Action Plan - Report Lyudmil Dimitrov, MLSP - Bulgaria, Sofia, 30-th December 2006

1. Intellectual Disabilities IIInclusion of Intellectual Disability into Community Development (JFY 2006) Action Plan - ReportLyudmil Dimitrov, MLSP - Bulgaria, Sofia, 30-th December 2006

2. Republic of Bulgaria Ministry of Labour and Social Policy

3. Republic of Bulgaria The accumulated experience and the new good friends are my Japanese wealth which made me more wise and powerful. Dear friends from JICA and JLID, thank you! Lyudmil Dimitrov

4. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background 1-st January 2007 – Bulgaria is Member State of European Union. In the context of the European social model and the Lisbon Strategy: The social inclusion is general goal. PwD incl. PwID are a priority target group. Action Plan - Report

5. EU in 2007 Action Plan - Report

6. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background Main policy priorities of Bulgaria in the field of social protection and social inclusion: - Reduction of the risk of poverty and social exclusion; - Establishment of a modern, sustainable and adequate pension system; - Improvement of the access to health care services and quality health care; - Development of the long term care system. Action Plan - Report

7. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background The policy shall be conducted in the context of the following: - Strengthening the role of the systems for social protection and social inclusion for the achievement of the goals laid down in the Lisbon Strategy for economic growth and more and better jobs; - Concentrating the efforts in the fight against social exclusion by means of prioritized solution of the biggest challenges facing Bulgaria; - Improvement of the coordination among institutions and organizations involved in the process of social protection and social inclusion; - Improvement of the follow-up process of the progress in achieving the laid objectives in the field of social protection and social inclusion; - Active involvement of all the interested parties. Action Plan - Report

8. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background EU-accession process full EU-membership: Mobilizing of all policies and possible resources for meeting the key challenges and achievement the goals of social inclusion’s policy Action Plan - Report

9. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background Bulgaria has a NATIONAL REPORT ON THE STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SOCIAL INCLUSION 2006-2008, adopted by the government in September 2006 Very important program document for successfully meeting the big challenges concerning all groups at risk especially PD incl. PWID and their social inclusion. The NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR INCLUSION as a part of the NATIONAL REPORT defines thekey challenges, priority objectives and targets in the field of social inclusion. Action Plan - Report

10. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR INCLUSION Key challenges, priority objectives and targets 2006 – 2008: • Equal labour market participation of the groups at risk of poverty and social exclusion; • Ensuring equal access to services aiming at prevention of social exclusion and overcoming its consequences; • Social inclusion of the most vulnerable ethnic minorities; • Poverty reduction among the groups beyond working age. Action Plan - Report

11. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background The objectives as set out above are not new for the social inclusion policy of Bulgaria. They are the main challenges as identified in the Joint Memorandum on Social Inclusion of the Republic of Bulgaria. There is a long-term political and public consensus for their implementation. The limited access to the labour market and the resources of the society, the impossibility to overcome poverty, the obstacles to making use of rights guaranteed by law and basic services, the discrimination and particularly those concerning the Roma community and in some aspects the people with disabilities – all of these are problems faced by the disadvantaged people in Bulgaria. Action Plan - Report

12. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background - Key social inclusion’s challenge in the field of social protection system Social inclusion Social protection Improving social services delivery and securing equal access to high- quality social services for all and in particular for PwD incl. PwID Action Plan - Report

13. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background - Macroeconomic situation The pursued governmental economic policy is directed to continue: - overall improvement of the socio-economic environment; - rise of investments; -stable and fast progress; - high rate of economic growth. Action Plan - Report

14. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Background - Macroeconomic situation (labour market) • activity rate in 3-th quarter of 2006 – 66,2% (2,4 percentage points higher than the same period of 2005); • employment rate – 60,3% (the highest since 1993); • decreasing unemployment rate – up to 8,69% now; • increased demand to employ workforce - 268 000 new working places (incl. for PwD). Action Plan - Report

15. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • What has been done for achieving better social inclusion opportunities? Action Plan - Report

16. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Short-term objectives: regarding sustainable increasing financing of social services: • 2006 the provided financial resources for economic and social integration for PwD incl. PwID are 165% compared with 2005; • 2006 the provided financial resources for social services are 118% compared with 2005; • The standards for social services for 2007 are updated according to the budget framework (forthcoming governmental decree); the update-process for the next period is going on… good collaboration Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, Ministry of Finance and National Association of Municipalities in Republic of Bulgaria • According to the short-term budget prognosis up to 2009 the expenditures for PwD will increase with approximately 2%. Action Plan - Report

17. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Short-term objectives: regarding deinstitutionalization based on development of new social services especially alternative (community based): -2006 - developed 47 new community based social services number of services capacity 2006 134 3 600 2005 87 2 351; -2006 – financing of 32 NGO,s projects for rehabilitation and social integration of 2 000 PwD incl. PwID Action Plan - Report

18. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Short-term objectives: regarding deinstitutionalization based on development of new social services especially alternative (community based): Major Programs cons. Social Inclusion of PWD incl. PWID National Program “Assistants for people with disabilities” (NP) – 13 600 people attending to PwD incl. PwID new stronger requirements cons. services delivery; broader spread of services delivery; “Improvement of quality of life of people with mental disabilities”(IQL)– in execution, forthcoming monitoring before start of services delivery; “Deinstitutionalisation through provision of community based services”(DCBS) - in execution (selected contractors). Action Plan - Report

19. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities • Short-term objectives: regarding institutions facilities: Improvement the living conditions in institutions (2006 – up to December) closing – 1 institution for PwID; renovation – 19 institutions for PwID; reduction the number of habitants – 89 people in 5 institutions for PwID; opening new institutions – 1 institution/capacity 80. Deinstitutionalisation – 61 PwID incl. 23 people in families. Action Plan - Report

20. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities Short-term objectives’ achievements Control and monitoring ofthe social services’ providers (more than 114 check-up only in institutions made by Inspectorate of Agency for Social Assistance up to December 2006) There is a permanent general and specialized control in social services’ providing. Action Plan - Report

21. Improvement of Social Services for PwD – Better Social Inclusion Opportunities Short-term objectives’ achievements important condition to be reached Long-term objectives: (based on Implementation of theNational Strategy for Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities) high quality of life of PwD incl. PwID; independence and poverty combated; active involvement of PwD incl. PwID in the social and economic life. Action Plan - Report

22. Thank you for excellent co-operation and support for accomplishment this very good and useful project (J06-00956)! Now we are more capable for better solving the PwID’s problems. I wish all of you Happy New 2007 Year and great success on your right way! For further information please do not hesitate to contact me: Lyudmil DIMITROV, Ph. D. Head of Department Ministry of Labour and Social Policy 1051 Sofia, Bulgaria 2, Triaditza Str. Tel.: +359 2/8119659 +359 2/9802552 Fax: +359 2/9870134 E-mail: lyudmil_dimitrov@abv.bg