Voluntary Social Service Research Articles

Factors associated with the perceived need for assistance from voluntary services in home-based older adults in Chinese urban areas: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundWith China's rapidly aging population, meeting the diverse care needs of senior citizens is becoming more challenging. Although voluntary social services have numerous advantages and are popular among older adults, there is little information on the need for assistance from volunteer-based social services, particularly those with a medical background, and influencing factors among urban home-based older adults. This study aimed to assess the need for assistance from voluntary services and related factors among urban home-based older adults in China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 on communities in four cities in China. The 27-item Home-Based Older Adults Assistance Need Scale was used to measure the assistance needs of 498 participants aged 60 and above. Multiple linear regression models were conducted to identify salient variables associated with the need for assistance from voluntary services.ResultsThe mean score of the need for assistance from voluntary services was 88.60 ± 24.37. The mean scores of the items examining four dimensions, namely, health maintenance, visiting communication, social intercourse, and daily life, were 3.64 ± 1.08, 3.49 ± 1.04, 3.33 ± 1.08, and 2.78 ± 1.08, respectively. The level of depression, willingness to assist older adults, attaching importance to health preservation, ability to self-comfort, desire to accept assistance from others, and the presence of more children or none at all were all positively correlated with the perceived need for assistance from voluntary services. In contrast, social care obtained from visiting medical institutions was negatively correlated. These seven factors explained 28.5% of the total variance.ConclusionsUrban home-based older adults in China were found to have significant requirements for assistance from volunteer services, and several complex factors were associated with more significant assistance needs. These findings may encourage the extremely limited numbers of social volunteers, particularly those with a medical background, to identify priorities in providing assistance services to the large numbers of urban home-based older adults and thus improve service delivery.

Voluntary Action, Territory and Timing: The Council of Social Service for Wales, Periodisation and the New Historiography of the ‘British Welfare State’

AbstractThis article analyses the development of the Council of Social Service for Wales during what is often called the Golden Age of the Welfare State. Recovering the neglected history of the peak organisation for voluntary social service in Wales adds to our understanding of the histories of social policy and postwar Wales. The article addresses social policy from a doubly peripheral perspective – it attends to a territorial periphery of the UK State while voluntary action can be left at the margins of Welfare State analysis. From this perspective we hope to cast new light on the historiography of the ‘British Welfare State’

IMPROVING THE ENTERPRISE SOCIAL POLICY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The article examines the social policy of the enterprise, its purpose and means. The tools for implementing social policy as components of its mechanism are identified. Factors influencing the formation of the social policy management system of the enterprise are considered. The definitions and main elements of the mechanism of realization of social policy of enterprises are specified. Recommendations for improving the effectiveness of social policy of the enterprise are offered. The structural-logical model of the system of formation, effective provision and increase of the level of social policy of the enterprise is developed. Within the framework of our research, we will focus more on the problems of improving the internal corporate social policy. When examining the incentives and functions of the provision of voluntary social services by an enterprise, many different points of view can be found. On the one hand, it is believed that the traditions that motivate managers to socially protect workers in their enterprises have been inherited from the planned economy. At that time, against the background of insufficient provision of the entire population of the state with a number of material and social benefits, managers tried to provide employees with the necessary level of social protection at the expense of the enterprise. Social policy at the enterprise should be based on the following principles: consideration of material and non-material needs and interests of employees; availability and publicity of the company’s expenses; economic feasibility in terms of costs and benefits; absence of duplication of social needs, which are sufficiently satisfied by state or other public institutions; taking into account the growing living standards and value systems of society.

BLACKTOWN, MASS-OBSERVATION, AND THE DYNAMICS OF VOLUNTARY ACTION IN MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY ENGLAND

AbstractThis article examines the place of class and religion in discourses of voluntary action in mid-twentieth-century England, focusing on an overlooked Mass-Observation survey of the district of Aston in Birmingham. It situates Lord Beveridge's Voluntary Action report in its intellectual and social context, through utilizing the qualitative findings of the Mass-Observation district survey of Aston, elements of which were repurposed for the Voluntary Social Services Enquiry from which Voluntary Action emerged. The article takes a thematic approach, investigating how class and religion was seen and reported by Mass-Observers in the context of Aston. Two key arguments are made: that contrary to overarching narratives of post-war secularization, Christian churches actually remained in a relatively dominant position in terms of voluntary action; and that conceptions of voluntary action fundamentally misread working-class understandings of voluntarism, as well as the wider priorities of the post-war working classes. Drawing attention to the importance of class and religion to patterns of voluntary action evident in the Aston survey, yet less considered in historiographical terms, the construction of elite narratives of voluntary action and civil society are more discernible.

