Improvement of the Supply of Vulnerable Population Needs-based Social Care Services: Care Brought Closer to Recipients’ Homes

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As the population in the Programme area ages, provision of social care services is becoming increasingly challenged. Thus an improved supply of accessible, high-quality and well-coordinated professional and non-traditional social care services is needed, delivered by governmental and non-governmental social services providers that are well prepared to address the specific needs and risk factors affecting individuals with physical and mental disabilities, severe health concerns and older people. Also, alternative care provided by families and other informal caregivers needs to be supported, to allow people with functional limitations to stay at home as long as possible. The project will be implemented by the Pļaviņas Local Municipality, Latvia, and Grodno Regional Organization of the Belarussian Red Cross Society, together with local social partners involved in delivery of alternative social care and supporting services, as well as volunteers. The key objective of the project is to improve the supply of non-residential social care services for vulnerable population groups. Thus, activities are focused on joint development of short-term social care services provided at social care institutions and home-based care, by both professional social service providers and informal caregivers. In addition, training and socializing activities will be implemented with an aim to improve skills of people receiving and delivering social care services, whilst investments in infrastructure and upgrade of specialized equipment support establishment of two "one-stop-shop services, competence and coordination centres" as local platforms for provision of short-term social care services. New mutual collaboration practices amongst professional and informal caregivers will be initiated and tested. Concepts, knowledge and best practices developed within the project will be mainstreamed to other professional and informal caregivers in the Programme area.

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