Ostrava – Jih District Authority: Department of Social Care

Who are we, and with whom do we work?

Ostrava-Jih District Authority, Department of Social Care is divided into:

Department of Social Prevention
Department of Social and Legal Protection of Children
Department of Social Assistance to Persons in Material Need and Social Prevention
Department of Care for the Elderly and Disabled

The Department has been delegated the undertaking of social work with individual target groups of persons in adverse social situations, and carries out activities in the area of social and legal protection of children, pension insurance, representation in signing contracts in residential service facilities due to the adverse health condition of users, and acts as a guardian of persons with reduced legal capacity.

What do we offer to our clients?

1. Department of Social Prevention – guardians for children and youth

The Department's agenda provides for the care of children requiring increased attention through the social guardianship for children and youth, which consists of implementing measures aimed at eliminating, alleviating, or preventing the deepening or recurrence of mental, physical, and social development disorders of the child.

Target group: Children with behavioural problems who neglect compulsory school attendance, are not preparing for their future occupation, and are not employed, or who drink alcohol or use addictive substances, lead an idle life that harms their regular education and development, committed a crime, repeatedly commit offenses, or otherwise endanger cohabitation, run away from parents, engage in self-harming behaviours, etc.

2. Department of Social and Legal Protection of Children – social workers

The Department ensures the exercise of social and legal protection, which means in particular the protection of the child's right to favourable development and proper education and upbringing, protection of the child's legitimate interests, including protection of the child's assets, restoration of disturbed family functions, and providing a foster-family environment for the child who cannot be raised either temporarily or permanently in his/her biological family. Emphasis is placed mainly on the best interest and well-being of the child, protection of parenthood and family as well as reciprocal rights of parents and children to parental upbringing and care. Social and legal protection is provided free of charge to all children up to the age of 18, until they have reached the age of majority. The department of child social and legal protection commits to adhere to quality standards in the execution of social and legal protection of children, which represent certain criteria determining the quality level of the provision of social and legal protection.

Target group: Vulnerable minors (pursuant to Section 6 of Act No. 359/1999 Coll., on Social and Legal Protection of Children, as amended), or minors who have been appointed a collision guardian by a social legal protection authority.

3.Department of Social Assistance to Persons in Material Need and Social Prevention

The Department provides, in particular, field social work, counselling services, information on the options and choice of social care services and administration assistance in completing or checking applications for different types of social benefits. It also provides assistance to citizens who are at risk of social exclusion. The Department's obligations include seeking out persons in adverse social situations, informing them about the possibilities of solving their situation, and working with them for this purpose.

Target group: persons in material need, families with children, socially excluded persons, persons at risk of social exclusion, persons leading a risky way of life, homeless persons, victims of crime and domestic violence.

The social workers of Department of Social Assistance to Persons in Material Need and Social Prevention are ready to provide citizens with comprehensive social counselling and assistance in solving their specific life situations. For example, they advise and help citizens with:

Arranging for identity papers and personal documents (when submitting an application for the issue of an ID card, passport, birth certificate, health insurance card)
Registration in the registry of job applicants in the employment office
Seeking and changing jobs
Processing of assistance in material need, benefits for persons with disabilities and state social support benefits at the employment office
Solving financial problems (execution, debts)
Financial/Budget management
Dealing with a housing situation
Orientation in the offer of social services in Ostrava and its surroundings
Dealing with domestic violence
Dealing with other difficult life situations (e.g. assistance in providing shelter accommodation for persons who are temporarily in distress and unable to help themselves)

The Department also ensures execution of an adult guardian. It provides counselling for persons released from prison. In connection with the activities of the guardian for adults, it works together with institutions for the execution of institutional or protective education, the Prison Service of the Czech Republic, the Probation and Mediation Service of the Czech Republic, the Employment Office, administrative authorities and other territorial self-governing units.

4. Department of Care for the Elderly and Disabled – execution of public custody, social workers

In particular, the Department provides assistance and support to the elderly and disabled to solve their adverse social situation. It provides field social work, basic and professional counselling, for instance, in the area of informing clients of an offer of social service facilities, social care services in the field, outpatient and residential form, administrative assistance in completing or checking applications for different types of social benefits. It serves as a guardian of persons with reduced legal capacity, including social work in cooperation with residential social care facilities in the context of representation of these persons in signing a contract on residential social service.

Target group: the elderly and the disabled, persons in material need, persons with reduced legal capacity, persons socially excluded, persons leading a risky way of life, homeless persons, victims of crime and domestic violence.

Social workers in Department of Care for the Elderly and Disabled Persons are ready to provide citizens with comprehensive social counselling and assistance in dealing with various life situations. For example, they advise and help citizens with:

Arranging for a care allowance
Arranging for a housing allowance
Arranging for a disability pension
Arranging for a retirement pension
Financial management
Dealing with a housing situation
Applying for a retirement home or an assisted living facility
Orientation in the offer of social services in Ostrava and its surroundings
Performance of a guardian role of persons with reduced legal capacity
Applying for appointment to become a special recipient of pensions or benefits
Submitting a proposal for representation with or without limitation of the legal capacity of persons
Dealing with domestic violence

Student internships

In our facility, international students can most often carry out the following activities:

Social inquiry at the client's place of residence
Office meeting with a client, and/or a close person
Interview with social workers at the internship site
Interviews with minors and adolescents
Organization of case conferences
Client's visit at the facility (school, medical, social service provider, prison, and custody facility)
Court hearing
Dealing with other authorities and offices
Interrogation at the Police of the Czech Republic – if possible
Dealing with school facilities, health care facilities, social service providers

Contact details

Address: Horní 791/3, 700 30 Ostrava-Hrabůvka
Department Head: PhDr. Linda Nováková Palatá
E-mail: linda.novakova@ovajih.cz

Updated: 14. 04. 2020