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Transformation and Quality of Social Services in Slovakia: Implications of Social Role Valorisation Concept

Received: 10 August 2018     Accepted: 23 August 2018     Published: 28 September 2018
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Abstract

The topic of the quality of social services has been officially institutionalised in Slovakia since 2009 as part of the historically first separate act on social services, as well as a part of the general efforts focused on the transformation of social services. Although the quality system is primarily a policy concept, numerous parallels with the concept of the social role valorisation can be observed. The aim of the study is to present selected aspects of recent developments in the implementation of the new quality system in Slovakia based on the research conducted in 2016. These questions were addressed: According to the providers, is more profound transformation of social services in Slovakia necessary? If yes, what should the transformation relate to? What is the providers’ opinion on the importance of the quality system as part of transformation of social services? What changes do the providers expect in their organisations with regards to the implementation of the quality system? As the research findings shown, the absolute majority of respondents (social service providers) considered the transformation of social services for necessary, while adoption of measures at several levels is necessary. Expectations of transformation changes at systemic level (e.g. financing of social services, stabile legislation, equal status of public and non-public providers), at organisational level, as well as the level of professional performance of social services were identified. The emphasis was put particularly on the need for systemic changes in social services, with considerably lower representation of expected changes at the organisational as well as professional levels. Respondents expressed high confidence in the quality of their own services, not being aware of any major reserves. In the discussion, the author appreciates the concept of the social role valorisation for interpreting and explanations of the obtained, sometimes contradictory, research results.

Published in Social Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 5)
DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11
Page(s) 203-210
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Social Services, Transformation, Quality, Quality of Social Services, Social Role Valorisation Concept, Long-Term Care Services

References
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[8] Repkova, Kvetoslava. 2016a. Quality in context of social services´ transformation (Kvalita v kontexte transformácie sociálnych služieb). Bratislava: Institute for Labour nad Family Research. Available online: https://www.ceit.sk/IVPR/images/pdf/2016/socialne_sluzby_web.pdf.
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[11] Thomas, Susan and Wolf Wolfensberger. 1999. An overview of Social Role Valorization. In R. J. Flynn and R. A. Lemay eds. A Quarter-Century of Normalisation and Social Role Valorisation: Evolution and Impact. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press, 125 - 159.
[12] Osburn, Joe. 2006. An overview of Social Role Valorization Theory. In The SRV Journal, 1: 4 -13.
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[15] Krupa, Slavomir ed. 2007. Transformation of the care homes facilities towards their inhabitans´ social and work rehabilitation (Transformácia domovov sociálnych služieb s cieľom sociálnej a pracovnej integrácie ich obyvateľov). Bratislava: Rada pre poradenstvo v sociálnej práci. Available online: http://www.rpsp.sk/download/transformacia_dss.pdf.
[16] Cangar, Miroslav ed. 2015. Governance and management of the transition from institutional to community-based care (Riadenie a manažment prechodu z inštitucionálnej na komunitnú starostlivosť). Bratislava: Implementačná agentúra MPSVR SR. Available online: https://www.ia.gov.sk/data/files/np_di/publikacie/Riadenie_a_manazment_prechodu_z_institucionalnej_na_komunitnu_starostlivost.pdf.
[17] Lemay, Raymond, 1995. Social Valorisation Theory and the Principle of Normalisation. In A. E. Dell Orto and R. O. Marinelli eds. Encyclopedia of Disability and Rehabilitation. New York: Simon &Schuster Macmillan, 515–521.
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[20] Armstrong, John. 2006. The Application of Social Role Valorization in Supporting People with an Intelectual Disability–An Overview. Available online: http://www.socialrolevalorization.com/en/resources-bookstore/articles
[21] Thomas, Susan and Wolf Wolfensberger. 2007. The New (3rd, 2007) Edition of PASSING. In The SRV Journal, 1: 58–62.
[22] Repkova, Kvetoslava. 2015. Implementation of the quality conditions into social services´ practice–methodological backgrounds (Implementácia podmienok kvality do praxe poskytovateľov sociálnych služieb–metodické východiská). Bratislava: Institute for Labour nad Family Research. Available online: https://www.employment.gov.sk/files/slovensky/rodina-socialna-pomoc/socialne-sluzby/metodika-verzia-3.12-komplet.pdf.
[23] Repkova, Kvetoslava. 2016b. Evaluation on quality conditions of provided social services–methodological backgrounds: draft) (Hodnotenie podmienok kvality poskytovaných sociálnych služieb–metodické východiská: návrh). (Bratislava: Institute for Labour nad Family Research. Available online: https://www.ceit.sk/IVPR/images/IVPR/vyskum/2016/Repkova/repkova_hodnotenie_podmienok_kvality.pdf.
[24] Repkova, Kvetoslava, 2017b. Content and organisational aspects of education focused on evaluation of social services´ quality–draft) (Návrh obsahových a organizačných aspektov vzdelávania pre účely hodnotenia podmienok kvality sociálnych služieb–návrh). Bratislava: Institute for Labour nad Family Research. Available online: https://www.ceit.sk/IVPR/images/IVPR/vyskum/2017/Repkova/navrh_organizacnych_a_obsahovych_aspektov_repkova_2017.pdf.
[25] Hlebec, Valentina and Maja Mrzel, M. 2012 Methodological problems and solutions regarding explanatory mixed methods research design. In Teoria in Praksa, 2: 245-263.
[26] Lemay, Raymond. 1999. Roles, identities, and expectations: Positive contributions to Normalisation and Social Role Valorisation. In R. J. Flynn and R. A. Lemay eds. A Quarter-Century of Normalisation and Social Role Valorisation: Evolution and Impact. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press, 219-240.
[27] Repkova, Kvetoslava. 2018. Social work in area of social services (Sociálna práca v sociálnych službách). Bratislava: Institute for Labour nad Family Research. Available online: https://www.ceit.sk/IVPR/images/IVPR/2018/sp_v_soc_sluzbach.pdf.
[28] Leichsenring, Kai and Anette Scoppetta. 2016. Future perspectives on social welfare policy and research–Identifying social policy issues in Europe. Vienna: GAM 2016 the European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research. 20-21 September, 2016.
[29] Flynn, Robert J. 1999. A comprehensive review of research conducted with the programm evaluation instruments PASS and PASSING. In R. J. Flynn and R. A. Lemay eds. A Quarter-Century of Normalisation and Social Role Valorisation: Evolution and Impact. Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press, 317-352.
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  • APA Style

