* Current situation of management of social services in Estonia Marju Medar, PhD(SW) International days 2010
Vaasa
* Current situation of management of social services in Estonia Marju Medar, PhD(SW) International days 2010
Vaasa
* Administrative division of Estonian territory: counties Population – 1.340 935 million
Total area – 45,227 sq. km Capital – Tallinn
Political regime: Parliamentary Republic
Member of the European Union
Administrative division:
Counties: 15
Local governments: 227
Cities: 33
Rural municipalities: 194
* Main demographic indicators
* Historic context of welfare arrangement We have come from the Soviet system which did not have democratically elected local governments and where the state solved people’s social problems.
The state attempted to hide the existence of social problems in society.
The dominance of institutional welfare over open welfare meant that the disabled were kept in closed institutions.
On one hand, this may have given an impression of a strong and healthy society, on the other hand, it was a financial burden for the state, and underfunding added to the risks, such as poor housing conditions and the like.
* Historic context of welfare arrangement The essential social principle in Soviet society was the obligation to work which was underpinned in a number of ways, for example a continuous length of service was required to receive a pension, the employment rate of women was high (over 90% in the 1980s), there were criminal charges for sponging, etc.
That brought about preferences in the arrangement of welfare, that is to say, closed welfare dominated over open care, as the adult family members had to work instead of caring for the children, the elderly or the disabled in the family.
As a result of this, as well as the ideology in regard to private property and collective responsibility in child rearing, one feature of Soviet welfare was the collective raising of children, which was the only way to allow mothers to work.
* Historic context of welfare arrangement During this period an extensive network of pre-school institutions was developed, with the state funding children’s day care.
The high female employment rate was supported by giving assistance to single mothers by, for example, giving them preference in obtaining housing.
Another mechanism in distributing housing was giving preference to those people who had worked in a company for a long time.
A characteristic of the Soviet welfare system was that privileges were granted according to a person’s status in the social hierarchy, in order to stimulate loyalty (privileges for army and party veterans, etc).
Since 1970 allowances were paid to families with many children (from the fourth child) and from 1974 child allowances were paid to poor families; in 1984 this became the national child allowance.
* Historic context of welfare arrangement Due to women’s employment and national support for child-raising, the percentage of children of unmarried parents started to rise sharply in the 1980s (34.4% of all births in 1996). During that period a fairly high percentage of divorced mothers were able to receive alimony to raise their children.
The result of the Soviet housing policy was constrained living conditions and the shortage of housing forced people to wait years for a place to live.
The reform in housing policy was started at the beginning of 1987 and then developed into a period of radical reforms in 1991 and continued up to the turn of the century. It is characterised by abandonment of the socialist housing system which was completely controlled by the state.
* Historic context of welfare arrangement The development of the welfare system was started again with the return of independent statehood to Estonia and the re-establishment of local governments.
The role of the local government became essential at the local level in the provision of social services to the community.
At the same time, the local governments allow the private and non-profit organisations to provide social services.
In our rapidly changing times, the principles and views regarding the essence of social services, the ways of delivering them to those in need, and the services to be provided by the state and local governments, have undergone major changes and developments.
Today the task of each local government is to guarantee the availability of the social services in its municipality in accordance with legislation.
* The main social problems Population’s subsistence problems
The transition of the Estonian society to a market economy, and the accompanying economic and social changes in the last decade, have brought about a number of social problems.
Despite the number of legal acts and implementation of strategies, poverty and social exclusion are the major problems in today’s Estonian society threatening human development in Estonia.
The Joint Memorandum on Social Inclusion draws attention to unemployment, especially to the relations between long-term unemployment and poverty in Estonia.
Poverty and exclusion are also caused by low education, interrupted education caused by dropping out of school, lack of skills needed to use information technology, poor health and ability to work, alcohol and drug addiction, inadequate housing conditions, and homelessness.
* Social problems: poverty
* Social problems: poverty
* Social problems: unemployment Employment rate in Estonia in 2009 is 14,5% from all population
(93 402 persons, in age 16-63)
We have some regions, where employment rate is higher, for example in East of Virumaa, where this rate is 20,6% or in South of Estonia, where this rate is 17,1%.
* Management of social services in Estonia The Minister of Social Affairs has often stressed the basic principle of Estonian welfare that a person must gain his income from work, not benefits. Employment must secure a better economic situation than living on benefits.
The aim and purposes of social welfare in Estonia are to provide assistance to persons or families in preventing, eliminating and relieving difficulties in coping, and to assist persons with special social needs in social security, development and integration into society. The Social Welfare Act (1995) provides the organisational, economic and legal basis of social welfare, and regulates the relations emerging in social welfare.
