The first Pandora's box wants to open the current mystery of day centres. What evil can this Pandora's box release into our world? Can we even talk about a kind of evil?
For several years, I tried to draw attention to mistakes in political decisions about the development of social services. To this day, all the comments have disappeared somewhere into silence. It is true that I did not belong to those who publicly picketed in front of the ministry, and I am not planning to do that now either. In recent years, I withdrew and told myself that if my voice meant nothing, then I would rather use my life time to give concrete help to those who will need it. My husband and I decided to set out on a journey to social service facilities with counseling and methodological support.
When you are daily among people who serve the weakest, often under poor working conditions and for even less than the minimum wage, you are grateful to God that you do not yet need their service. But at the same time you realize that a single second can pass and your life can change, and you may find yourself in a situation where you become dependent on a social service. And what then? Your voice will be even quieter, you will wait helplessly for professional care and housing quality. I do not know how my time is measured, and I do not know which of my loved ones will need social care in the near future, which is why I decided to open the Pandora's boxes prepared for us by our politicians and current "experts".
The first Pandora's box wants to open the current mystery of day centres.
What evil can this Pandora's box unleash into our world? Can we even speak of evil at all? After all, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family has done, and may still be doing, good work. It uncovers in day centres across Slovakia almost "criminal acts." It started in eastern Slovakia. Forgive me for using the phrase: raids in day centres. Does this phrase seem excessive or too harsh to you? Ask those who experienced it. You will not want to believe their testimonies. : Arrogance or unwillingness, or whatever you call an approach where a ministry official does not let you explain the real state of affairs, the individual situations in which workers find themselves each day with their clients, and refuses to hear anything about the lives of clients who attend these centres.
The way inspections are conducted, the approach of ministry staff, and the very statements by ministry representatives testify that evil was being committed, and that it needs to be stopped quickly. And what exactly should have been stopped? I'll tell you that secret. In my view, only the faucet of financing for day centres should have been stopped. It looks as if the experts who drafted the conceptual strategic documents and prepared the law on social services had no idea that in Slovakia there are so many municipalities, civic associations, and nonprofits that rushed to build day centres. Why would these people do that? Of course, for business! Not true? In Slovakia, maybe that is the only explanation. Who would have believed that people who founded day centres truly wanted only to help elderly or disabled people who are trapped at home and those who cannot get into residential social services?
Who would have believed that the conceptual material from MPSVR (working group) contains a truthful strategic goal of our current government? Try slowly reading with me the opening text of National Priorities for the Development of Social Services for 2015 – 2020. "The National priorities respond to the current challenges of social assistance to citizens, to which belongs, above all, the development of diverse care services at the community level, including the need to modernise social services. Through this, the main mission of social services is also confirmed, namely support for the inclusion of people into society, social cohesion, a focus on services provided at community level and the development of their potential in the areas of employment and employability. In this way, social services become an inseparable part of meeting the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy."
You also read from this text that the government and experts found the need to build modern community social services, didn't you? But weren't day centres supposed to be among such modern services? Why are they now being closed in large numbers?
The text continues: "The National priorities reflect the current situation in the provision of social services in the Slovak Republic, above all the shortage of capacity of social services provided in citizens’ natural (home and community) environment, the need to ensure sustainable financing of social services and the development of their quality. They are based on needs identified in a national and European context, with emphasis on availability and accessibility of social services and their long-term financial sustainability and efficiency."
It is 2018. Where has the emphasis on the availability, accessibility of social services and their long-term sustainability gone? I will put it this way. Someone is making fun of us. And indeed, because the next text talks about ambitions. So, let's read on.
"The National priorities have the ambition to capture all key trends in the development of social services in the 21st century for people in an adverse social situation dependent on the help and support of another person, or for individuals and families who suddenly found themselves in an adverse (crisis) life situation and need help. Their preparation, adoption, and especially subsequent implementation require reaching consensus among all stakeholders. This means answering fundamental questions, in particular: What changes should be planned in structuring service offers for residents and how should these be implemented? On what basis should the given territory be equipped with the services needed? How to network each service in a cost-effective and efficient way so that as comprehensive and as effective offers as possible can meet people’s needs? The National priorities represent the result of cooperation among all important stakeholders. A wider working group that prepared the document was made up of representatives of municipalities, self-governing regions, organizations representing recipients and providers of social services, and likewise the scientific-research sector."
