Social Assistance System Research Articles

“A Charity institution with the spirit of Christianity and Royal Mercies”: Guardianship’s activities towards poor pupils of the Vologda Theological Seminary

Nowadays, the attention of researchers is being increasingly attracted by the activities of various charity organizations. Along with sufficient study of this issue, it should be noted that the activities of the regional church charity communities often go out of the field of historians’ consideration. This article is devoted to the analysis of the organization and the activity of the main structural element in the system of social assistance to the students of theological schools in the pre-revolutionary period — the Guardianship of poor pupils, which operated at the Vologda Theological Seminary from 1877 to 1918. The purpose of this authority was to provide material support to the needy students of the seminary. The materials from the Russian State Archive, the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian National Library, the State Archive of the Vologda Region, as well as the funds of the regional periodical press were used as the sources for this study. Most part of the presented material has been introduced into the scientific circulation for the first time. The purpose of the study is to highlight the activities of both the Guardianship itself and some outstanding persons, who made special contribution to the development of theological education in the Vologda Diocese through their participation in the work of the Guardianship. According to the results of the study, it was possible to establish that the Guardianship of poor pupils of the Vologda Seminary played an important, and in some cases even a key role in the material provision of seminary students and contributed to the significant development of the theological school.

The Brazilian System of Social Assistance and family centrality: problematizing in accuracies of the concept

Resumo: O artigo analisa imprecisões e dilemas conceituais do uso da centralidade da família como um dos eixos estruturantes da política de assistência social e do SUAS. Por meio de análise bibliográfica e documental, destaca tensões e contradições relativas à indefinição conceitual do termo. A análise ressalta o potencial contraditório de seu emprego no trabalho social com famílias, podendo contribuir tanto para garantia de direitos como para culpabilização de usuários por suas condições de vida.

Retrato da inserção de terapeutas ocupacionais no Sistema Único de Assistência Social

Abstract Introduction Since 2005, Brazilian cities have been adapting to organize teams and services of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), and since 2011, occupational therapy has been recognized as one of the professions that compose these teams and the management of SUAS. This study addresses how the category has been involved in this policy in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Objective To map the occupational therapists working at SUAS in this state and outline the characteristics of this inclusion. Methodology A descriptive, cross-sectional mapping study, using official data from the SUAS Census. Data were analyzed from a descriptive perspective, in dialogue with the National Social Assistance/Welfare Policy, the literature in the field of occupational therapy in social assistance, and under the framework of social occupational therapy. Results In the State of Rio de Janeiro, 142 occupational therapists work at SUAS, which is equivalent to 8.9% of the professionals in this state. This workforce is composed of women (89.4%) aged 41-50 years (34.5%), hired by Civil Society Organizations (93%), under the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) regime (50%), with a weekly workload of 11-20 hours (40.9%), mainly inserted in Day Centers (71%), working with people with disabilities and older people. Conclusion The inclusion of occupational therapists in SUAS of Rio de Janeiro state occurs precariously, with low insertion in this state’s devices. It highlights the need for representative entities of the class to act in this public policy as a promoter of expanding job opportunities/public contests/employment, as well as to invest in debates about team compositions and the recognition of different fields of knowledge.

Single Social Assistance System: impacts of coloniality and prospects for a decolonial turn

Resumo: Este artigo analisa as consequências dos desmontes ocorridos no Sistema Único de Assistência Social, sob a ótica do pensamento social decolonial. O estudo se concentra no período de 2016 a 2022, evidenciando um processo de destruição fundamentado em concepções higienistas, conservadoras e ultraneoliberais. Conclui-se pela necessidade de um enfoque decolonial, o que implica o fortalecimento dos projetos coletivos que valorizem a diversidade humana em condições igualitárias.

Occupational therapy actions in the Unified Social Assistance System (Brazilian Welfare System): Brazilian scientific production mapping

Resumo Desde a inserção formal de terapeutas ocupacionais no Sistema Único de Assistência Social (SUAS), o número desses profissionais trabalhando neste setor tem crescido no Brasil. Com base neste contexto, este artigo objetivou apreender como a literatura específica da área de terapia ocupacional tem proposto ou discutido a relação entre terapeutas ocupacionais e o SUAS no país. Realizou-se uma revisão integrativa de literatura em três periódicos nacionais indexados. Foram encontrados 20 textos, sendo 18 deles publicados nos Cadernos Brasileiros de Terapia Ocupacional. Nove artigos correspondem a relatos de experiências, sete se referem à proteção especial de média complexidade do SUAS e a população adulta em vulnerabilidade/risco social é a mais abordada. A terapia ocupacional social tem ofertado subsídios teóricos e metodológicos para atuação no setor da assistência social, sendo o referencial mais presente nas produções estudadas, as quais vêm crescendo no país. É notória a importância da categoria profissional nos equipamentos do SUAS para, junto às outras profissões, fazer frente às expressões da questão social. Espera-se que essa revisão de literatura possa contribuir para divulgar as práticas da profissão no SUAS e evidenciar os seus desafios, com vistas a fortalecer a atuação profissional neste setor.

