An opportunity for the social and employment activation of social assistance clients: an example of the effectiveness of a project implemented in Poland

Abstract

Social and employment activation of individuals at risk of social exclusion gains in significance if it results in their more active attitudes. An increasing number of systemic projects currently implemented by social assistance centres (SACs) in Poland provide a great number of people with an opportunity to take steps to improve their circumstances. The research objective was to assess the results of the project called ‘Use Your Opportunity’, implemented by the SAC in Andrychów, in order to draw conclusions concerning the forms of assistance offered as a part of social and employment activation scheme. The research encompassed 79 individuals before and after their participation in the project in 2010 and 2011. It has been found that the participation in the project and contact with the specialists definitely contributed to the SAC clients' greater knowledge about the way in which they function in the society, their abilities and limitations and also their life skills and employment opportunities. There is no doubt that systemic projects implemented by the SACs in Poland significantly increase the opportunity for their clients to receive support that is not only limited to financial help, which has been common practice so far, but also grants access to the otherwise inaccessible training and specialist counselling services.

Aktywizacja spoleczno-zawodowa osób zagrozonych wykluczeniem spolecznym zyskuje na znaczeniu jezeli doprowadza do prezentowania przez nich aktywnych postaw. Obecnie projekty systemowe coraz częsciej realizowane przez polskie osrodki pomocy spolecznej stwarzaja dla wielu osób szansę na podjęcie dzialań zmierzajacych do poprawy wlasnej egzystencji. Celem badań byla ocena rezultatów projektu pt. ‘Wykorzystaj swoja szansę’ realizowanego przez OPS w Andrychowie, dzięki której mozna wysnuć wnioski na temat oferowanych form wsparcia (w ramach aktywizacji spoleczno-zawodowej). Badaniami objęto 79 osób, którzy w 2010 i 2011 roku uczestniczyli w projekcie (czyli przed i po zakończeniu udzialu). Stwierdzono, iz udzial klienta OPS w projekcie zdecydowanie wplynal na podwyzszenie poziomu jego wiedzy o funkcjonowaniu spolecznym. Ponadto kontakty beneficjentów z wybrana grupa specjalistów w ramach podejmowanych dzialań pozwolily im na poszerzenie wiedzy o swoich mozliwosciach i ograniczeniach, kompetencjach zyciowych oraz szansach zawodowych. Nie ulega watpliwosci, iz projekty systemowe realizowane przez polskie osrodki pomocy spolecznej istotnie wplywaja na perspektywę uzyskania przez ich klientów pomocy, która nie jest zwiazana jedynie z powszechnym dotychczas wsparciem materialnym, ale przede wszystkim z mozliwoscia dostępu do nieosiagalnej oferty szkoleń, kursów i poradnictwa specjalistycznego.

Keywords:

• social and employment activation
• social worker
• social inclusion

Slowa kluczowe:

• aktywizacja spoleczno—zawodowa
• pracownik socjalny
• inkluzja spoleczna

Notes on contributors

Marta Czechowska-Bieluga is a graduate of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, she has collaborated with the Municipal Family Support Centre in Lublin since 2003, i.e. when she began her academic work. In her professional career, she held a number of administrative posts such as the Deans Representative for Students' Practice and Deputy Coordinator of EU Projects. She was the chief implementer of a research project funded by the Minister of Science and Higher Education. Currently she is a member of the Faculty Committee for Teaching Quality at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin. She is also an author and co-author of several scholarly monographs and more than 30 publications in Polish and international journals. Her main scholarly interests include social work and the quality of life of social workers.

Barbara Sordyl-Lipnicka is a graduate of Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. She has been employed as a social worker in the Social Help Centre in Andrychow since 2009. Things she does are dealing with popularising active social integration as well as providing services for people socially excluded (within ‘Use your chance’ project funded by the EU within the European Social Fund). She has been a social guardian in the Local Court in Wadowice, since 2010. Her duties there include tasks connected with fostering, diagnosing and controlling certain citizens in compliance with the Court's rules. She is also an author of a few scientific literatures. Her major scientific interests involve social work, topic of alteration as well as earning emigrations of modern families.

Notes

1. The perception of social assistance by clients depends on their status, circumstances, interests, level of knowledge and experiences.

2. According to American studies, client's satisfaction depends on a friendly atmosphere, competent staff, respect for the clients, understanding of their needs and preservation of their dignity and self-esteem (Krzyszkowski, 2010).

3. In the first period, before 1989, research focused on ‘stationary’ social assistance and regarded as a source of information on the functioning of social assistance and the quality of social work (cf. Lewandowska & Sawicka, 1988). After 1989, two categories of individuals were analysed. The first comprised previous clients, i.e. the elderly and the disabled, whereas the second category included the unemployed and their families (cf. Ostrowska & Sikorska, 2001).

4. For example, research by Kazmierczak (1996) who established a typology of clients from the process perspective, which enabled the identification of the career of a social assistance client. Kazmierczak identified three meanings of being a social assistance client, i.e. a sense of shame and humiliation characteristic of first-time clients, a sense of advancement (in the case of the elderly, the lonely and the sick) and confirmation of difficulties in life. What is common to all clients is the stigmatising effect. Despite the intended social exclusion, social assistance leads to the marginalisation of various groups. Other studies, conducted by Bocheńska-Seweryn and Kluzowa (2002), indicate that the primary reason for using social assistance is an attitude of learned helplessness, where individuals deliberately give up trying to solve their problems on their own.

5. In Poland, it was a watershed year marking the beginning of the transformation of the social, political and economic system.

6. Act on Social Assistance, dated 12 March 2004; Act on Public Benefit Activity and Volunteer Work, dated 24 April 2003; Act on Social Employment, dated 13 June 2004; Act on the Promotion of Employment and Labour Market Institutions, dated 20 April 2004; Act on Social Cooperatives, dated 27 April 2006; National Development Strategy 2007–2015 and Social Policy Strategy 2007–2013.

7. Pursuant to the Act on the Principles of Development Policy, dated 6 December 2006, systemic projects are based on the performance of public tasks by entities acting pursuant to separate regulations within the scope specified by the law and by strategic and programme documents adopted by the Council of Ministers. Under the OP HC, systemic projects can be implemented by beneficiaries indicated in the detailed description of priorities of the Human Capital Programme.

8. Pursuant to Priority 7: Promotion of Social Integration, Measure 7.1: Development and dissemination of active integration, Sub-measure 7.1.1: Development and dissemination of active integration by SACs, the SAC in Andrychów was able to acquire EU funds for carrying out measures aimed at activating unemployed individuals looking for work, in working age and in receipt of social welfare benefits pursuant to the law on social assistance. Examples of activities conducted by SAC Andrychów for the benefit of this group include social competencies and social skills training, parental competence training, employment training, employment activation workshops, meetings with experts (lawyers, counsellors and therapists), psychological support, various vocational training courses and help from a family assistant. It should also be mentioned that EU funds obtained under this project were also used to hire new social workers and acquire additional equipment for work places, and to cover the expenses of the venues of project participant meetings.

9. Pursuant to the Act on Social Assistance, dated 12 March 2004, a SAC is an institution that helps individuals and families overcome difficult life situations that they cannot cope with using their own capacity, resources and opportunities.

10. The SAC in Andrychów organised a promotion and information campaign to encourage the inhabitants of the municipality to use new forms of support.

11. Clients are not interested in non-financial assistance and their relations with social workers are usually kept to the absolute minimum (Krzyszkowski, 2010).