Social service system is being modernized in Kazakhstan

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter MLSPP) has developed a draft National Plan for further modernization of the social services system in the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2025. It is aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of social services through the solidarity participation in it of the state, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and citizens themselves.
In order to achieve the required level of quality of special social services and increase their availability for needy groups of the population, the document identifies the main priorities and mechanism for the development of the social service system in the new conditions, taking into account global trends.
As part of the implementation of the National Plan, the following systemic changes are envisaged:

1. Transition to a proactive format of social services instead of the declarative principle.
To move to a proactive format for the provision of special social services, a Unified Electronic Register of Citizens in Need of Social Services will be created. It will be formed on the basis of data from information systems of central state and local executive bodies, which contains information about persons receiving state support in connection with the onset of various types of social risks. Also, such information systems as “Digital family (citizen) card”, “E-appeal” and the Portal of social services will be involved.
The availability of generalized relevant information will allow us to quickly clarify and concretize the types and volumes of special services and goods provided, as well as organize proactive social services, without waiting for citizens' applications.

2. Providing services at home or in small-scale social service organizations instead of large boarding houses.
To this end, a phased deinstitutionalization of large boarding houses will be carried out. On their basis, interregional and regional scientific and methodological centers will be created to support and develop the social service system and multidisciplinary small social service houses.
Multidisciplinary small houses of social services will be created by non-profit organizations and private sector entities on the basis of a public-private partnership mechanism.
Organizations that have passed the competition will post a list of special goods and services provided on the Social Services Portal. Individuals in need of social services will be able to independently choose the appropriate organization.
Also, as part of the implementation of this direction, it is envisaged to create and develop service services that train this category of citizens in digital literacy, providing them with the necessary computer equipment to organize access to digital services that provide the possibility of distance learning, employment and participation in public events.
The possibility of receiving services at home will be expanded. At the same time, people who are at home will be provided not only with general services as now, but also specialized and comprehensive services, depending on their individual problems and needs.
Unemployed family members will be widely recruited to provide general services. For them, free training courses will be organized in skills of working with target categories of citizens.
Individuals receiving services at home will be obligatorily attached to medical and social organizations at their place of residence. The organizations will provide specialized and comprehensive services aimed at supporting the livelihoods and / or social integration of the caregivers.

3. Implementation of standards by type of service instead of standards by type of organization.
The expansion of variant forms of social services requires uniformity of approaches and solutions in the provision of special social services. A unified approach to methods and technologies will be carried out not depending on the types of social service organizations as at present, but on the type of special social services provided.

4. Introduction of per capita financing instead of general tariffs.
As part of the planned transformations, a per capita financing mechanism for the provision of special social services will be introduced. Tariffs will be set for the types of services guaranteed by the state. Common tariffs will be set for general services, combined tariffs for complex services.
The rates will be based on the actual costs of service providers. Step by step, within the framework of digitalization and the introduction of electronic individual cards of service recipients (history of the provision of special social services), a system for monitoring the costs of social services organizations will be implemented. This will significantly increase the transparency and efficiency of tariff policy based on actual costs. Price caps will be set for special goods (technical compensatory means) provided within the volume guaranteed by the state. They will be formed taking into account producer prices, the cost of goods registered in specialized organizations of authorized state bodies during their import, and prices actually prevailing in the market.
The maximum prices for special goods are set by central state and local executive bodies in accordance with the approved budget programs.

5. Creation of services of social programs instead of departments of employment and social programs.
To effectively manage the transformation processes in the system, it is planned to reorient the social services of local executive bodies to coordinate and organize work on social services, and not to fulfill these tasks as at present.

6. Choosing a social worker instead of territorial consolidation.
People in need of social services, along with the choice of special goods and services, organization of services, will also be given the opportunity to choose social workers who provide them with services. For this purpose, a unified database (register) of social workers will be created. It will contain information on the qualifications of social workers, the types and quality of services they provide, and the results of their work.
A single base will allow service consumers to select social workers in a competitive environment. The demand for social workers will be reflected in the level of their salaries. To improve the professional level of social workers, a multi-level training system will be introduced using elements of continuous education.
The planned transformations and their implementation will allow, by 2025, to cover the provision of special social services to 90% of people in need of social services, regardless of their place of residence, to provide proactive services to more than 65% of people included in the Unified Electronic Register of Citizens in Need of Social Services ... Transfer to small-scale social service homes at the place of residence or return them to the family to receive services at home 50% of persons in boarding houses.
The Draft Document is posted on the Open Data portal https://legalacts.egov.kz/npa/view?id=6593416.