Institute for the Development of Social Serivces Warsaw, Poland Main objectives and acitivities in the EQUAL funded project: „Searching for a Polish model of the Social Economy”

The Institute for the Development of Social Services Created in 1998 by Dr. Joanna Staręga-Piasek, formerly a minister in the Ministry of Labour. An independent research and educational institution founded as a department of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, currently a private institution. Three main areas of work: 1. Research: social policy, social services, the welfare state; 2. Publication: 3 journals, a book series (Ex Libris); 3. Training and education: trained over social service employees since Participates in a wide range of projects, both national and international.

Changing face of social services Examples of IRSS projects: 1. „Chance: preparing unemployed women (over 50) to become care service providers”. 2. „Searching for a Polish model of the social economy” 3. „Rescaling of social welfare policies: a comparative study on the path toward multi-level governance in Europe” 4. „VISION I: Volunteerism and social services: teaming up to tackle social exclusion in the 21st century”

Project II: social economy Title: SEARCHING FOR A POLISH MODEL OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMY Project run in partnership with: Association for the Forum of Non- government Initiatives, Bank BISE, Civil Society Development Foundation, Foundation for Social and Economic Initiatives, UNDP, Klon/Jawor Association, the Ministry of Labour, the Network of Information and Support for Non-government Organisations SPLOT. Funding: European Social Fund, EQUAL Initiative. Website: Objective: - increase employment capacity in the third sector, - encourage the growth of social entprises, - prepare social workers to offer more active employment activization programmes.

Project aims and results AIMS: 1. Transfer of knowledge and best practices; 2. Provide an educational programme for social workers on the social economy; 3. Increase the use of employment activization programmes in social welfare centres; 4. Increase employment of people facing social exclusion. RESULTS: 1.Publish 2 issues of the quarterly, Social Work, devoted to social economy issues 2.Train 300 social workers and develop a permanent educational programme on the social economy; 3.A support network for social workers; 4.Evaluate the state of social services and their capacity to implement social economy methods; 5.Recommendations for the changes/reforms of the social services system.

Organisational Structure of Social Services in Poland: Regional Centre for Social Policy – 16 Centre for Family Support (Poviat level) – 380 Social Welfare Centres (local level) – Ministry of Labour and Social Policy Social Policy Department in the Voivoid Office – 16

Unemployment rate in

The percentage of the unemployed population according the period of being unemployed in

Poverty rate in according to 5 poverty lines

The number of social assistance clients in

The percentage of social assistance clients in the population of Poland in

The reasons of reciving benefits in (number of persons in families that received benefits)

Social economy and social services Social economy as a tool for employment promotion: Welfare benefits for economic independence Social cooperatives Centres for Social Integration Social Economy as a tool for building social capital: Time banks „Social Integration Clubs” The Centre of local activation The social economy can strengthen and improve social service work designed to: 1. develop self-help/community development projects, 2. increase employment opportunities.

Developing a social economy The situation in Poland: Economic growth has not produced comparable growth in employment indicators; Social policy has focused on welfare benefits; Increasing employment has not been considered a strategic social policy; The largest groups of unemployed: rural regions (employees of collective farms) and university graduates; Social economy is considered an altnernative approach to increasing employment; Increasing role of NGO’s in social services provision. Poland in statistics: Around NGO’s are registered. The third sector employs ~0.8% of the labour force (compared to: 11.5% in Ireland, 6.8% in France, 9.8% in USA). 2/3 of NGO’s do not hire paid personnel, average salary is 1 600zł/month (~412Euro). Between , number of volunteers grew by 7.7%.

The legal background 1.The Act on Social Services (March The Act on Public Benefits Work and Volunteers (April 2003). 3.The Act on Social Employment (June 2003): created „Centres for Social Integration” and „Social Integration Clubs”. 4.The Act on Promotion of Employment and Labour Market Institutions (April 2004): start-up funding for setting up a business. 5.The Act on Social Cooperatives (July 2006): created legal standards for social cooperatives. Social economy inspired methods/tools are being increasingly incorporated into legislation regulating social services, but capitalizing on social economy methods in social work requires appropriate training and educational programmes.

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