The number of people aged 75+ will double over the next 15 years. There is a lack of social services deinstitutionalization (DI) initiatives in Poland. A national strategy in this area is currently being prepared, nevertheless there is an urgent need for greater involvement of NGOs in this process, especially the local organizations, operating in their communities.

As part of the project we want to strengthen the role of NGOs and social economy entities in deinstitutionalization of social services. The project is focusing on advocacy. Its aim is to develop recommendations on the role of organizations in deinstitutionalization processes to be adopted by the government, selected administration bodies as well as provincial governments.

Recommendations at the national level as well as 16 regional deference documents will be prepared in the course of the project. Moreover several activities in the field of monitoring the law on social services, implementation of the national DI strategy, as well as regional draft polices will be carried out in the scope of the project. A monitoring report will be prepared every two months.

Thanks to the project’s implementation, the subjective role and voice of the NGO sector as a social services’ provider will be strengthened. One of the outcomes of the project will also be an attempt to establish 16 regional so-called Social Service Platforms. The project will benefit NGOs providing social services themselves and (indirectly) individuals who are elderly, chronically ill, suffer from disabilities, in crisis of homelessness, in foster and other 24/7 institutional care centers. The project is implemented in partnership with the Czech Association of Social Service Providers (APSS ČR) which is an umbrella body for app. 1,200 member organizations. The partner has extensive know-how and experience as far as implementing deinstitutionalization processes and angadging NGOs in the process is concerned.