SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES IN DIFFICULT LIVING CIRCUMSTANCES (BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF TEACHING THE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE “SOCIAL SUPPORT”)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the social support for families in difficult living circumstances that is based on the experience of teaching the academic discipline «Social Support». It is analyzed that social support is considered as a long-term work, which is aimed at implementing individual social assistance and support in the form of providing comprehensive social services in order to minimize difficult living circumstances, overcome life difficulties, preserve and improve the social status of the client by activating its resources and the immediate environment. The peculiarities of the family as a client of social work are considered. The main technologies of social support of the family are given, namely: social custody (representation of the interests of a family (or its member) in authorities and various institutions by a social service worker);social patronage (provision of social services (mostly at the place of residence) to individual clients and at-risk groups, that is, a constant social watch, regular visits to their homes by social and other workers, providing them with the necessary economic, social and welfare, medical and preventive assistance);social assistance for families involves the provision of social services by social services, crisis centers and social workers in accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On social services”. The main forms of social work are identified, which are the basic for the social support for families in difficult living circumstances, namely: psychological and pedagogical work, promoting the independence and financial situation of family, promoting the education and development of the child, promoting the protection of health of the child, representation of interests, representation of the interests of the child for state and local authorities, involvement of a district inspector in order to stop the violence or drunkenness in the family, assistance to parents of the child in the registration of the guardianship, assistance in the organization of placement and education of the child in a foster family.