| Abstract [eng] |
The master thesis focuses on analyzing the change of social service quality after introducing EQUASS quality system into public institution “Jurbarkas socialinės paslaugos“ provided daily social service at home. The need of social service in Lithuania is increasing as the society is aging and the number of its vulnerable members is increasing rapidly. Daily social service at home as one of the main type of social service assistance, becomes a great alternative for people who can no longer take care of themselves to get the all the necessary help in their usual environment. The organization and provision of this social service method is especially important for social security and support system in Lithuania as it helps to diminish social polarization and stigmatization of elderly people. Social services are financed by the budget of state ant municipalities so there is a great importance to use those finances effectively and to constantly increase the appeal of social service department by ensuring its proper management. EQUASS quality system is considered to be the best quality management system in the field of social service of EU countries. It fulfills the expectations of people who receive rehabilitation, vocational education and social service. EQUASS is oriented to accomplish the requirements of European social service system. Currently there are only 19 institutions that are certified for EQUASS quality system in the field of social service. By the year 2022 it is scheduled to increase this number up to 120 institutions in Lithuania. This topic is currently relevant as the state of Lithuania sets the goal to improve social service quality by installing EQUASS system more widely and in order to do it successfully it requires more thorough analysis. Public institution “Jurbarko socialinės paslaugos“ is one of the few institutions in the public sector that use EQUASS quality system and applies it while providing social care services at persons home. Problem of the investigation: What changes EQUASS quality system brings to daily social care at home services? The object of the master thesis is the quality of social services. The subject of the research is the improvement of social care services in Public institution “Jurbarko socialinės paslaugos“ after the introduction of EQUASS quality system. The aim of this final master thesis is to determine the impact of EQUASS quality system on the quality of daily social service at home provided by Public institution “Jurbarko socialinės paslaugos”. To reach the indicated aim, the following objectives have been set out: 1) to analyze the theoretical importance of social service quality improvement; 2) to analyze strategical and legal documents defining the quality improvement requirements ant abilities in social care service of Lithuania; 3) to investigate the changes of quality of daily social services at home provided by Public institution “Jurbarko socialinės paslaugos“ after the application of EQUASS quality system. The following methods of investigation were applied in the master thesis: scientific literature analyses, strategical and legal document analyses, secondary data analyses and the method of comparison. This master thesis consists of three main chapters: the first one focuses on analyzing public service concept in traditional service system, discussing the concept of public service quality and its improvement, investigating the main criteria of social service quality, introducing the methods and models of social service quality evaluation and analyzing the application of EQUASS quality system in the field of social service. Second chapter focuses on the analyses of strategical and legal documents defining national and international improvement of social service quality systems. In the final chapter of the master thesis is given the data analyses of the investigation of daily social service at home provided by Public institution “Jurbarko socialinės paslaugos“ after the application of EQUASS system. Conclusions reflect the results of empirical investigation. In order to improve the quality of social services it is necessary for all parties of service provision to be involved in the process, as well as to set out precise criteria for quality evaluation and to maintain systematic quality research. The installment of EQUASS quality system helped to improve social service quality in organizational management, customer relationship and provision of services of the institution. Service quality improvement in daily social service at home is a constant process whereas it is necessary to continually examine the satisfaction of clients’ needs and to thoroughly maintain the fulfillment of quality criteria. |
