Skochko M. Organizational and semantic principles of providing social services in rural areas

The dissertation for the first time theoretically substantiates the organizational and contextual principles of social services in rural areas. An author’s innovative model has been developed. It includes the state level (quality control of social services; legal management of the social sphere; regulation of social units), district level (quality monitoring; provision of services; provision of human resources; creation of structural subdivisions in the community; compliance with state standards; needs monitoring), community level (identification of objects of social services, informing the population, provision of social services, identification of needs, population counseling). The interaction of structural subdivisions of each of the levels as a single body of social services has been presented. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of applying scientific provisions and research findings to improve the system of social services in rural areas, to improve the social workers’ skills, skills of management representatives of administrative-territorial units, as well as in the process of future social workers’ training. The generalization of historical development and formation of social assistance to the rural population in the Ukrainian lands has been carried out on the basis of theoretical analysis. Its forms, such as taking care of poor and weak people, orphans and old people, help and mutual aid, charity, elements of social work which were carried out with different categories and groups of the population have been characterized. It has been established that foreign experience of social protection of vulnerable categories of the population is useful for increasing the level of social services in Ukrainian society. At the same time, by understanding and adapting to the conditions of development and reform of the social sphere of Ukraine, the following types of social assistance should be taken into account: creation of social structures at the community level (the availability of such social services contributes to improving the quality and timeliness of social services); development of a system of home care services (along with inpatient facilities, the availability of such services expands the living space of families, members of which are people with disabilities and the elderly who are incapable); creation of leisure centers for retired people (improving socialization, raising awareness, combating loneliness and involvement in socio-cultural activities); involvement of the postal service in the provision of social services (delivery of necessary goods, identification of categories of people in need of social services).