Permanent residents of Estonia, aliens lawfully residing in Estonia and refugees on Estonian soil have the right to receive social services, social benefits and other assistance. Every person on Estonian soil has the right to receive emergency social assistance.
In accordance with the Social Welfare Act, social welfare is administered by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the county governors and the local governments.
* Ministry of Social Affairs County Government Local Government social policy social policy drafting of a local social welfare development plan laws, legislative acts programs and projects administration of social services and other assistance; legislative acts of local governments national programs and projects training of welfare workers grant and payment of social benefits specification of training standards and organization of employee evaluations administration of state social welfare institutions Establishment and maintenance of local social registers administration of state vocational training institutions for the disabled supply of appliances administration of the work of guardianship institutions collection and analysis of information collection and analysis of information in the county collection and dissemination of information social register and social statistics county social register local social register licensing of social welfare institutions and welfare workers administration of guardianship institutions conclusion of contracts with organizations and agencies providing services organization of adoption to foreign states organization of adoption being a guardian legislative basis of financing of social welfare sphere supervision of the use of social services and financial resources requesting supplementary financial resources
* Management of social services in Estonia Social services can be provided by rural or city governments as well as by other persons, agencies or structural units (non-profit organisations, foundations, congregations or businesses, sole proprietors, etc).
If this is the case an agreement on the provision of social services is concluded between the rural or city government, the service provider and the client.
A prerequisite of service provision is the request or at least the consent of the client or their legal representation to receive the social service. Concerning In order to protect the client’s interests, it is essential to provide services in accordance with the requirements.
* Management of social services in Estonia Social welfare is financed from: local government budgets, the state budget, funds of legal persons and natural persons who voluntarily engage in social welfare, and other funds.
The state budget covers expenditure relating to state social welfare management, state social programmes and projects, expenditure relating to social services financed by the state, expenditure relating to state social benefits, and other expenses relating to the performance of state social welfare duties and events.
Local government social welfare expenditure which is not financed from the state budget is covered from the local government budget.
* Management of social services in Estonia Legal persons and natural persons who are voluntarily engaged in social welfare cover the social welfare expenditure they incur from their own funds.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, county governors and rural municipality governments and city governments may enter into contracts for the provision of social welfare with legal persons and natural persons and may allocate financial and material resources to them to cover expenditure relating to social welfare.
Funds received from various funds, endowments, non-profit activities, donations and sponsorships and the funds of persons applying for social services or other assistance may be used to finance social welfare.
Such funds must be registered, their use must be accounted for, and the corresponding state authority and rural municipality government or city government have the right to audit their use.
* Management of social services in Estonia A fee may be collected from a person for social services provided to that person or his or her family.
The fee collected depends on the extent and cost of the service and the financial situation of the person and family receiving the service.
The collection of a fee from a person for social services shall be decided by the institution which provides or pays for the service.
The limits and procedure for collection of fees collected for social services shall be established by the Ministry of Social Affairs or by the Local Municipality.
A social service provider or provider of emergency social assistance or other assistance has the right to be reimbursed by the rural municipality government or city government of the person’s residence for expenditure incurred.
The rural municipality government or city government does not have the right to refuse to reimburse such expenditure, if the manner and extent of providing assistance prescribed by an Act or other legislation, or by a contract, are adhered to in the provision of assistance.
* Services and benefits for the family and children The Republic of Estonia supports the family by partially compensating the costs of caring for, raising and educating children.
The system of child and family benefits has been improved several times becoming more and more family friendly culminating with the introduction of the Parental Benefit Act on January 1, 2004.
Along with current universal family benefits, the new benefit is a unique measure aiming at intertwining work and family life. It also aims to increase Estonia's birth rate and help parents meet expenditures arising from a newborn child.
* Services and benefits for the family and children Benefits are divided into two main groups:
1) Cash benefits (The birth grant, maternity benefits, foster care allowance, shild care allowance, etc.)
2) benefits in kind (children`s day care, expenditures for child care institutions, etc.)
The birth grant, independent life grant and adoption allowance (since 2002) are lump-sum benefits;
The school allowance is paid once a year; benefits for families with triplets and with four or more children are quarterly;
Other benefits are paid monthly.
Child benefits are calculated on the basis of child benefit rate (which is also the child allowance for the first child). The State Budget Act establishes both rates for every year. In 2002, child benefit rate was 300 EEK (20 eur) child care benefit rate is 600 EEK (40eur).
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