Małopolskie Obserwatorium Polityki Społecznej

Małopolska Social Policy Observatory is the project realized thanks to financial assistance of  European Social Fund by Regional Centre for Social Policy in Krakow.

The project has informative and research character and its mere aim is to enhance the effectiveness of social policy in the Małopolska Region. The point of the support is to satisfy the need for information of regional, local authorities, institutions and organizations running in this area.

The Małopolska Social Policy Observatory is a research and information project implemented in order to enhance social policy effectiveness in Małopolska by facilitating access to information supporting its planning, implementation and evaluation.

The objective will be reached through 3 types of activities:

• research and analyses from the profound diagnosis of chosen areas for social state of affairs in the Małopolska Region,
• collection of accessible data from the area of social policy,
• simplifying evaluation of efficiency of implemented solutions in the area of social policy.
  
  

The Małopolska Region is one of the 16 provinces in Poland, lying in the south of the country. Area of 15000 km2 and 3 mln inhabitants place the Małopolska region among the largest in the country.

The Małopolska Region borders upon three other provinces: Silesia, Świetokrzyskie and Podkarpackie as well as  Slovakia.

The Centre is responsible for all duties within the range of social policy at regional level especially including such areas as:

• social care, pro-family policy, prevention against violence in family,
  
• qualification improvement of social care staff,
  
• co-ordination of social security systems in case of people moving within European Union boundaries as well as European Economic Area in the scope of familial services.

• Academy of Social Economy Development – multi-faceted support for social economy sector in the Małopolska Region,
  
  
• Training and Professional Advancement of Social Care Staff – support for social integration and prevention against exclusion from the society by vocational guidance and career training.
  
  In addition, the Centre runs a project  „Helping Hand under Safe Roof”, which is cofinanced from the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme. The purpose of the project is to improve access to welfare to residents of the Małopolska Region through improvement of infrastructure in residential and nursery homes and 24-hour care and educational centres, acquisition of additional equipment and offering high quality professional services.