Centre within a Centre
A social policy strategic plan was adopted in Stara Pazova a year prior to the project “Support to Implementation of the Social Welfare Development Strategy” taking in.
The reform of the social welfare system is ongoing in Serbia. Special attention was paid to drafting local social policy strategies with a view to developing local capacities and developing quality, standard social services in line with the specificities of local communities. The parties responsible for implementing such a complex task are the centres for social welfare that are also undergoing internal changes. One of the roads of their modernization is drafting of the Rules of Procedure on standards and organization of centres through a pilot project implemented in seven municipal centres.
The Centre for Social Welfare in Stara Pazova achieved notable results. In this municipality, Srem district, the project was implemented by the Centre and all the credit for them being faster than the state goes to them.
Namely, they already had adopted such an important document a year before the drafting of local strategies began at the national level. The much needed assistance was provided by the Social Innovation Fund.
Vesna Trbovic, director of the Centre says the idea arose from the need. “Over the past 15 years we took an active part in various projects, so we realized active changes in the society were called for” she explains.
Drafting of the “Strategic Plan of the Social Policy 2006-2011” began in 2005, linking the key stakeholders: the municipality, schools, MOI, health centre, NGOs, citizens’ associations.
The first result was adoption of the Plan by the municipal assembly and a decision to allocate 3% of the budget (instead of 1%) for poverty reduction and protection of vulnerable citizens as of 2007.
The municipality also committed itself to integrate the Strategic Plan into the Strategy of Economic Development of Stara Pazova.
Thanks to the Strategic Plan, the capacity of the home assistance for the elderly will be extended as of March 2008.
The Volunteer Centre “Smile” exists with the CSR since 2005. The young inhabitants of Stara Pazova – pupils and students – are very interested in joining in. Volunteers organize numerous actions – assistance to the elderly, children in foster homes, peer education on addictions, non-violent communication… |
RSD 2,400.000 have been earmarked in the municipal budget and thus the number of beneficiaries will be increased: from the current 40 in three local communities to 80 in all the ten local communities. Employment of new gerontology nurses, purchase of field vehicles, opening of day clubs have also been planned.
The Strategic Plan is also the first database on the vulnerable citizens. It identifies a list of priorities such as strengthening families for urgent reception of children from dysfunctional families, opening day centres for more than 100 persons with developmental problems. The Social Welfare Centre Stara Pazova submitted its first comments on the future Rule Book on standards and organization of work of the centres which is to be adopted by the end of 2008.
This fulfills one of the strategic aims of the PRS: identification of new programs, measures and activities directly targeting the most deprived and socially vulnerable categories.
Partners in PRS Implementation 