That they are making fun of us. But unfortunately, as is often the case in Slovakia, it is a tragicomedy. Right away, in the next paragraph, they promise support for these community services. "At the same time, multi-source funding will support development of social services at community level also from the sources of the Operational Programme Human Resources and the Integrated Operational Programme."
Good, I cannot keep up with my shock. And maybe my mind is not enough to understand that if day centres are being closed now, why then try to search for resources and announce calls from structural European funds. For whom? For which day centres? And which day centres actually remained? Municipal? Charitable? Diaconal? Civic associations? And how many are left, Mr. Minister? And how many have "disappeared"? How much money have you saved?
You know, dear citizens, mayors, and social workers? Forget the strategy document: "National Priorities for the Development of Social Services". Because what this strategy document tells you, the ministry does not want to fulfill anyway. Or perhaps it cannot afford to. Then why did they include this in the document on which the "Concept of Development of Social Services of Self-Governing Regions" should be based, as well as in the "Community Plans for the Development of Social Services" that municipalities and cities are to prepare by summer?
"Even now it is becoming clear that achieving such fundamental changes cannot be done without preparing a document such as the Strategic Framework for the Development of Social Services up to 2030 in the Slovak Republic. This document will be prepared by MPSVR SR. It will set long-term goals for the development of social services in the Slovak Republic, which will also be the basis for legislative adjustments to legal relationships in the provision of social services and for ensuring sustainable financing of social services, including creating financial conditions that will motivate and support the development and introduction of community social services."
I ask you, Mr. Minister, and also you, Mr. Head of the Social Services Department: Is this your approach to day centres meant to be a motivating factor for municipalities, cities, diakonia, church congregations, charity, and groups of volunteers who brought out their furniture from home or worked for several months for free because they believed in the idea of day centres?
How do you intend to meet the specific goals that you accepted in the concept? Specific objectives of the National Priorities are: 1. to ensure the realization of the citizen’s right to the provision of a social service with consideration of a human-rights and non-discriminatory approach, with emphasis on respecting human dignity, 2. to ensure the availability of social services in line with the needs of target groups and the community, 3. to increase the availability of community social services1 with emphasis on developing social services for the family that cares for one of its members who depends on another person’s help for self-care,
The opening text of this document ends with the following assumption:"It is assumed that the national priorities will then be developed by municipalities, cities, and self-governing regions in their conceptual and planning documents. Based on thorough analysis of the state of social services provided, and likewise requirements and needs of their recipients, they will set goals and priorities, and then tasks and measures for development of social services in their territorial area for the near future."
Do you really expect that after this "witch hunt" on day centres, municipalities and cities will throw themselves into social work? If any of you believes this, I want to wake you up from that belief. Municipalities and cities today can no longer bear the burden of providing current social services, let alone building new services. Why? Because the social policy of the current government decided to place the entire financial, conceptual, and methodological burden, with no help and no long-term preparation or support, onto unprepared municipalities and cities. And sadly, onto you, unprepared citizens too.
You, dear citizens, I ask only this: do not believe everything you hear or read. In public as well as private media you have seen reports: The ministry inspected day centres... The amending bill cuts day centres... Day centres do not serve clients... Day centres violate the law... Black Peter for day centres...
I started in the social field while still a student of theology. I have traveled a good part of the socially advanced West, as well as of the developing world. And while my health holds, I will keep fighting for those who serve in the social field and try to defend those for whom an injustice was done.
Believe it or not, injustice has happened here. I do not doubt that a group of people was found who knowingly violated the Social Services Act, but that does not mean these cases will be used against people who not only had good intentions but also beautiful work with seniors and citizens who ended up in an adverse situation. I want you to know that the Ministry has no moral right to carry out such raids where they in no way genuinely help. The Social Services Act No. 448/2008 Z. z. was and has remained, even after 18 amendments, a law which in several articles is unworkable, internally contradictory, and in present conditions slows the development of social services. It destroys not only the commitment of inspired people but also the good work of selfless people, without whom we would not have social services today at even the level we have.
If you want your elderly and sick parents not to die alone in their homes, or not to wait years for a place in a facility far from you, help build your own community social services and also build day centres.
Author: PhDr. Mária Kovaľová, PhD. MHA
The author is a theologian focused on diaconal social work and a master's in public health focused on managed documentation and risk management. Since 1991 she has been engaged in care services focused on seniors. She is a consultant and quality auditor in social services. Since 2014 she has been president of the Association of Professional Workers in Social Services and a co-founder of OZ Planéta malého prínca. www.aopss.sk