Анкетирование как основа выявления потребностей сотрудников организации при выборе элементов социального развития

Due to the fact that the market economy creates conditions for flexible use of lobar, employees don’t have a strong attachment to the organization. In the current circumstances, with the threat to stability, the management of organizations should from time to time review the system of non-material incentives for employees. The development of social policy in the organization will not only stimulate the staff and increase their income, but also create an image of the organization, as well as a favourable opinion about it. Each organization needs to find its way to social policy so that voluntary social services are fl exible, economically viable and staff -oriented. The article reveals the essence of social policy of the organization. The methods of social personnel management are considered. Particular attention was paid to identifying the needs of the employees through the application of the questionnaire method. The results of employees survey of the organization are presented, which operates in the field of housing and communal services.

Mediating and caring: line managers and employee commitment in the voluntary sector

ABSTRACTSince the mid-1980s, New Public Management (NPM) and cuts in social funding have resulted in highly restructured organisations in the voluntary social services. These changes moved front-line supervisors, often referred to as line managers (LMs), away from direct, front-line service and replaced much of their supervision and support with tasks connected to contract compliance, particularly documenting progress on outcome metrics and other performance indicators. This article explores whether, in an era of NPM, LMs are able to apply leadership behaviours that encourage and sustain notions of altruism, care and commitment to the job among care workers in the voluntary social services sector. The article analyses qualitative interview data collected in five case studies in three countries (Australia, New Zealand and the UK) to explore the changing labour process in nonprofit services aimed at supporting society’s most vulnerable people. The article contributes to understandings of changes in work process under austerity policies and adds to theorisations of work in the voluntary social services.

Beneficial Effect of Altruism on Well-Being Among Chinese College Students: The Role of Self-Esteem and Family Socioeconomic Status

ABSTRACTThe motivation for voluntary social service has been identified as altruism. This study aimed to establish the relationship between altruism and well-being in Chinese college students at the undergraduate level. To better understand altruism, two groups were selected, one that used self-reporting and another related to the perception of peers. Self-reported altruism and self-reported decisions to help in real-life situations were measured in the first sample (N1 = 525); peer-rated altruism was measured in the second sample (N2 = 189). The results showed (when socially desirable responding was controlled) (1) self-reported altruism and self-reported decisions to help exerted significant direct effects on well-being, while peer-rated altruism did not; (2) self-esteem mediated the effects of self-reported altruism, self-reported decisions to help, and peer-rated altruism on well-being; (3) family socioeconomic status moderated the effects of self-reported altruism on well-being via self-esteem; college students with low family socioeconomic status were more likely to reap benefits from altruism. These findings confirm the emotion-elevating effects of altruism in collectivistic societies like China, which may encourage more people to engage in voluntary social service. Future research should adopt longitudinal or experimental designs with a more nationally representative sample to better confirm these findings.

Social services of general interest: coordinating european, national and local actions for social inclusion. The EKKA network as a case-study

<p>This paper contributes to the development of a broader framework for the identification of the key features of a functional system of social services and benefits. This should allow for the elaboration of a social services’ network ruled by common general principles and values. Related to this subject is the aim to determine –based on international experience and practices– the best way to deal with both local and national needs and vice versa. After introducing the framework of analysis used to interpret the experiences of social services providers across the European Union, we present the EKKA (National Centre for Social Solidarity) Network as an example of a coordination pole connecting the<br />European, the national as well as the local level. We conclude this paper by highlighting the civic added value of the activities of social services, and<br />voluntary social services in particular, with regard to the European Union and in the light of criteria such as their non-profit character, the special legal mandate given to them as civic actors, their mission within society, working with volunteers in particular, and their quality management system used to maintain adequate quality standards.</p>

의용소방대의 사회적 자본 영향요인 분석

의용소방대는 화재진압 및 인명구조 등의 소방 활동의 보조업무를 비상근적으로 수행하며, 자발적인 사회봉사활동을 하는 조직이다. 최근에 들어서는 지역사회의 안전문화 조성을 위한 역할도 수행하고 있다. 또한 지역사회의 안전과 관련된 다양한 봉사활동을 하고 있다. 이러한 의용소방대 조직이 활성화가 되지 않아 이에 대한 연구가 활발하게 진행되어왔다. 본 연구 역시 의용소방대 조직의 활성화 방안으로 사회적 자본 형성을 통한 의용소방대 활성화방안을 제시하고자 한다. 따라서 본 연구는 의용소방대원의 사회적 자본 인식을 조사하고, 분석하여 이를 토대로 지역사회 의용소방대의 사회적 자본 형성 방안을 제시하고자 한다. 연구의 결과 사회적 규범이 의용소방대 사회적 자본 형성에 가장 많은 영향을 미친 것으로 조사되었다. 따라서 의용소방대를 육성 발전시키기 위한 독립된 법령 제정되어야 하고, 의용소방대원 간의 강한 신뢰가 형성되어 조직전체의 신뢰를 기반으로 지역사회에 헌신한다면 지역사회 안전의 수준은 매우 높아질 것이다. A Volunteer Fire Brigade is a voluntary social services organization that performs various assistance works in fire fighting activities such as fire fighting and rescue of human lives on a part-time basis. Recently, it has also assumed an important role in the creation of security culture of local society. Besides, it provides diverse service activities related to security of local society. However, as this kind of volunteer fire brigade organization is not in a vigorous state, research for an improvement is being carried out in earnest. As part of a vitalization plan of the volunteer fire brigade, an attempt was made in this research to present an activation plan of the volunteer fire brigade through formation of social capital. Accordingly, efforts were made in this research to investigate and analyze an awareness of social capital among the volunteers and to present on this basis a plan for formation of social capital for the volunteer fire brigade of local society. As a result of the research, it turned out that social norm has the major effect on the formation of social capital for volunteer fire brigade. Therefore, it is our belief that an independent statute should be established to nurture and develop volunteer fire brigades. And when strong mutual trust among the volunteers are formed and efforts for devotion to local society are made on this basis, the security level of local society will be enhanced further.

