NIK on aid during COVID-19: it was, though not always ideal

In 2019-2021, nearly three million families struggling with various types of difficulties benefited from social assistance in Poland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of families seeking help successively decreased, which was heavily influenced by restrictions on movement or the change in the form of contact from in-person to remote.

The results of the NIK audit also show that in the pandemic the number of people using the services provided by the audited institutions declined from year to year. The regulations in force in connection with the pandemic forced aid institutions to take a number of measures, which were primarily intended to ensure the continuity of operations and the safety of staff and beneficiaries.

The Chamber's auditors conducted a questionnaire survey on the provision of support and assistance to individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey covered all OPS (2434) and PCPR (371) in the country, excluding the audited entities. At the request of the NIK, 1588 OPS (65 percent) and 268 PCPR (72 percent) completed the questionnaires. Among the key difficulties in carrying out support and assistance tasks for individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic, 83 percent of the surveyed OPS and 91 percent of PCPR respondents pointed primarily to restrictions on movement and face-to-face contacts. Inadequate conditions (or even a lack of conditions) for carrying out these tasks were also a problem (in 43 percent of OPS and 30 percent of PCPR), as well as the inadequacy of procedures and regulations to meet pandemic conditions (33 percent and 25 percent, respectively). In 15 percent of OPS and 17 percent of PCPR, the reason for this situation was the lack of specialists, and in 12 percent and 9 percent, respectively, insufficient funds to provide the necessary equipment and personal protective equipment for employees.

The Chamber stresses that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, social welfare units were burdened with additional tasks. All of the PSOs assisted people in quarantine or isolation by providing them with medicines and foodstuffs.

According to the NIK auditors, individuals and families experiencing difficulties in pandemic COVID-19 received the necessary support. Both the OPS and PCPR discerned the needs of local communities, and then adjusted the conditions for providing support, changing the form and method of providing it depending on the diagnosed needs.

The most common form of assistance in the SPA was specialized counseling, mainly psychological, but also legal and social counseling. Other popular forms included social work, shelter places in the CAB, sheltered housing, DDP and senior citizen clubs. Support was also provided in the form of services aimed at specific groups in need (e.g., seniors, people with disabilities, caregivers of dependents) under government programs. In addition, at the PCPR, assistance was provided within the framework of the project "Support for children placed in foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic".

Crisis intervention activities covered a total of 4,000 individuals and families in crisis, providing assistance in more than 4,200 cases - mainly related to domestic violence. Actions were taken immediately, and the scope of assistance was adapted to the crisis situation. The documentation examined showed that the measures taken allowed people to regain their mental balance and strengthen or acquire coping skills, but the situation of individuals and families after the intervention was not always monitored. An examination of the compliance of OPS employees with the regulations on the "Blue Cards" procedure did not reveal irregularities. In order to meet the needs of specific groups of individuals and families in crisis, such as those experiencing domestic violence or those affected by addiction, special points were set up in six OPS and two PCPR where these people could receive professional support.

Another form of assistance provided in the pandemic by the units covered by the NIK audit was the feeding of children and adolescents under the government program "Meals at School and at Home." However, the closure of school cafeterias during the period covered by the audit reduced the availability of assistance in the form of meals that children consumed at school. At the requests of parents or legal guardians, the form of delivery of the benefit was often changed from a meal to a targeted allowance for the purchase of food. Within the framework of the "Meal at School and at Home" program, a total of 573,000 meals were granted in the SPA, benefiting 12,600 people, more than 86 percent of whom were children and adolescents. Expenses for the program totaled nearly PLN 11.6 million.

In the case of individuals and families experiencing difficulties in fulfilling their childcare functions, family assistants were the most popular form of support. During the audit period, nearly 2,000 families benefited from the family assistant support offered by the OPS. In contrast, the least common form of support was support families. Only five families in total benefited from this type of support in two centers. The surveyed documentation shows that family assistant support was implemented effectively, but not always correctly. For example, in two cases the mandatory community interview was not conducted, and in one such interview was conducted more than 100 days late. However, in general, the assistance of family assistants was adequate to the needs of families and contributed to improving their situation.

