SOCIAL WORK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL SERVICES

veiksmingų socialinių paslaugų teikimo formų. Sparti socialinių paslaugų plėtra turi įtakos ir naujiems sprendimams valstybės lygmeniu priimti. Todėl būtina peržiūrėti socialinių paslaugų valdymo, finansavimo klausimus, bendrą įstatyminę bazę. Teikiant socialinę paramą ir aktyvinant bendruomenę labai svarbus socialinių darbuotojų vaidmuo. Socialinis darbuotojas atlieka daugybę įvairiausių vaidmenų – yra patarėjas, tarpininkas, mokytojas, advokatas ir guodėjas. Dirbdamas bendruomenėje, socialinis darbuotojas suburia žmones ir mobilizuoja juos spręsti bendras problemas. Akivaizdu, kad nuo socialinio darbuotojo profesionalumo priklauso socialinio darbo kokybė, todėl pastaruoju metu ypač daug dėmesio skiriama socialinių darbuotojų mokymui ir jų darbui vertinti. Naujoji Vyriausybė numato esminių darbų ir pokyčių daugelyje socialinės paramos sričių. Baigiama rengti invalidumo nustatymo ir socialinės apsaugos priemonių neįgaliesiems reformos koncepcija. Reformos esmė – teisę į piniginę ir kitas pagalbos formas turi nulemti darbingumo ir darbo pajamų praradimo, specialių poreikių bei aplinkybių veiksniai, o ne priklausymas tam tikrai socialinei grupei. Ateityje numatoma peržiūrėti pensijų mokėjimą, atsižvelgiant į reabilitacijos, darbingumo ir darbo užmokesčio praradimo veiksnius. Numatoma iš esmės peržiūrėti socialinės paramos šeimoms politiką, daugiausia dėmesio kreipiant sudaryti sąlygas pačiai šeimai save išlaikyti, rūpintis savo vaikais, jų užimtumu. O tai neįmanoma be darbo garantijų, būsto įsigijimo sąlygų gerinimo. Akivaizdu, kad reikalingos ir naujos socialinės paslaugos nedarnioms, konfliktuojančioms šeimoms, nes šeimoje kylančių nesutarimų padarinius gerai jaučiame visi – daugėja be tėvų globos liekančių vaikų. Dėl nedarnos ir konfliktų šeimoje, problemų mokykloje daugėja mokyklų nelankančių, valkataujančių ir nusikaltimus padariusių vaikų. Atėjo laikas imtis kardinalių sprendimų ir vaikų globos klausimais. Čia nemažai nuveikta, priimti reikiami įstatymai, kodeksai, tačiau reikia principinių ir racionalių sprendimų. Būtina peržiūrėti vaikų globos finansavimo klausimus, sudaryti realias sąlygas vaikų globai šeimoje, mažinti neracionaliai ir neveiksmingai dirbančias vaikų globos institucijas. Vykdant esminius pertvarkymus ir priimant nepopuliarius sprendimus jautrioms socialinėms grupėms, tokioms kaip neįgalieji, pagyvenę žmonės, šeimos, auginančios vaikus, labai svarbi tampa socialinių darbuotojų veikla ir jų pagalba. Todėl reikia pabrėžti informacijos teikimo ir aiškinamojo darbo svarbą. Šioje srityje socialinių darbuotojų laukia ypač atsakingas darbas. Tikiu, kad jūsų noras ir ryžtas, žinios ir kantrybė, o svarbiausia – neabejingumas kitų skausmui ir negandoms padės mums visiems siekti norimo tikslo – padėti kitiems. Linkiu sėkmės konferencijos darbe.


SOCIAL WORK AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY-BASED SOCIAL SERVICES Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
(Ministry of Social Security and Labour, Lithuania) Dear colleagues and guests, This is already the 4th international conference that has rallied social service organisers and providers from all Lithuania.
The economic and social changes of the past decade have touched all Lithuanian population.The formation of market relations, the growth of unemployment, and the decline of living standard influence human interaction and moral values.All this makes the Lithuanian society adjust to the changing living conditions and search for new solutions to the newly-arising social problems.
As the present conference is devoted to social work issues, I would like to stress one particular part of social care system that it is directly connected with social support and social services.
However social services are impossible without social workers.