Church, State and Family: The Advent of Child Guidance Clinics in Independent Ireland

This article considers the advent of psychiatric services for children in independent Ireland through the establishment of the first state-funded child guidance clinic in the mid-1950s. Ireland was somewhat late to embrace the child guidance model which had originated in the USA at the turn of the century, mainly because it challenged traditional notions of child welfare and juvenile justice and provided an alternative to institutional care, the responsibility for which was vested in the Catholic Church. The 1940s witnessed an assertive church response to the health and welfare problems associated with the exigencies of the Second World War through its provision of voluntary social services. This paper argues that the development of child guidance provides an instructive picture of how church and state dovetailed their approach to social service provision during the 1940s and 1950s, and the degree to which social reform often depended on church cooperation and involvement.

Public Sector Commissioning: Experiences of Voluntary Organizations Delivering Health and Social Services

The perceived benefits to users and beneficiaries of voluntary organizations delivering public sector services have been well documented and include the engagement with parts of society that the state cannot reach, personalized service delivery, and improved services. There is a lack of clarity, however, as to whether these perceived benefits are being realized. This article presents the experiences of voluntary sector organizations involved in public sector commissioning. The research suggests that the public sector is limiting the voluntary sector's engagement in service design and performance monitoring. These findings raise questions about the role of the voluntary sector in public service provision.

Constrained by managerialism: Caring as participation in the voluntary social services

Participation in the predominantly female voluntary social services is the norm that most workers expect, but little is known about how participation plays out in the circumscribed realities of managerialism and outsourcing. This paper asserts that there are three kinds of overlapping participative processes in the voluntary social services: (1) procedural-formal; (2) practice-professional; and (3) affinity processes, and that these are closely associated with the gendered notions of caring and care’s connection to social mission and values. Our data suggest that rather than expanding in the context of third way politics, opportunities for all three kinds of participation have been severely curtailed by managerialism. This paper presents arguments drawn from two case studies of conditions in voluntary agencies (in Scotland and Australia) where caring was found to be a form of workplace participation, as well as the basis for exploitation and abuse of the workers by employers and clients.

‘They’re all depressed, aren’t they?’ A qualitative study of social care workers and depression in older adults

Statutory and voluntary social services provide care and support for vast numbers of vulnerable older adults, yet little is known about how social care practitioners respond to depression in this high risk population. This study elicited the perceptions and conceptualizations of this condition among social care staff, and views on how the response of social care and other agencies might be improved. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 social care practitioners working in generic services for older adults in south London. Depression was perceived to be remarkably common among clients, a phenomenon largely attributed to the adverse circumstances of old age, particularly social isolation. A key message from participants was that social causes indicate a need for social interventions. While primary care was criticised for not taking depression seriously in older people, mental health services were generally praised. Expansion of social, recreational and psychological interventions was advocated.

NGOs as Incubator of Participative Democracy in South Korea: Political, Voluntary, and Policy Participation

This article is designed to examine the roles of Non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in South Korea as an incubator of participative democracy and to review the evolution of their relationship with governments. The study is comprised of four parts. First, related literature on NGOs will be examined from three different perspectives: state‐civil society perspective, voluntary social service perspective, and policy perspective. Second, this essay will survey emerging roles of NGOs in promoting organized citizen participation in the three areas: political participation, voluntary social service participation, and policy participation. Third, recent governments' institutional efforts to support NGOs will be reviewed briefly. Finally, this paper will conclude with the implications for the future of government‐NGOs relationship in policy‐making processes.

