Social Security System and Child Protection
Purpose and Principles of the Social Security System (SSSS) Regarding Situations of Dependency
Regardless of the severity of their situation, all dependent persons are entitled to the support and assistance necessary for life, according to their needs and capabilities. The purpose of the SSSS is to:
- Prevent dependency.
- Help dependent persons by providing the necessary protection measures.
- Carry out personal and social empowerment that enables dependent persons to regain maximum independence.
- Promote action and resources to encourage their participation in social life activities.
The SSSS is governed by the principles of:
- Respect for the autonomy and dignity, welfare, and personal development of the dependent person and caregivers.
- Diversified resources adapted to different situations of dependency.
- User involvement in the cost of social care services.
Benefits System for Dependent Persons and Needs Assessment
The SSSS prioritizes the provision of supplies that allow dependent persons to maintain their source of life and coexistence. Secondly, it aims to ensure the provision of appropriate care in their own environment, and then provides various residential care resources.
To this end, the Autonomous Communities (CCAA) are carrying out appropriate adaptations in the intensity, specialization, diversification, and expansion of the following services:
- Intensive home care
- Day care
- Residential care
- Check-in services
- Other relevant services
The SSSS also sets out needs assessments for each person, taking into account their level or degree of dependency, dependency areas, and the stability or instability of the situation. The goal is to establish the most suitable social care services for each case and the right and means of access to them.
Freedom of Choice and Informal Care
Dependent persons may choose between the benefits or social resources identified as suitable to meet their situation. To facilitate this choice, information should be accessible, complete, objective, and personalized.
When freedom of choice is not possible due to the person’s inability, the SSSS will ensure their legal protection through informal care provided by family members, neighbors, volunteers, or others who serve and accompany dependent persons without professional status.
The SSSS aims to foster collaboration and networking among informal caregivers and formal teams to build a support network for each dependent person. This involves measures aimed at supporting social carers, such as:
- Increased training and education adapted to allow optimum performance of tasks and delivery of appropriate care.
- Provision of information about resources, rights, and aid that are accessible.
- Support in combining work and family life.
- Promotion of responsibility in assisting the dependent person within the household, without gender discrimination.
Item 3: Child Protection
The Protection of Children: A Shared Responsibility
During childhood, we develop our identity and learn how to interact with the world. As children grow, they gain greater autonomy to act and make decisions. However, they remain heavily reliant on their immediate social environment, especially their family, which plays a decisive role in ensuring their security, welfare, and development.
The recognition of this special protection for children is reflected in the efforts of public authorities to create legal instruments that recognize their social rights and provide specific protection.
The first Declaration of the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1924 by the Assembly of the League of Nations, laid the groundwork for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Adopted after World War II, the Convention recognizes the child’s right to:
- Their own identity
- Freedom of expression, thought, conscience, and religion
- Privacy and non-discrimination
It establishes the obligation of public authorities to:
- Ensure an adequate standard of living for children
- Create conditions for realizing the right to education
- Establish mechanisms to protect children in situations that pose a risk to their integrity or development
The Convention also outlines mechanisms for guaranteeing these rights, including the creation of a Committee on the Rights of the Child to ensure compliance with the text adopted in 1989.
In Spain, the ratification of the Convention led to the creation of a new legislative framework for children: the 1996 Children Act, which superseded the 1948 Act.