- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2021
Personalised Public Services for People in Vulnerable Situations in Lithuania
The commission supported Lithuania in developing and testing a new, integrated approach to delivering personalized services for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, ex-prisoners, and youth leaving care.
Public services in Lithuania are provided and organised by different levels of government and there is limited coordination across different types of services. A more integrated approach to deliver services to vulnerable groups, in particular people with disabilities, ex-prisoners and youth leaving care, is needed, as these people often need personalised services to (re-)integrate into social life and the labour market. Within this context, Lithuania has turned to the European Commission for technical support to develop, implement and test a new approach of personalised services for vulnerable groups. Insights into how other EU countries organise services for vulnerable groups helped the Lithuanian authorities to address the current deficiencies or inefficiencies in their own system. The project also provided guidance on a stronger involvement of NGOs in the service provision and in strengthening early prevention measures.
Context
Public services in Lithuania could benefit from a stronger coordination across different levels of government and types of services. Social services, labour market services and social integration activities are provided directly by the state (municipal and national level), which cannot always guarantee the quality, variety and accessibility of services, hereby increasing the risk of labour market exclusion and poverty. In 2019, for instance, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for people with disabilities stood at 31%, compared with 21% for the society as a whole, while the lack of resocialisation measures for ex-prisoners is seen as a major cause for returns to prison.
A more integrated approach to deliver personalised services to vulnerable groups is essential. For instance, young care leavers often struggle to build stable lives as they do not only have to overcome a difficult childhood, but also tend to receive less support during the crucial years of early adulthood than young people living with their parents. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are an untapped potential in Lithuania and should be encouraged to become more involved in service provision.
Support delivered
The project was implemented from May 2021 to September 2023 with OECD as a provider. It provided support to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour by reviewing the provision of personalised services in Lithuania, with a focus on three groups in particular: people with disabilities, ex-prisoners and youth with fewer opportunities, including those leaving foster-care institutions. The main aim of the project was to (1) develop a more integrated system of service provision for specific vulnerable groups, and (2) provide guidance on a stronger involvement of NGOs in the service provision.
Results achieved
The project supported Lithuania to develop and implement start implementing a new approach to the provision of more integrated services to vulnerable people, by introducing a case management model. Based on the results of the TSI project, the Lithuanian authorities will pilot test case management with the support of existing European funding under the Operational Programme.
More about the project
You can read the final report here: