MPSV - Social services

Types of social services

Social services mediate assistance in the care of one's own person, providing meals, accommodation, assistance in running a household, care and assistance with bringing up a child, providing information, mediation of contact with social environments, psychotherapy and social therapy, assistance in assuring one's rights and interests.

Social services - providers and accessibility

Social services help people to live a normal life - they allow them to work, shop, attend school and places of faith, participate in leisure time activities, take care of themselves, their home, etc. The services aim to maintain the highest possible quality and dignity in their lives. Social services are provided to individuals, families, as well as to groups of people.

Social services are administered to people in adverse social situations if the people are permanent or long-term residents of the Czech Republic. The most numerous groups of beneficiaries are, particularly, the elderly, people with disabilities, families with children however also, people living on the fringes of society for various reasons.

Social services providers

Municipalities and regions look to form suitable conditions for the development of social services, in particular by researching people's real needs and the resources necessary to satisfy such needs, besides that they set up organisations to provide social services.

Non-governmental non-profit organisations and individuals who provide a wide spectrum of services are also important social services providers.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is the incorporator of five specialized social care institutions.

Information on social services

Information on social services and their administration may be obtained from, e.g. the Municipal, Town or Regional Authorities (Social Affairs Departments), in civil or other specialized counselling offices or directly from social services providers.

Applying for a social services

An individual must, usually, apply for a social service. For some types of social services the municipalities and regions issue resolutions on services to be provided in administrative proceedings. This concerns, in particular, domiciliary care services and services associated with staying in homes for people with disabilities and for the elderly. If an NGO is the service provider the user enters into a contract with the provider. The resolution, or the contract, also includes a clause concerning the user's financial participation in the service provided.

More information - The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs