Needs for social welfare professionals in social services delivery at the level of the local government in Serbia Prof. Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović UB-FPN Prof. Nevenka Žegarac UB-FPN

Research goals Review of actual qualification structure of professionals employed in social services delivery at the local government level Assessment of needs for new jobs (actual and 5-year projection)

Methodology Three questionnaires for the Social Welfare Centers (CSWs), social welfare and social security institutions 111 municipalities replied Data can be generalized to almost entire population of Vojvodina and Central Serbia Limited due to the lack of data from the biggest Republic CSRs in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš.

Social Welfare Centers/1 93 CSWs and 3 departments responded (without BG, NS and NI) Vojvodina: 32 out of 41 CSR Central Serbia: 63 out of 90 CSRs Data representative for small and medium-size CSWs (only 11 centers have more than 21 professionals employed). 73% of small CSWs organize work within a one unit (59)

Social Welfare Centers/ % (495) of the total number of employed professionals (881) in the analyzed CSWs are social workers. More favorable than the RZSZ data for 2012 – 43.6% 25 out of 95 CSWs has less than 50% employed social workers. There are centers without social workers, and in 18 CRWs there are only social workers with completed high school.

Social Welfare Centers/3 Number of employed psychologists is 201 (88.56% women), two times less than the number of social workers. The analyzed CSW employ 99 pedagogues, 77 special pedagogues, 8 defectologists and 8 andragogues Sociologists 38 Lawyers, 93 centers and 3 departments from the sample employ 204 university graduates and 26 lawyers with college education

Social Welfare Centers/4 The RS allocates the largest part of the budget assets for financing social workers, psychologists, pedagogues and lawyers. 10 X more assets are allocated from the state budget in relation to the local government budget for social workers and pedagogues, about 5 x more for psychologists and 3x more for special pedagogues Small number of people is project-funded, 9 BA in Social Work. Local government financed about ¼ of BA in Law and the Republic budget 76.5% and vice versa. 25 out of the analyzed 95 CSWs have developed additional services and employ professionals.

Needs for employment in CWRs 23% of 95 CSWs without reply Registered need for new employment of a larger number of social workers in 59 / 95 CSWs 138 social workers will retire in the next 5 years + filling of vacancies newly employed social workers. Particularly in Vojvodina and in Central Serbia. Psychologists and pedagogues: retirement the same, need for two times more psychologists In some municipalities no professional employed since 1999, number of users increased.

Social services in local government 63 LG data obtained through CSWs 55.6% don’t have a strategic plan of social protection Mostly employed lawyers (98), economists (62), social workers (13), sociologists (9), pedagogues (13), psychologists (3), and 30 diverse professions more – from professors of physical training, teachers, professors of defense to agricultural engineers.

Projection of needs for employment Lawyers (43) Social workers (35), Economists (21), Sociologists (13) Psychologists (13) Defectologists/Special pedagogues (12) 91% LG stated the need for creation of additional social protection services

Institutions of social protection 29 out of 80 institutions responded. 16/40 for adults and old; 6/15 for adults with intellectual difficulties; 3/11 for children without parental care, 2/5 for children with difficulties, 1 Center for Family Accommodation and Adoption and Center for Human Trafficking Victims. The biggest category of employees are counselors (74 / standard 64). The Republic budget finances 82%. BA Social Workers and Psychologists (41/ standard 48). Employment in the next 5 years: social worker, psychologist, pedagogue, special pedagogue, defectologist, occupational therapist, lawyer and nurse.

Education planning in social protection CSW Local government Institutions of social protection Total Profession Cent. Serbia Vojvod ina Cent. Serbia Vojvodi na Cent. Serbia Vojvodina Soc. workers Psychologists Pedagogues Spec. pedag.63//8320 Defectolostics//3/ Andragogues// 4/ Lawyers 30132/45** Sociologists112 /13**

Data on unemployed social workers National Employment Service (Sept. 2014) 229 unemployed social workers, 83,41% women 52% in Belgrade region; Vojvodina 21 Central and Western Serbia 48 Southern and Eastern Serbia 18.

Conclusion Difficulties in meeting the actual standards Increased scope and complexity of work, inappropriate standards Evident need for development of services Private homes for elderly (2012 – 93 homes), projections say that it is necessary to increase the accommodation capacities by 5 x. Needs for social workers by five times exceed the “production” and cannot be supplemented by simple employment of other professions.