September 2019 – April 2020, BGI Consulting, together with partners Contextus, Ltd, carried out evaluation of Phase 1 of Institutional Care Reform. The evaluation was commissioned by the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania.

 

The Institutional Care Reform refers to the transition from institutional care to family- and community-based services for persons with mental and (or) psychiatric disabilities and children deprived of parental care. The strategic aim of the Reform is to create a system of a comprehensive range of services that enables every child, person with disability or their families (guardians, carers) to receive individual services according to their needs and necessary assistance in the community, and every child deprived of parental care to grow up in the safe environment in his biological family, or, in the case of its absence, foster family.

 

The evaluation of Phase 1 of Institutional Care Reform encompassed 5 tasks. Firstly, the change in social skills and quality of life of children deprived of parental care receiving community-based services (living in community childcare homes) was evaluated. Data regarding 205 children deprived of parental care living in the 36 community childcare homes were analysed. Secondly, the change in social skills and quality of life of adults with mental and (or) psychiatric disabilities receiving community-based services (living in group living homes and protected housing) was evaluated. Data regarding 105 residents of the group living homes and 8 residents of the protected housing were analysed. Thirdly, the competence and motivation of social workers providing community-based services (working in community childcare homes, group living homes and protected housing) were evaluated. Competence self-assessments of 104 social workers providing community-based services and 75 competence assessments of the social workers providing community-based services carried out by their supervisors were analysed, and motivation of 45 social workers providing community-based services was assessed. Fourthly, the efficiency of 20 group living homes for adults with mental and (or) psychiatric disabilities and 4 group living homes for children with mental and (or) psychiatric disabilities group living homes was evaluated. Fifthly, the progress of the Reform was evaluated.

 

A wide range of research methods were applied in the evaluation – interviews, surveys, an observation of the environment and social interactions, analysis of monitoring and statistical data, documents and secondary sources, statistical and comparative analysis, meta-analysis and expert evaluation, a representative survey of the Lithuanian population, focus groups.

 

The evaluation report currently is not public.