∘ Valentyna Nykolaieva ∘
SPECIFICATION OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE SOCIAL WORK SYSTEM IN DEVELOPED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Annotation. The article deals with an example of the organization and implementation of effective social policy and social work system. Typical models of social policy and social work and their characteristics are described. The main emphasis is on forms of cooperation between the public and the authorities, research on public opinion, the implementation of public control and the introduction of social contracting. The study of the many years of experience of the EU countries undoubtedly represents a significant interest from academics, civil servants and civil society representatives in introducing separate provisions for the development of the social work system in Ukrainian society.

Key words: social policy, social work, social contracting, public control. deinstitutionalization. 

Introduction

The need for social policy a quick and radical reform of the basic social institutions of Ukrainian society in the face of military aggression has placed the greatest challenges facing Ukrainian society since independence. On the one hand, the dramatic events that are taking place contribute to the unification and self-awareness of the Ukrainian political nation, reveal the great potential of civil self-organization existing in society, and, on the other, exacerbate the issues of ensuring all components of the social work system.

In such conditions, the basic parameters of social security have deteriorated considerably (primarily as a result of military aggression in the east), therefore more attention should be paid to overcoming the threats associated with it (unemployment, poverty, depopulation, low social protection, poor physical and social well-being of the population, as well as the consequences of military aggression, dead, wounded and their families, the need for adaptation and rehabilitation of combatants, about 1.5 million internally displaced persons with all the problems that arise from it). The systematization of obstacles, disruptions and negative consequences of long-term critical instability has identified the threats to social security, namely: increase of real social risks and dangers, limitation of human development opportunities, imbalance of social policy and sustainable development, non-acceptance of social responsibility by subjects of social policy, excessive centralization of the latter, the weak role of civil society in shaping social policy and national security, and the low level of public democratization their relations. The experience of implementing social policy and social work in the European Union has shown that these countries have gone from philanthropy to social support of the population to the formation of a "welfare state", which guarantees to its citizens the optimal system of social security and social protection.

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As you know, social work is an effective mechanism for implementing social policy tasks and programs. First of all, in today's conditions, the key influence on the development of social policy in the EU countries is four main trends [Skurativsky V., 2002 ]:

1)   significant demographic changes, the essence of which is the general aging of the population in the member states of the European Union and the increase in the number of elderly people;

2)   enhancing the participation of women in the labor market and changes in the gender balance;

3)   the existence of a rather high level of unemployment, especially among older people;

4)   faster growth of households in comparison with population growth, in particular, increase in the number of non-working households.

The strategy of the social policy of the member states of the European Union is aimed at ensuring a stable living standard of the population, raising the level of employment, reducing inequalities in income, strengthening social protection of the population and eliminating poverty. Social policy defines the priority areas of social services. These priorities vary with the specific conditions of the socio-economic development of a country.

For the paternalistic model of social policy and social work typical of attempts to achieve efficiency, using funds to provide assistance to the neediest members of society who are unable to provide themselves. Compared to others, it differs from the low level of participation of the state in solving social problems. The main burden of social security is borne by the family and private benefactors.

In many countries, the EU uses a corporatist model of social policy and social work. The corporatism model is characterized by the legislative co-ownership of state and public structures in solving the problems of the individual, group, and community. The state delegates some of the social protection responsibilities (and especially social insurance) to professional, religious and other voluntary organizations, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity.

The main functions of social security belong to industrial corporations and trade unions. At the regional and local levels, social associations are engaged in local associations of entrepreneurs, trade unions and the state (Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, some elements in France and Italy). In particular, for the Netherlands, and in many respects, Belgium is characterized by the so-called "sectorization" (the interests of different groups of the population are separate structures). Many organizations that deal with social protection and the provision of individual social services were formed as "sectoral", privately managed, but mainly financed by the state. At the same time, local authorities created social services only where such initiatives are absent.

The statist model of social policy focuses on a centralized, extensive (quantitatively expanding) and expensive social security system. Efforts to ensure equality lead to strong state participation in social services and social assistance payments; control over the implementation of state social policy is carried out by local authorities accountable to the central government (Scandinavian States). The main part of protection is provided through employment of the population.

For the countries of Central, Western and Northern Europe are the main corporatist and statist model of social protection Romance language-speaking used primarily paternalistic state. In Scandinavian countries there are mixed models, in which there is a contradiction between corporatist and statist models.