Comparative Analysis of Social Assistance Systems in China and Singapore

Comparative Analysis of Social Assistance Systems in China and Singapore

A atuação da terapia ocupacional no Sistema Único de Assistência Social: mapeamento de produções científicas brasileiras

Abstract Since the formal inclusion of occupational therapists in the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), the number of these professionals working in this sector has grown in Brazil. Based on this context, this article aimed to understand how specific literature in the area of occupational therapy has proposed or discussed the relationship between occupational therapists and SUAS in the country. An integrative literature review was carried out in three indexed national journals. 20 texts were found, 18 of which were published in the Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy. Nine articles correspond to experience reports, seven refer to the medium-complexity special protection of SUAS and the adult population at social vulnerability/risk is the most addressed. Social occupational therapy has offered theoretical and methodological support for work in the social assistance sector, being the most present reference in the productions studied, which have been growing in the country. The importance of the professional category in the SUAS services is well known to, together with other professions, face the expressions of social issues. It is hoped that this literature review can contribute to disseminating the profession's practices in SUAS and highlighting its challenges, with a view to strengthening professional performance in this sector.

SUPPORT FOR THE ELDERLY IN POLAND - IN SEARCH OF NEW SOLUTIONS IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

According to the Central Statistical Office data, the share of older people, i.e., aged 60 years and more in the total of Polish population will be over 32% in 2060. Thus there is a necessity for actions aimed at supporting older citizens who require various support, depending on their health status, psycho-physical condition and individual needs. The spectrum of activities for older people should be wide and differentiated due to the internal diversity of the aging population. The purpose of the article is to deliberate strategic assumptions and examples of actions implemented in local communities, such as community-based services offered by the social assistance system, in the context of deinstitutionalization process. The article presents selected results of the latest work of the Institute of Labour and Social Affairs conducted within the project entitled "Development and pilot implementation of mechanisms and plans for the deinstitutionalisation of social services”, carried out jointly with the Ministry of Family and Social Policy.

Social services: a new dimension of help and support for the local community. Activities of Social Service Centres in the Lublin Region

A person at different moments in his life may need support and help. Often it is not about financial help, but non-financial forms of support. The Polish social assistance system, implementing global standards and meeting the expectations of the local community, began reforming the system by introducing Social Service Centres. These units are supposed to integrate and involve the local community in solving problems or difficulties occurring in a given territory thanks to the implementation of the social services programme.This article will present the issue of social services. Social services will be presented through the prism of their features, functions and opportunities they provide. In the second part of the article, selected social services that are implemented in Social Service Centers in the Lubelskie Voivodeship will be presented.

Забезпечення демографічної стійкості країн ЄС

Demographic resilience reflects a countryʼs (or regionʼs) ability and capacity to ensure the quanti­tative and qualitative reproduction of demographic structures under specific historical, socio-economic, legal, and natural conditions. Demographic processes are of fundamental importance both for national development processes and for achieving global sustainable development goals. It is essential to systematically and thoroughly study the current demog­raphic reality, understand it well, and base rational and effective responses to ongoing demographic challenges on this understanding. The long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, interna­tional conflicts, migration processes, and the mass wave of Ukrainian refugees to EU countries in 2022 have made the topic of researching demographic resilience more relevant. There is no single solution to respond to demographic challenges or fully compen­sate for the negative consequences of demographic changes. Therefore, it is necessary to implement and develop various adaptive measures and organizational-legal conditions to ensure demographic resilience. The research aims to justify and characterize the key organizational and legal conditions for ensuring demographic resilience in EU member countries. The theoretical and metho­dological basis of the research are scientific works of foreign and domestic scholars on the selected issue. General scientific and special methods are used, such as theoretical generalization, systemic analysis, systematization, statistical analysis, grouping, and scientific abstraction. Based on the crite­rion of "social protection of the population," the key organizational and legal conditions for ensuring demographic resilience were identified as follows: quality and accessible healthcare, gender equality, a developed system of social programs and assistance, the implementation of family-friendly policies, and effective management of migrations and refugees. The development of organizational and legal condi­tions depends on effective state policy and a compre­hensive approach to solving this issue. Demographic resilience is one of the essential conditions for achieving sustainable economic development based on a balance between the qualifications of the workforce, their number, willingness, and ability not only to perform specific tasks but also to participate in their formulation and determine the paths to achieving the desired results. The analyzed organi­zational and legal conditions for ensuring demographic resilience not only affect the social stability of the integration group but also impact the pace of economic development.

