements and therefore does not seem to want to cooperate. This may also be because the young person needs more help remembering the appointment. Such examples can lead to the unjustified failure of the Halt intervention, which can lead to a criminal record. This is something we want to prevent. If we at Halt know that a person may have an LVB, we can provide better guidance, for example by giving him a little more attention and explanation and assessing the homework less strictly or offering it in steps. Permission to take the SCIL is requested in advance, and permission is also requested after sharing the results whether the outcome can be shared with the referrer (e.g. the police).

Human intervention

Halt works with the digital SCIL, which is administered by a Halt employee. The outcome of the SCIL helps in assessing a young person's support needs. There is a staff member who - in consultation with the young person and parents/guardians - decides in what way the outcome will be included in the Halt intervention.

The rules when the SCIL is taken:

• The young person is between 14 and 17 years old.
• Educational level up to VMBO TL or mbo level 3.
• It is not known whether the young person has an LVB and no SCIL was taken last year.
• The young person speaks (sufficient) Dutch.
• There are no addiction problems or acute psychiatric problems.

There may be two outcomes that are given automatically in the online environment after all answers have been completed:

1. Suspected LVB
2. No suspicion of an LVB

The Halt worker shares the outcome with young person and parents/carers. Should a suspicion of LVB come out, the staff member will ask whether this is recognised by the young person and parents/carers. Guidance will be adjusted by, among other things, providing more guidance/attention.

Risk management

What are the risks?

1. Privacy violation: the likelihood that the result of the SCIL will be shared even though explicit consent has not been given

2. Erroneous assessment: The SCIL gives insight into a suspicion of LVB, not a diagnosis

3. Language problems: The test is not suitable for people who do not speak sufficient Dutch. This can lead to misinterpretations

4. Stigma: People may feel unfairly labelled.

How are risks mitigated?

- Clearinghouse staff receive training in administering and interpreting the SCIL. The SCIL score is only used to supplement other information.

- Data on the SCIL score may only be stored and shared if consent is obtained from the young person and parents/carers.

- The SCIL is not taken from people who do not have sufficient command of the Dutch language.

- Probation officers also receive training in how to clearly discuss the results of the SCIL.

Legal basis

The law defines the tasks and powers of Halt. These tasks are performed by Halt on the basis of Article 77e of the Criminal Code (Sr), the Halt Regulation (February 2022) and the Decree Designating Halt Offences. Halt's statutory task is detailed in five main pillars:

1. Advising chain partners in the criminal justice chain on the deployment of a Halt intervention;

2. National coordination and implementation of Halt offences;

3. Further development and innovation of the work so that it matches current forms of youth crime and the living environment of young people;

4. Making a contribution to ZSM / (judicial) networks with the aim of the (preventive) approach to youth crime / settlement procedures for young people in the context of a Halt intervention;

5. Aftercare and warm transfer of juveniles to the local care or assistance domain.

The processing of personal data by Halt takes place for the fulfilment of a statutory task of general interest as referred to in Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The receipt and processing of (ordinary and criminal) personal data by Halt is regulated in:

- Article 8a in conjunction with Article 39e(1)(g) of the Judicial and Criminal Records Act (Wjsg);

- Article 18 of the Police Data Act (Wpg) and Article 4:2(1)(f) of the Police Data Decree;

- For data originating from special investigating officers (BOAs): Article 46 Wpg and the Police Data BOAs Decree.

The use of the SCIL fits within this legal task of Halt. The SCIL supports the execution of the judicial task by identifying a possible mild intellectual disability in young people, for the purpose of appropriate guidance during the Halt intervention.

Links to legal bases

• Article 77e Penal Code: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0001854&boek=Eerste&titeldeel=VIII_A&artikel=77e&z=2012-07-01&g=2011-07-02
• Scheme Halt 2022: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0047314&z=2022-10-19&g=2022-10-19
• Decision on designation of Halt offences 2024: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0049846&z=2024-07-01&g=2024-07-01
• Section 8a Judicial and Criminal Records Act: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0014194&titeldeel=2&afdeling=2&artikel=8a&z=2025-07-01&g=2025-07-01
• Section 39e Judicial and Criminal Records Act: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0014194&titeldeel=2A&afdeling=2&artikel=39e&z=2025-07-01&g=2025-07-01
• Article 18 Police Data Act: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0022463&paragraaf=3&artikel=18&z=2025-07-01&g=2025-07-01
• Section 4:2 Police Data Decree: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0023086&paragraaf=4&artikel=4:2&z=2025-09-05&g=2025-09-05
• Article 46 Police Data Act: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0022463&paragraaf=7&artikel=46&z=2025-07-01&g=2025-07-01
• Police Data Extraordinary Investigating Officers Decree: https://wetten.overheid.nl/jci1.3:c:BWBR0041971&z=2025-01-01&g=2025-01-01

Elaboration on impact assessments

The deployment of the SCIL within Halt has already taken into account the obligations under the AVG and the need to assess the potential risks to data subjects. In December 2021, Halt commissioned a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) on the Halt intervention process. The processing of personal data associated with taking and processing the SCIL fell within the scope of this DPIA. Based on the results, appropriate measures were taken to mitigate privacy risks.

The DPIA is reviewed once every five years, or sooner if relevant changes occur in the process, the systems used or the nature of data processing. As the processing of SCIL data is thus already covered within the existing DPIA and is reviewed periodically, Halt does not consider an additional or separate DPIA for the SCIL to be necessary.

Impact assessment

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

Operations

Data

The test uses answers to 14 questions on:

Education and counselling history

Contact with family and social support

Arithmetic skills and language comprehension

Links to data sources

SCIL manual: https://www.hogrefe.com/nl/shop/media/downloads/sample-reports/5702901_InkijkexemplaarHandleiding_Samplepages.pdf

Technical design

Each questionnaire is completed in a digital environment. Taking the questionnaire takes five to 10 minutes. Calculating the score is automatic. The score indicates whether an LVB may be present. The process is as follows:

1. A staff member asks a young person 14 questions.

2. The answers are entered in the online form by the staff member.

3. The score is automatically calculated online based on a fixed table.

4. The Halt staff member discusses the outcome of the SCIL with the young person and parent/carer

5. The Halt worker asks permission to record the outcome and share it with other professionals from the Child Protection Board, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the police, if the young person comes into contact with the police again.

External provider

The SCIL was developed by the following scientists: Hendrien Kaal, Henk Nijman and Xavier Moonen and is published by Hogrefe Publishers. Hogrefe Uitgevers is a scientific publisher.