The main directions of social work in European developed countries include:

- social work in the community (community social development is a practical model of social work in many countries of the modern world. The purpose of this activity is to improve social and economic living conditions of people through their social integration and activation.);

- street social work ("outreach work" - method of interaction with vulnerable groups of clients (drug users, men and women of commercial sex, people without a definite place of residence);

- social work in health care institutions (protection of patients' rights, social adaptation of sick people to stay outside the hospital after the end of treatment, organization of care and medical care for sick people at home after a course of intensive care, occupational therapy for the disabled);

- preventive social work (prevention of risks and diseases, drug addiction, alcoholism, development of programs for the improvement of the population);

- social work in educational institutions (working with children and students who are difficult to adapt to new educational programs); helping to protect the social rights of students; in student dormitories they help students to organize their social life and effectively solve their problems; help foreign students who come to exchange training);

- social work at enterprises (development of human potential, prevention of unemployment, organization of retraining and retraining, vocational training, psychological adaptation of workers, forced to change occupation);

- social work in the system of law enforcement agencies (assistance to the investigation to prepare the necessary documents for judicial authorities, the participation of a social worker in court proceedings. In a court, a social worker acts as an attorney or a defender of the interests of clients, often minors, the disabled or the elderly);

- social work in penitentiary institutions (counseling of prisoners, as well as assistance in their adaptation to life in isolation from society. Some specialists are engaged in psychiatry and carry out duties of medical workers in prison medical services);

- social work in gerontological centers (improvement of the social security system, strengthening the support of the elderly from the family and relatives. In work with elderly people in special gerontological centers, in hospitals, semi-medical centers, centers of day-care, social workers provide social-medical, social-pedagogical, psychological services);

- "supervision" in social work (there are experts - supervisors who carry out educational, supporting, controlling functions for solving professional burnout problems and raising the level of professionalism of social workers);

- social work with migrants and refugees (labor and professional adaptation of migrants, solution of their material difficulties, formation of a harmonious system of relations between migrants and the local population, formation of a system of legal protection of migrants, the suppression and prevention of all forms of discrimination);

- social work with people with disabilities (counseling services and support, care, support, living in social families or homes, implementation of the right to work for people with disabilities, organization of group accommodation or accommodation with services).

Much of the programs of social protection and social work in foreign countries are carried out by organizations that are not public social services. Such organizations exist for many decades, operate simultaneously in several countries and have established themselves as effective actors of social work at the international level. Among them are the UN Children's Fund or UNICEF, the International Religious and Philanthropic Organization "Salvation Army", the International Movement "Anonymous Drug Users and Anonymous Addicts", the International Red Cross, the Amnesty International Organization, International Federation of Social Workers.

It is necessary to draw attention to the forms of cooperation between the public and the authorities that are widespread in democratic West European countries:

- public councils, which carry out not only advisory and advisory functions, but also provide public control over the activities of government bodies in certain spheres;

- public discussion (organization and holding of conferences, forums, public hearings, meetings, round tables, meetings, meetings with the public, TV or radio debates, Internet conferences, electronic consultations);

- social monitoring;

- creation of coalitions;

- civil education;

- public examination;

- active participation of public associations in shaping public opinion, public policy, as well as its implementation and evaluation.

Considerable attention is paid to the study of public opinion, carried out through sociological research and observation; creation of telephone hotlines, monitoring of comments, reviews, interviews, other materials in printed and electronic mass media to determine the position of different social groups and stakeholders, etc.

Public control over the activities of executive authorities in solving problems of critical public importance occurs in the form of public monitoring of the preparation and implementation of decisions, examination of their effectiveness, submission of expert proposals to executive authorities).

Therefore, in accordance with the above principles, social services must be decentralized, self-managed, of adequate quality, and state intervention in the process of providing them is minimal. In these countries, in the process of decentralization of social services, the state delegates to local authorities, non-governmental organizations (hereinafter - NGOs) the authority, resources and responsibility for the provision of many types of such services. As a result of the application of social contracting, the role of the state and local authorities in providing social services has changed significantly: they gradually withdrew from direct provision of services, and began to identify and exhibit 168 social services for the tender, to conclude relevant contracts, while retaining the right to monitor the implementation of the contract, quality of services and use of the provided funds. The task of officials of local government and self-government bodies in the process of social contracting was: definition of types of social services; organizing a competition for their purchase; promotion of the market for social services. As a result, the state and local authorities have been able to focus their efforts on prioritizing, shaping social policy and making important decisions in the social services delivery system as their core function. In the studied countries, non-profit organizations account for more than half of the total number of providers of social services. Involving such organizations in the provision of social services has made it possible to gain an important advantage, bringing them value added, that is, additional benefits for these services (the best price, quality of service, etc.).

In recent years, modernization of the social services system has been actively and widely implemented in institutions and EU countries. An important role in modernizing the system of providing social services is given to the development and implementation of innovative tools, mechanisms that, through regulatory acts, regulate the managerial influence of the state in this area. Among European scholars, researchers and specialists in the social sphere, discussions are under way on the definition of a new value and format of social services in a market economy, the development and implementation of mechanisms that are adequate to market conditions and competition. The basis of the modernization reforms is the idea of integrating the activities of state, profit and non-profit organizations into a single effective system of social services provision, which should guarantee the choice and reception of a client of the highest quality social services at minimal expenses from its state financing.