Social Services and the State: The Public Appropriation of Private Charity

Charitable choice is another milestone in the transformation of the social services sector into a deliberate instrument of public policy, building on intentional federal appropriation of private social service capacity and skill that began in earnest during the Kennedy and Johnson presidencies. With private social services now predominantly financed by government, benefits accrue in part because public policy is more likely than private charity to ensure well‐financed, equitable, efficiently administered, and uniformly available social services. But voluntary social service agencies may find that sustaining the distinctive normative climates that ensure uniqueness and selectivity is increasingly difficult.

A Contingency View of the Responses of Voluntary Social Service Organizations in Ontario to Government Cutbacks

AbstractVoluntary organizations in Ontario have been thrust into a new environment; government funding on which they have traditionally counted has been reduced to the extent that actions have to be taken in order for some organizations to survive. Using a sample of 85 from a mailed survey to voluntary social service organizations in Toronto, we collected information on how organizational characteristics are influencing the actions taken in the face of these changes. We found that the alternatives considered factored into five dimensions: enhancing the image of the organization; cutting costs; developing strategic plans and accountability; implementing new tactics, such as user fees; and restructuring the governance and management structure. Analysis showed that younger organizations, smaller‐sized agencies, and those with a diverse set of funding sources employ a wider range of options to deal with environmental challenges. Many of these options are directed at protecting the main mission of the organization and building awareness and marketing strength so that the organization reduces its susceptibility to environmental shifts.RésuméLes organismes de bénévolat de l'Ontario sont plongés dans un nouveau contexte, car les subventions gouvernementales sur lesquelles ils comptaient jusqu'à présent sont réduites à un point tel que des mesures doivent être prises afin qu'ils puissent survivre. Un sondage effectué par la poste auprès de 85 organismes de services sociaux bénévoles de Toronto nous a permis de rassembler des données montrant que certaines caractéristiques organisationnelles peuvent influencer les mesures à prendre face à de tels changements, et nous avons envisagé cinq solutions possibles pour remédier à la situation: rehausser l'image de ces organismes; réduire leurs coûts; mettre sur pied certaines stratégies et rendre compte de leurs activités; utiliser de nouvelles tactiques, tels des frais d'utilisation; ainsi qu'en restructurer l'administration et la gestion. Il ressort de cette analyse que les organismes plus récents et de plus petite taille ainsi que ceux bénéficiant de sources de financement plus variées peuvent utiliser un plus vaste ventail d'options pour contrer les difficultés que présente la conjoncture actuelle. La plupart de ces possibilités visent à préserver la mission principale de ces organismes et à renforcer leur vision et leur politique de marketing afin de réduire leur vulnérabilité face à tout changement conjoncturel.

Mothering Socialist Society: The Wife‐Activists' Movement and the Soviet Culture of Daily Life, 1934–41

In recent years, scholars of Russia and the Soviet Union have sought to incorporate gender relations and the concept of daily life (byt) into their work to better understand Russian and Soviet politics, society, and culture.' One phenomenon which is particularly revealing in both these regards, yet which has received only cursory scholarly notice, is the wife-activists' movement, also known as the obshchestvennitsa movement.2 This social movement of the middle and late 1930s, which mobilized housewives for voluntary social service work while encouraging their domestic endeavors, has been dismissed as a bizarre or saccharine footnote symptomatic of the neoconservative values described by Nicholas Timasheff in The Great Retreat.3 Closer study of the movement, however, reveals a phenomenon more complex in character and significance.

Health for All and British health policy: a comment on the quest for “healthy public policy”

Explains that Health for All is an international extra-governmental movement that seeks to pursue equity in access to health-related resources by broadening the scope of health policy. Notes that its major principles include social participation in state decision making, inter-sectoral collaboration in policy formulation and the improvement of conditions for the disadvantaged. Points out that its local initiatives often encompass health-service professionals and practitioners as well as the voluntary sector, social services and other local authority departments, and that the effect of this local activity on political understandings of health at a national level gives some indication of the extent to which this local time and effort have been justified. In this respect, notes two limits to the impact of the Health for All movement on the political debates about health in Britain. Suggests that these centre on a largely indifferent but powerful national government and an emphasis within the movement initiatives at the level of a politically marginalized local state.

The changing nature of Irish voluntary social service organizations

Reviews the development of the Irish voluntary sector and examines the unique characteristics of the legal framework in which voluntary organizations operate and the funding and staffing arrangements. Focuses on recent changes in the relationship between the state and organizations. Speculates on the future of these organizations by examining issues such as contracting, cohesiveness and general evolutionary trends.

Family Service Executives in a Hostile Environment

Dramatic changes in human services funding in the 1980s prompted a redefinition of leadership in family service agencies. In this study of family service executives, attention is focused on changes in the roles executives play within their agencies, the skills they need, and the problems they face in the current environment. Their involvement in advocacy activity is discussed. The authors conclude that the future viability of the voluntary social service sector is tied to the type of leadership provided by agency executives.