What is the latest news in this area?The present Governmental program stresses that one of the most important social policy targets is "to build conditions for every person to manage his/ her own life, to create his/her future freely and responsibly and at the same time to help those who, because of circumstances beyond their control, are not able to take care of themselves." In order to implement this goal it is necessary to choose the way of reforms.However the previously adopted rational solutions must not be forgotten, either, as future cannot be created by ignoring the past.
One of such previously adopted important solutions in the area of social policy is the decentralisation of social support system.It is based on the reduction of influence of central authorities, on the growth of responsibility and competence of local municipal institutions and on the rise of personal responsibility of community and of each individual for his/her actions.
Surely, it is the community that is best aware of social problems encountered by its members.Without the vigorous actions carried out by citizens, non-governmental organisations, traditional religious communities and social partners it is difficult to expect good results of social policy implementation.
The program of the new Government provides the strengthening and development of community-based services, the encouragement of private initiative, the provision of social support on the grounds of possessed income tests, and the rejection of exceptional privileges that might be substituted with relieves.This would allow social support recipient to make up his/her mind himself/herself of who and what necessary social services to buy.It is clear that this only stresses each individual's right to choose but also underlines the municipality's obligation to organise special services as effectively as possible and to widen their range and accessibility.
It must be recognised that the co-operation among various social partners in the area of social services is not yet up to the mark.NGO representatives often complain that adequate conditions for their activities are not created, that they "are not satisfied with the Government's intention to interfere with NGO work, with the groundless control, accusations, distrust, and fault finding" (a quotation from NGO suggestions submitted to the Poverty reduction strategy program).
The principle of partnership among municipalities, NGO and private sector is currently one of the most important issues to be settled.
Speaking of community-based social service development (in 1996 there were 37 day-care centres; in 1999 their number totalled to 114), I would like to express my joy that a powerful push in the area of creation of day-care centres in our country was produced by the Community-based social service development project financed by joint funds provided by World Bank loan, the Swedish Government (SIDA) and Lithuanian municipalities.In pursuance of this project 13 social service centres of various types were created under 6 municipalities.All of them function successfully.Their experience is useful to all municipalities of Lithuania.I can say definitely that this project awoke the initiative of municipalities to look for new and effective forms of social service provision.
Rapid development of social services influenced also the adoption of new decisions on the governmental level.So its necessary to review the issues of social service management and financing, including the general legislative basis.
In social service provision and in community activation the basic role belongs to a social worker.The social worker plays a number of various roles.For example, he/she may act as an advisor, a mediator, a teacher, a lawyer and a comforter.When working within a community, the social worker brings people together and mobilises them for the solution of common problems.It is evident that the quality of social work depends on the professional level of social worker.So, the training of social workers and the assessment of their work quality is currently in the focus of attention.
The new Government envisages essential works and changes in a number of areas of social support.
The work on the conception of the reform in disability determination and social care measures for disabled people is almost completed.The main idea of the reform is the following: the right to monetary or other form of help must be determined by such factors as the loss of one's ability to work, the loss of income form one's work, the special needs and circumstances but not by the person's belonging to a certain social group.In future the pension payment is going to be revised taking into account such factors as rehabilitation, ability to work and loss of wages.
The policy of social support to families is going to be fundamentally revised.Basic attention is to be given to the creation of conditions enabling the family to maintain itself, take care of its children and their occupation.However this cannot be done unless employment is secured and better chances of dwelling acquisition are created.It is evident that ill-adapted conflicting families need new social services.All of us are fully aware of the results of family conflicts: the number of children neglected by their families is growing.Family discord, conflicts at home, and problems at school -increase the number of school dropouts, stray children and juvenile delinquents.
Time has come to make cardinal decisions in the area of children's care.A lot has been achieved, new laws and codes have been adopted, however principal and rational solutions are needed.It is necessary to review children's care financing issues, to create realistic conditions of children's domestic care, to cut down the number of children's care institutions unable to work rationally and effectively.
In the course of carrying out of essential restructuring work and of making decisions not popular among vulnerable social groups such as disabled, elderly, and families with children, social workers' activities and help provided by them becomes very important.So I would like to stress the importance of the work relating to the giving of information and explanation.In this area social workers will have to cope with especially responsible tasks.
I believe hat your will and readiness, your knowledge and patience, and , above all, your sensitiveness to other people's pain and suffering will help all of us to seek our desired goal -to help others.