The inadmissibility of providing a person with the same payments in different member states. Such payments should be understood as those having the same purpose, object and basis of payment. Other criteria are formal and therefore they do not play a decisive role. If an employee is subject to social insurance in several EU member states, then, in fact, he can receive payments in different countries. Such a right is limited to a named principle, which is detailed and implemented in member countries in accordance with their national legislation.

According to national laws, the amount of benefits is different. Information on the size of the payments should be transparent, so that workers can choose what is more profitable for them. No employee may be deprived of the right to such a choice. This principle requires the member states to develop a common concept for the classification of benefits and the order in which they are provided. In particular, special funds have been created to redistribute funds for social protection between member states.

One of the ways of reforming the system of social protection is also to take into account the material condition of a person in order to provide it directly to the needy of help, and not to someone who can provide for himself. This method is most commonly used by the UK. The material state of a person is taken into account when paying 34% of all types of benefits.

Most European Union countries currently have social assistance programs that form a national social security network. It is worth noting that European governments try to reduce the level of payments, especially for the unemployed, and maintain incentives for work. Despite the existence of a complex system of social protection, the provision of assistance of various types, the dominant norm in the EU countries is that young people and middle-aged people, and more recently women, must be active in the labor market for help. Higher levels of assistance and longer payouts reduce the desire of employees to look for a job or accept a job offer, which does not accelerate the reduction in the number of unemployed.

The European model of the deinstitutionalization of the system of social work and support for vulnerable groups of the population is currently considered the most balanced and effective, especially in the first place, this applies to orphans and children deprived of parental care. The development of this model contributed to reforms in public administration and improvement of its mechanisms: legal, socio-economic, organizational, informational, and others. The public administration has played a dominant role in reforming the system of social work with families with children.

Deinstitutionalization is the basis for the development of modern and effective services for children and families and a catalyst and a source of funding for these improved services provided that they are properly managed. If deinstitutionalization is appropriately and carefully implemented, most of the problems of children and families in the community can be solved.

In the European Union, children are temporarily excommunicated from families only for their protection and safety, after all possible ways to support and preserve the family have been exhausted. Many developed countries (Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, USA, Israel) have recognized the policy of deinstitutionalization as an optimal tool for the placement of orphans, children deprived of parental care and children with disabilities. In these countries, various forms of substitution paternity (foster care, patronage families) are widely used in implementing the policy of deinstitutionalization of children.

Thus, foreign experience implies different mechanisms for overcoming orphanhood in their national states. Most states have similar practices in introducing deinstitutionalization models, but almost every country, drawing on foreign experience, adapts it to its realities. It is the implementation of European experience that will help Ukraine create the preconditions for the gradual reformation of residential institutions through the search for preventive mechanisms that will help to prevent the institutionalization of children; elaboration of the system of social services for vulnerable families with children; development of new principles of cooperation between public authorities, social protection institutions for children and public organizations.

Interestingly, in our opinion, there is social service in the EU countries of the elderly. Proceeding from the fact that in the European countries' program documents, which define the vector of social policy development, home care, family-type services, priority is given to institutional care, the initiatives on the necessary increase of public expenditure for integrated care at the community level, on the improvement of coordination between medical and social services and to further reduce inpatient care for the elderly.

The most effective forms of placement are family and transitional forms of the placement of the elderly, the following (in order to weaken the family component) are allocated: the family of adoptive parents, guardian and patronage families, family homes of the elderly, temporary (fostering) foster families. 

Conclusions

However, it should be noted that the Ukrainian government can not support the level of taxation that exists in the countries of the European Union, and at the same time the high rates of growth needed to reduce poverty. Therefore, the use of universal social security systems of this type, which exist in many Western European countries, should be avoided.

In our opinion, there is no exhausted, single way of solving unemployment problems and overcoming poverty. It all depends on the specific economic situation in the country and the determined priorities of development, history and mentality of the people.

A study of the experience of the EU member states is needed in order to outline the lessons of constructing and reforming the social work system. After all, the goal of the state policy of the EU member states is not only economic growth and efficiency; the policy they pursue concerns the equalization of living conditions, social justice, social protection, unity and stability.

The foreign experience of social work represents for us, undoubtedly, a considerable theoretical and practical interest. But at the same time, we must be conscious of the need to develop our own conceptual ideas as technologies for the implementation of social and socio-pedagogical work, taking into account the peculiarities of historical development and the current state of the social situation in our country, as well as our own model of training of the relevant professional staff. The problem lies in the study and well-balanced adaptation of the best of foreign countries with the obligatory consideration of the peculiarities of our country. 

References

1. Скуратівський В., 2002, Соціальна політика в контексті європейської стратегії України. Вісник УАДУ при Президентові України. С. 298–302.

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