Kucher G. Social work with vulnerable categories of population in the territorial community.

On the basis of the scientific problem theoretical substantiation a structural and functional model of social work with vulnerable categories of the population in territorial community was developed and experimentally verified. After generalization of information in Ukrainian and foreign scientists’ research works the phenomenon of social work as an integrated, universal type of activity was theoretically proved. Social work is aimed at satisfaction of socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of people, especially vulnerable categories of the population, and carried out through a complex of organizational, legal, social and economic measures which are called social services. The main forms of providing social services are material assistance (i.e. social security) and social support. It is elucidated that the process of introducing a comprehensive system of integrated social services in the communities was not completed due to the lack of clear state mechanisms for its implementation, the necessity to amend the regulatory documents that control the activities of social institutions, the shortage of personnel, material, technical, financial, time resources and lack of local authorities’ interest in effective changes. The presented research work concludes that some types of social support must be adopted from international practices. They can be as follows: creation of «advice centres»; development of a system of paid services; establishment of departments for working with conflicting parties as an alternative to police; formation of private homes for taking care of old and disadvantaged people, formation of the service of palliative care. The methodological toolkit for monitoring the effectiveness of social work with vulnerable categories of population was developed. It allowed establishing a link between the results obtained from providing social services and the effectiveness of using resources in the territorial community. New mechanisms for improving the quality of social services were identified, which allowed tracing trends in the needs for certain types of services and to realizing clearly planning and financing of social services, meeting the growing needs of the population. The proposed innovative model of social support for vulnerable population in the territorial community was approved by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine. During its implementation 16 legal social documents were developed; an environment was formed to quickly respond to a customer’s needs; a professional, competent staff was chosen; economic indicators of the social services for population (saving material, labour, budget resources) were improved; program-targeted financing of institutions providing social services to the population was ensured; information openness of social service establishments was provided; clear and effective interaction of all organizations and institutions providing social services was organized; new indicators and methods for determining the results of social service work were developed taking into account solving problems of people being in difficult living conditions; the queue for home and in-patient service was eliminated in the community; the institution of foster family and patronage services, family social support system were being developed.