Deinstitutionalization, the process of transition from the system of residential care and care in institutions to the system of caring for a person in the family environment and local community, is one of the priorities of the development of Serbian society. Bearing this in mind, under the auspices of the European Union, the project "Improving of the social protection system and preparation for the ESF" is being implemented in order to establish a system of sustainable social protection services in our community for the most vulnerable population groups.
During May, two meetings were held under the name "Deinstitutionalization - experiences and recommendations", where the project partners presented the situation and further plans for the improvement of deinstitutionalization as one of the main challenges for improving the living conditions of vulnerable groups in Serbia. Gordana Milovanović, team leader of the consortium of companies NIRAS and Ernst&Young, which is implementing this project, also participated in the discussions.
Both events brought together representatives of various institutions, local self-government units, centers for social work, the health system and social service providers in the local community, presenting examples of good practice that are the result of the work of all involved parties.
The first meeting of the exchange of experiences and practices was held in Veternik on May 9, 2024, where Marina Vidojević, assistant minister in Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, was present and highlighted the importance of this project, which is related to the improvement of care provided outside of social protection institutions and the development of social services in the community.
Ljilja Bognić, director of the residential institution “Sveti Vasilije Ostroški - Čudotvorac", shared the experience of that institution in the deinstitutionalization process, explaining that all employees went through numerous capacity-building activities that contributed to reducing prejudices related to the entire process, relationship and interaction with users.
Marija Cucin, a social worker at the “Sveti Vasilije Ostroški - Čudotvorac" institution, shared the experience of this institution and stated that it has been shown that most users of the supported housing service achieve better relationships with their family members compared to the period when they were in the system. She added that the local community is now used to the new work system and that the citizens have accepted the deinstitutionalized users as their neighbors.
The second meeting of the exchange of experiences and practices was held in Kragujevac on May 20, 2024, in the "Male pčelica" residential institution.
Slađana Čabrić, onbehalf of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, emphasized the importance of EU support for the overall reform of the social protection system in Serbia, and at the same time recognized the process of deinstitutionalization as a challenging topic that requires extensive discussions.
Mrs. Čabrić mentioned that the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs initiated the process of drafting the Strategy for Deinstitutionalization and Development of Social Protection Services Provided in the Community for the Period 2022-2026, which was adopted in January 2022, and informed the participants that the accompanying Action Plan has been completed and is awaiting formal adoption.
Miloš Antić, special education specialist from the "Veliki Popovac" residential institution, presented the path of this institution towards deinstitutionalization since 2005, when there was one pavilion in the institution intended for independent living of 5 users. As an example of good practice, he pointed out that this institution currently provides housing services with support in two units - in Petrovac na Mlavi and Veliko Gradište.
The participants of the meetings in Veternik and Kragujevac concluded that deinstitutionalization is a long and complex process that requires the engagement of numerous different actors - the social protection system, healthcare, local self-governments, service providers and citizens. As the main purpose of this process is the implementation of systemic changes that should enable the full inclusion of users of the social protection system in all spheres of life in the community, it also implies taking care of the best interests of users and promoting a more dignified and empowering environment for individuals.
The project "Improving the social protection system and preparation for the ESF" aims to support the improvement of the effectiveness of social inclusion policies through the modernization of the social protection system in order to improve non-institutional care and timely access to quality and sustainable social protection services in the community for the most vulnerable population groups. The project holder is the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, and the Contracting Authority is the Ministry of Finance, Department for Contracting and Financing of European Union Funded Programmes.