    Kvetoslava Repkova. (2018). Transformation and Quality of Social Services in Slovakia: Implications of Social Role Valorisation Concept. Social Sciences, 7(5), 203-210. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11

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    Kvetoslava Repkova. Transformation and Quality of Social Services in Slovakia: Implications of Social Role Valorisation Concept. Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(5), 203-210. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11

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    AMA Style

    Kvetoslava Repkova. Transformation and Quality of Social Services in Slovakia: Implications of Social Role Valorisation Concept. Soc Sci. 2018;7(5):203-210. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11,
      author = {Kvetoslava Repkova},
      title = {Transformation and Quality of Social Services in Slovakia: Implications of Social Role Valorisation Concept},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {7},
      number = {5},
      pages = {203-210},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20180705.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20180705.11},
      abstract = {The topic of the quality of social services has been officially institutionalised in Slovakia since 2009 as part of the historically first separate act on social services, as well as a part of the general efforts focused on the transformation of social services. Although the quality system is primarily a policy concept, numerous parallels with the concept of the social role valorisation can be observed. The aim of the study is to present selected aspects of recent developments in the implementation of the new quality system in Slovakia based on the research conducted in 2016. These questions were addressed: According to the providers, is more profound transformation of social services in Slovakia necessary? If yes, what should the transformation relate to? What is the providers’ opinion on the importance of the quality system as part of transformation of social services? What changes do the providers expect in their organisations with regards to the implementation of the quality system? As the research findings shown, the absolute majority of respondents (social service providers) considered the transformation of social services for necessary, while adoption of measures at several levels is necessary. Expectations of transformation changes at systemic level (e.g. financing of social services, stabile legislation, equal status of public and non-public providers), at organisational level, as well as the level of professional performance of social services were identified. The emphasis was put particularly on the need for systemic changes in social services, with considerably lower representation of expected changes at the organisational as well as professional levels. Respondents expressed high confidence in the quality of their own services, not being aware of any major reserves. In the discussion, the author appreciates the concept of the social role valorisation for interpreting and explanations of the obtained, sometimes contradictory, research results.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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    AB  - The topic of the quality of social services has been officially institutionalised in Slovakia since 2009 as part of the historically first separate act on social services, as well as a part of the general efforts focused on the transformation of social services. Although the quality system is primarily a policy concept, numerous parallels with the concept of the social role valorisation can be observed. The aim of the study is to present selected aspects of recent developments in the implementation of the new quality system in Slovakia based on the research conducted in 2016. These questions were addressed: According to the providers, is more profound transformation of social services in Slovakia necessary? If yes, what should the transformation relate to? What is the providers’ opinion on the importance of the quality system as part of transformation of social services? What changes do the providers expect in their organisations with regards to the implementation of the quality system? As the research findings shown, the absolute majority of respondents (social service providers) considered the transformation of social services for necessary, while adoption of measures at several levels is necessary. Expectations of transformation changes at systemic level (e.g. financing of social services, stabile legislation, equal status of public and non-public providers), at organisational level, as well as the level of professional performance of social services were identified. The emphasis was put particularly on the need for systemic changes in social services, with considerably lower representation of expected changes at the organisational as well as professional levels. Respondents expressed high confidence in the quality of their own services, not being aware of any major reserves. In the discussion, the author appreciates the concept of the social role valorisation for interpreting and explanations of the obtained, sometimes contradictory, research results.
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  • The Institute for Labour and Family Research, Bratislava, Slovakia

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