On 30 November 2023, at a meeting of the Academic Council of the University, a report on the results of the research implementation by the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work "Study of current practice in providing comprehensive services to families with children / persons with disabilities in Kyiv community" (approved by order №198 of 17.04.2023) was approved. The research was carried out within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between Kyiv City Centre for Social Services of Children and Family Service at the executive body of Kyiv City Council (Kyiv City State Administration) and the Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University.

The results of the study for the period from April to September 2023 were presented by Vadym Liutyi, a member of the research team, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor.

The purpose of the research was to assess the state of functioning of the system of social services for families with children/persons with disabilities in Kyiv and to develop proposals for its improvement.

During the reporting period, a research team consisting of research and teaching staff of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work Svitlana Sapiga, Olena Denysiuk, Vadym Liutyi, Tetiana Spirina and employees of Kyiv City Centre for Social Services Larysa Ostrolutska and Liudmyla Cherkashyna made the following findings:

• analysed the regulatory and methodological framework for the provision of social services to families with a person with disability;
• organised and conducted a telephone survey of representatives of families where a person with disability lives (227 respondents) and a survey using a Google form of specialists (107 respondents) involved in the provision of social services to persons with disabilities and their families from 9 districts of Kyiv;
• conducted a series of in-depth interviews with key informants of the system of social services provision to this group of recipients (21 interviews).

The telephone survey and interviews were conducted by 4th year students of the educational and professional programme "Social Advocacy", 1st year master students of the educational and professional programmes "Social Pedagogy" and "Social Work", and postgraduate students of the educational and scientific programme "Social Work".

The study identified key problems in the provision of social services to families with a child or an adult with disability, namely: insufficient implementation of comprehensive specialised social services and an interdisciplinary approach, as well as insufficient integration of individuals into the service delivery system.

The research team substantiated recommendations for development and implementation of:

• a unified cross-sectoral model for the provision of social services to families with a person with disability;
• a comprehensive specialised service for the integration and reintegration of families with a person with disability;
• professional development programmes for social work professionals to work with this group of recipients;
• training programmes for the formation and coordination of an interdisciplinary team.

The results of the research were presented and discussed at the Board of Directors of the network of social service centres in Kyiv on 10 November 2023.

The following steps for implementing the research have been determined:

• development and testing of a comprehensive specialised service for the integration and reintegration of families with a person with disability and an intersectoral model for its implementation;
• development and testing of methodological materials for training and advanced training of social work specialists in the provision of social services to persons with disabilities and their families;
• development and implementation of selective components for educational and professional programmes of the second (master's) level of higher education "Social Work" and "Social Pedagogy", professional development programmes for employees of social service centres in Kyiv.

Materials provided by  НМЦ досліджень, наукових проектів та програм (SMC  for Research, Scientific Projects and Programs)