Aplikasi Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Menggunakan Algoritma C5 Untuk Menentukan Penerima Bantuan Sosial

Poverty is one of the development problems in various fields which is characterized by high unemployment, underdevelopment and deterioration caused by change. Most of the residents of Setia village, Pahae Jae sub-district, still have many poor people, the poverty rate is still high and they have implemented a social assistance system for the poor or underprivileged to reduce poverty. However, it turns out that the selection of social assistance recipients in the Setia Village area, Pahae Jae District is still using a manual system. the selection process is carried out by observing the residents' files from the start of the process to who can receive assistance based on the criteria that have been determined in the social section. So that the settlement process in determining the prospective recipients of social assistance does not occur systematically and sometimes is not on target, the decision tree algorithm c5.0 method was chosen by the author to speed up and facilitate the selection of eligible citizens to receive social assistance. the criteria are processed so that and obtain a value that will be compared with the training data, this research is an application of the classification of eligible and unworthy social assistance recipients. building this program or application can help make it easier for the village to determine recipients of the social assistance program for underprivile ged families.

Social Assistance as a Livelihood Strategy Among the Working Poor: A Case Study from Türkiye

AbstractThe present qualitative study attempted to elicit the working poor’s views on the social assistance system in Türkiye. We held in-depth interviews with 30 conveniently selected participants between March and June 2022 in Ankara and analyzed the findings descriptively. Accordingly, the results highlighted the working poor’s experiences with the social assistance system, the role of this system in their employment, and their expectations of the system. In a nutshell, our findings implied that the working poor should be granted minimum income support to improve the efficiency of the Turkish social assistance system further in combating in-work poverty.

SUPPORT FOR WAR REFUGEES FROM UKRAINE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE POLISH SOCIAL ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

In the last year in Poland a new legal model of social care for the support of foreigners – war refugees from Ukraine was created. The changes that have taken place in the field of social care resulted from both urgent need of particular protection and help given to foreigners by reason of war outbreak in this country. The purpose of the article is to present the system of support for war refugees from Ukraine from the perspective of the Polish social assistance system. The research proceedings focus on an analysis of the legislative solutions contained in the Law on Social Assistance and the Law on Assistance to Citizens of Ukraine in Connection with the Armed Conflict on the Territory of that State, and an attempt to assess the measures taken to support.The result of the conducted analysis show, that support provided through social care in favour of Ukrainian war refugees focuses on various actions oriented on providing needs of both individual and families that are affected by refugees problem. The catalog of social benefits due to the assistance given to Ukrainian refugees largely coincides the benefits that are granted to the citizens of Polish Republic.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS IN THE ASPECT OF MARKETIZATION OF ACTIVE INTEGRATION SERVICES

The aim of the article is to assess the effectiveness of tools activating clients of social assistance centers (OPS) from the level of marketization as one of the instruments of the New Public Management (NPM) concept. The article presents the results of own research conducted by the author as part of the Diagnosis of the level of management of social welfare organizational units in Poland. The research process consisted of two stages. In the first stage, the participants of the study were invited to co-create a research tool within the network of experimenting units created by the author. Then, the author conducted a proper survey among managers and employees to all social welfare centers in Poland, using the method of cooperative research from the action research group. The conducted research process and the obtained results have a nationwide scope and the presented conclusions can be an auxiliary tool during the discussion on systemic solutions supporting the directions of development of the social assistance system in response to the dynamically changing environment.

Scientific racism and racialisation in contemporary Polish empirical research on begging

In the Polish debate and research on begging, there is a tendency to combine this topic with social pathologies, culture, skin colour and race. Due to the use of the above-mentioned categories in the discussed research, I adopted the perspective of the postcolonial theory as the appropriate method of analysing the scientific discourse on begging. Based on the empirical research analysed in the article, I show that the ethical standards used in the research are inconsistent with the UNESCO Experts’ Declaration developed in the mid-twentieth century, recognising the category of race as unscientific. A practice of particular concern in this regard is the coding of empirical data based on racial categories imposed on Roma in the context of identifying begging with criminality. Within these approaches, I identified the essential and cultural approach to begging and the concept of a happy beggar created on its basis. On the other hand, at the level of content and conclusions, the ideological stake of the analyses carried out, aimed at rationing the social usefulness of work and its control, is revealed. In this context, the emerging aim of the research and tasks of the social assistance system is to “provide care” for the activity of citizens and forcing the population able to work to undertake it.