A disturbing phenomenon was the uneven range of support provided by the audited institutions during the pandemic period. A questionnaire survey, conducted by the NIK, showed that during this period, the availability of psychologists was insufficient in relation to the needs of community residents in 44 percent of the SPAs, in more than 37 percent. - lawyers. As a result, psychological counseling (55 percent), work with the family (including consultation and specialized advice, therapy and mediation) - 39 percent - and legal counseling (27 percent) were cited among the forms of support missing or insufficiently provided. The availability of these specialists was also inadequate in PCPR, although to a lesser extent - this was the case in 17 percent and 10 percent of the surveyed units, respectively. As many as 43 percent of the PCPRs identified psychological counseling as a form of support that was missing or insufficiently provided. However, as far as the audited units were concerned, psychological counseling was missing in five of the SPAs and legal counseling in six. In two BSPs and two PCPRs, the NIK audit found inadequate levels of employment of other specialists: child psychiatrists, therapists, physical therapists and staff working with clients in the field - social workers, nurses and caregivers. The reason was the low level of salaries.

Due to pandemic restrictions in the audited SPAs (restriction of building accessibility and change of the form of provision to remote), the number of people receiving counseling in stationary form decreased. At the same time, there was an increased demand for counseling provided remotely. As a result, the number of psychological counseling provided increased by 33 percent in 2020 and by 56 percent in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 44,000 individuals and families benefited from more than 60,000 psychological, legal and family and social counseling sessions.

The NIK auditors also looked at how the covered entities supported children experiencing difficulties in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to information provided by the directors of the selected schools and psychological-educational counseling centers, on the one hand, children and adolescents struggled with technical problems in connection with the need to switch to remote learning mode. On the other hand, a major challenge for young people was the return to school after a period of prolonged isolation and the associated fear of establishing relationships with peers or lack of acceptance from the classroom. Many children required the support of a psychologist or school counselor upon returning to school. The number of children receiving help from a child psychiatrist also increased. Such a situation showed the importance of support addressed to young people affected by the pandemic. The audit showed that day-care centers that performed the function of caring for children from dysfunctional families, the so-called day-care centers, were operating in only six of the SPAs. In addition, as of 2021, one OPS had an educator running a day care center in the form of yard work. These facilities provided almost 0.7 thousand places, and more than 500 children were cared for in them. Children staying at the day care center were covered by educational activities (such as homework help) and preventive activities, such as alcohol, drug and nicotine addiction prevention classes. The documentation examined showed that support at the day care centers was implemented effectively. During periods when day care centers were curtailed or suspended, in some of them assistance was provided via instant messaging. The NIK notes that this arrangement, however, limited the comprehensiveness of the assistance provided to day care center alumni.

The NIK gives a positive assessment of the OPS's efforts to increase the availability of DDPs (Department of Public Health) and senior citizen clubs - despite the fact that their operations were suspended in the pandemic. The number of these facilities increased from nine in 2019. (six and three, respectively) to 14 in the first half of 2022 (nine and five). It should be noted, however, that assistance in this form was provided by only eight SPAs - in the case of DDPs - and four SPAs - in the case of seniors' clubs, which had a total of 1,300 places for seniors during the audit period.

Places of 24-hour shelter were available at four CIPs, and night shelters operated at two CIPs. More than 1,700 people benefited from emergency or temporary shelter during the audit period. Although the availability of 24-hour temporary shelter places for families in crisis was limited in some of the facilities, those in need obtained assistance in every case.

In half of the audited units (in six OPS, two PCPR and one MOPS), sick, elderly or disabled people in need of support in daily functioning could receive support in the form of protected housing. Protected housing provided 600 places, which benefited about 400 individuals and families. As a rule, the stay in protected housing was paid, except for people whose income did not exceed the income criterion amount. In the opinion of the NIK, the support provided in the form of protected housing was effective, but not always correct.

A significant problem that remains unresolved is the insufficient development of social infrastructure by the responsible bodies of municipalities and counties. The NIK audit showed that concrete social assistance was possible only thanks to the premises infrastructure and personnel resources provided by NGOs cooperating with the audited entities. This was the case with, among others: counseling (mainly immediate specialized psychological assistance, but also legal counseling), day care centers, night shelters for the homeless, as well as day care centers or senior citizen clubs. Above all, however, there was a lack of support in homes for mothers with minor children and pregnant women. Assistance was provided using infrastructure from outside. However, as far as the audited units were concerned, PCPR did not issue decisions on referral to a home for mothers, since none of the counties whose tasks were carried out by these units ran or commissioned homes for mothers, despite such an obligation. In addition, the audit showed that in one case the decision to refer a mother and child to a home for mothers was issued by an OPS employee, despite the fact that, according to the regulations, decisions in this matter should be made by the district governor. According to the NIK, the existing regulations made it difficult for the OPS to provide support to mothers with minor children and pregnant women.

Source: NIK