Abstract
The relevance of the article is highlighted by the need to introduce integrated social services at the local level in the context of decentralization of power and amalgamation of territorial communities. The purpose of the article is to analyze the existing approaches to the integration of social services and determine the possibilities of their application in the context of decentralization of social services at the local level in Ukraine. It is established that the implementation of an integrated approach to the provision of social services at the local level requires preliminary assessment, planning, and cooperation based on setting of the common goals and objectives, clear distribution of functions, introduction of financial and/or administrative incentives for cooperation, elimination of factors that would cause competition between service providers, and development of social service providers capacity in areas of planning, evaluation and management.
Highlights
The reform of social services system that is currently taking place in Ukraine in the context of decentralization of power and amalgamation of territorial communities encompasses the implementation of an integrated approach to their provision
In Ukraine, social services are understood as: (a) a complex of measures on rendering assistance in solving social problems of individuals and social groups who are in difficult life circumstances and cannot overcome them themselves; (b) services provided in case of insured accident, such as unemployment, retirement, professional illness, etc. as a part of obligatory state social insurance (Smith, 2014); (c) services provided by social work professionals and funded mainly at the expense of local and state budgets, grants, charitable assistance, etc. (Kuts, Krasnoperova, 2006, p. 15-16)
The term "personal social services" is used by the Council of Europe to differentiate them from other standardized services that are provided to certain social categories on a common basis (Munday Brian, 2007, p. 10)
Summary
The reform of social services system that is currently taking place in Ukraine in the context of decentralization of power and amalgamation of territorial communities encompasses the implementation of an integrated approach to their provision. Despite the fact that the Strategy for the Development of Social Services in Ukraine until 2020 envisages such an approach, its implementation is being hampered. The newly created communities are not interested in setting up their own structures for social services provision in situation when there are similar institutions at the district and regional levels that provide similar services on a contractual basis. The lack of understanding of the core of social services integration, its advantages and limitations, mechanisms of implementation is observed on the part of authorities of amalgamated territorial communities (ATC), social services providers of various forms of ownership, and services consumers. Ambiguity of the very concept of services integration, the presence of different approaches and ways of its implementation should be taken into account
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