Social Assistance and Social Development: regression of social assistance rights?

The Social Development as a broader field than Social Assistance policy, in this case reduced to the condition of guardianship action, has been an issue that is persistently present in the neoliberal orientation. The issue was present in debates during the transition process of the new Government Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (2023-2025), which sought to build a model of concertation aimed at democratic restoration. Governments from 2016-2022 removed the status of the State as guarantor of social rights. They illusorily presented the logic of offering emancipation and citizenship through insertion into work, in a context of high unemployment and an increase in social disprotections. Social protection policies were rejected, deprived of resources, social participation, and inter-federal coordination. It is the duty of the Social State and the Fiscal State to rescue and strengthen the Unified Social Assistance System and guarantee constitutional rights. This text aims to stress the understanding of the elements that distinguish the direction of social development from social assistance policy, understanding that they are neither synonyms nor antonyms. Historical and analytical arguments are brought about such understanding, situating current and future challenges for SUAS.

Current socio-economic situation in Russia and the priorities of its development

The relevance of this topic is determined by the fact that socio-economic development of the state directly affects the development of the country itself, its domestic and foreign policy, economic and social position in the world, and its national security. Socio-economic development determines the status of the country in the international arena. Socio-economic development is an expanded reproduction, gradual structural and qualitative changes in the economy, production forces, growth and development factors. Currently, the goals of the socio-economic development of the state and the regions are increasing incomes, improving the quality of education and healthcare, reducing the proportion of the poor, protecting the environment, expanding personal freedoms, equalizing opportunities, etc. It is essential to increase economic growth, which creates favorable conditions for expanding the base of taxes and contributions to state non-budgetary funds, helps to reduce unemployment, and expands access to social assistance systems. The article shows that to a large extent, social peace in society and stable and friendly relations between employers and employees are achieved by means of the social insurance system. The materials of the article can be useful as part of the preparation in the areas of Economics and Management.

The Basis of the Third Distribution

The basis of the third distribution can be argued in three dimensions: normative basis, implementation basis and theoretical basis. On the normative basis, the third distribution has been proposed one after another in our central and local documents, but there is a lack of constitutional affirmation of the content of the third distribution. On the implementation basis, the first distribution and the second distribution need to be done well in order to lay the groundwork for the third distribution. At the same time, it is necessary to give full consideration to the implementation of the third distribution in terms of building a social assistance system, formulating a system of tax incentives and improving the organization of social and public services. On the theoretical basis, the third distribution has conflicts in terms of realistic possibilities and the voluntariness of donations from the perspective of freedom and equality, and it is necessary to balance equality and freedom to make the third distribution properly.

Rise and Crisis of the Social Assistance System in Brazilian Federalism.

Resumo Neste artigo, é analisada a trajetória institucional do Sistema Único de Assistência Social (SUAS), a partir de dados da gestão federal desde o seu surgimento até os dias atuais. Para tanto, foram analisadas legislações que versam sobre orçamento e mudanças legislativas na política de assistência social. A análise das evidências obtidas sinaliza que, a partir do governo Temer, houve um processo de enfraquecimento do SUAS, materializado nas decisões de desinvestimento da política pública que foi evidenciado pelo Projeto de Emenda Constitucional do Teto de Gastos. Identificou-se que a gestão do presidente Bolsonaro ampliou a desconstrução do Sistema, especificamente por meio da diminuição do papel do Governo Federal no combate às desigualdades federativas, demonstrada na extinção do Ministério do Desenvolvimento Social e no desmonte dos mecanismos institucionais de coordenação federal. Assim, a forma de gestão da Política de Assistência Social nos dois últimos governos representa ruptura do federalismo cooperativo.

Improving the Living Conditions of the Homeless Population

With the rapid development of China’s economy and the acceleration of urbanization, more and more people are moving into cities. Objectively, the number of vagrants and beggars has increased dramatically; this problem has become more and more prominent. Society has launched a series of assistance programs to support the homeless, but due to the persistence of homelessness with its associated problems, urban vagrants are still prevalent throughout the country. Moreover, this number is still increasing, leading some vagrants to rely on assistance programs which treat the symptoms rather than the root causes. To make an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the current social assistance system, we propose a set of solutions. First, we will contact homeless people aged between 18 and 30 through local welfare institutions and aid stations and establish target individuals for our help. Second, we will contact relevant enterprises to find out if they are willing to participate by providing a job that can satisfy the needs of the research target. If necessary, we will contact relevant training providers. Finally, we will design a series of criteria to measure the effectiveness of our plan.