Determinants of social care organisations’ abilities to provide help in times of COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Kristi Nero
University of Tartu Estonia
Nero.kristi@gmail.com
Author(s):
Kati Orru1, Abriel Schieffelers2, Tor-Olav Nævestad3, Merja Airola4, Austeja Kazemekaityte5, Lucia Savadori6, Daniel De Los Rios Perezand7 Johanna Ludvigsen8
1University Of Tartu, Kati.Orru@Ut.Ee, EST
2The Salvation Army, Abriel.Schieffelers@Armeedusalut.Be, BEL
3Institute Of Transport Economics, Tor-Olav.Naevestad@Toi.No, NOR
4VTT Technical Research Centre Of Finland Ltd, Merja.Airola@Vtt.Fi, FIN
5University Of Trento, A.Kazemekaityte@Unitn.It, ITA
6University Of Trento, Lucia.Savadori@Unitn.It, ITA
7Jönköping University, Daniel.Delosriosperez@Ju.Se, SWE
8Institute Of Transport Economics, Johanna.Ludvigsen@Toi.No, NOR
The Covid-19 pandemic challenges the sustainability of the social care organisations (and those dependent on their services) when services are stopped or restricted to mitigate the spread of the virus. The aim of the study is to examine the outcomes for the social care organisations and their users in the early months (March to July 2020) of the pandemic, and the factors influencing the organisations’ abilities to successfully respond to the crisis. The study focuses on the experiences of social care organisations such as residential settings, day-centres and food banks that offer services to individuals in highly precarious situations or the homeless in nine countries: Germany, Italy, Hungary, The Netherlands, Norway, Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia. The study is based on 29 qualitative research interviews with managers and staff at social care organisations and document analysis. The analysis demonstrates that in the context of drastic surge in demand for services, diminishing funding, and lack of crisis plans, the dedication and creative solutions by organisations’ managers, organisational culture and intra -organisational cooperation were pivotal in maintaining the care provision. The study offers important insights in terms of potential strategies and the role of social service in health crises.
Caring about and Care in Disasters: On Privileges, Marginalisation and the Making of Critical (Social) Infrastructure Protection