National strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of social services

Policy development
Strategy/Action plan
Poland
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Timeline
  • 2020Design
  • 2021Legislative process
  • 2022Approved/Agreed
ID number
39746

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

In European countries, supported by the EU, the deinstitutionalisation of social services has been taking place. It means a gradual departure from organising services for dependent people in favour of services being provided in family and local community contexts. Preference is given to solutions aimed at providing various forms of care closest to the social environment of a given person.

For many years, the deinstitutionalisation of social services has also been happening in Poland, but with varying intensity and speed depending on, for example, the area of social services and the type of institution or region. It affects a wide range of target groups, including children and young people in foster care, who also face many education challenges.

In 2020 and 2021, efforts were intensified to include this issue in the country's social policy objectives, initiating work on the development of a strategy document in this area. Such a document is also required by relevant EU guidelines and regulations.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

Actions undertaken by the Ministry of Family and Social Policy in 2020 are aimed at directing and intensifying activities to support the deinstitutionalisation of social services in Poland, i.e. better matching the care and support of dependent people with their needs, including those of children and young people in various forms of foster care.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

Since 2020, work has intensified on the preparation of a national strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of social services in Poland. On 12 January 2020, the Minister for Family and Social Policy appointed a team for the development of the strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of social services in Poland, which is an auxiliary body to the minister. The strategy is to be finalised and presented to the minister by 30 April 2021.

The tasks of the team include the development of the strategy, taking into account the needs of people with disabilities, people with mental disorders, the elderly, families, children and youth, including those in foster care, as well as the homeless.

In 2021, at the initiative of the President of the Republic of Poland, the deinstitutionalisation forum was also initiated as a platform for the exchange of experiences of experts involved in activities for the socialisation, empowerment and personalisation of social services. It was established in response to an open letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Poland in autumn 2020 by the scientific community, local government units and non-governmental organisations representing groups that should be included in the deinstitutionalisation process.

The first meeting took place in February 2021 and was attended by the signatories of the letter.

2020
Design

Developing the diagnosis of problems and challenges for the purposes of the national strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of social services.

2021
Legislative process

In the last quarter of 2021, the Minister for Family and Social Policy started the social consultations of the proposed deinstitutionalisation strategy - the Strategy for the development of social services, the public policy for 2021-35.

2022
Approved/Agreed

The strategy was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 15 June and its implementation started. Some strategic goals of the document are dedicated to the vocational reintegration of people with disabilities and their guardians and of those with psychological disorders and in psychological crises.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Minister for Family and Social Policy

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

  • Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
  • Learners with disabilities
  • Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Governance of VET and lifelong learning

This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.

This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.

The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.

Coordinating VET and other policies

This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.

Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation

Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.

This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.

This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.

Ensuring equal opportunities and inclusiveness in education and training

This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET

Country

Poland

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Strategy/Action plan
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). National strategy for the deinstitutionalisation of social services: Poland. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/39746