Social assistance centres, together with special education centres, are the most widespread form of institutionalised social care in Poland. As the population grows older, demand for such care is bound to increase. However, the quality of facilities and the services provided are low in more than one fourth of institutions in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship. Those institutions not meeting the binding legal standards are currently undergoing remedy programmes and were supposed to reach standards by end 2010. However, these are basic standards and do not allow to properly take into account the needs of patients as well as staff. Swietokrzyskie as one of the poorest Polish regions is characterised by negative demographic trends and a high share of population at retirement age (24%).

The goal of the programme is to enhance the living conditions for residents in social assistance and special education centres in the Swietokrzyskie Voivodeship by increasing the quality and the accessibility of services provided. This will be achieved, on one hand, by improving the infrastructure and equipment of these institutions, and on the other hand by enhancing the professional qualifications of the relevant staff by conducting trainings and education measures.

• Residents of social care institutions (elderly and disabled people, children and juveniles in difficult family situations)
• Staff of care institutions (social workers, nurses, managers)

(i): (re)constructing and modernising infrastructure of social care institutions in 3 fields: "independence training centres”, occupational therapy facilities, medical rehabilitation facilities; (ii): purchase of necessary equipment
conducting specialised trainings for at least 330 staff of social care institutions; (iii): conducting qualification courses (175 persons) and specialist trainings (25 persons) for nurses who need to complete their qualifications in accordance with the requirements of the National Health Fund

Résultats obtenus:  

• 9 social care institutions have modernized and/or equipped their premises. 3'413 square meters of different premises (out of the 1'889 planned) and 10'374 m2 of parks and open spaces have been created/renovated.
  
• 241 medical and substantive staff members in social care units have finished their trainings (target is 162), but continue to increase their qualifications by participation in resilience mechanisms workshops.
  
• 88 nurses have finished their training and thereby improved their qualifications.
  
• 12 promotional events, informational and coaching meetings for final beneficiaries organized, in which appr. 700 people participated
  
• Knowledge exchange with Spitex Basel
  
• 4 study visits to Switzerland with 93 participants (mostly nurses) took place in May and June  2014.

Phase 1 01.07.2011 - 30.09.2016   (Completed)