Steps Toward Modern Social Care: Summary of the Roundtables by the Platform for Social Change in Partnership with CAPABLE
From September to November 2025, the Platform for Social Change, in partnership with the international project CAPABLE (Interreg Europe), held three strategic roundtables that brought together communities, social care professionals, educators, charitable foundations, and local authorities across the Khmelnytskyi region.
The goal was to identify practical solutions for improving the social care system for older adults, making it more sustainable, attractive to professionals, and open to innovation.
Roundtable 1. “Competency Assessment and Resource Mapping: Auditing the Social Care System”
Participants from five groups identified 16 key needs within the social care system — including digital literacy, professional certification, creation of age-friendly spaces for people 60+, social advertising of care services, infrastructure development, and caregiver support.
After collective discussions, six priority areas for action were defined — forming the foundation for future CAPABLE pilot initiatives in local communities.
Roundtable 2. “The Attractiveness of Elder Care Professions: Creating a Motivating Environment for Social Sector Specialists”
The roundtable brought together 36 participants — heads of social service centers, educators, community representatives, charitable foundations, and businesses.
Together, they analyzed the working conditions of over 1,000 social workers across the region, discussed key factors of motivation and burnout, and explored pathways for professional growth in the care sector.
Among the proposed solutions:
- Launching the “Route Window” pilot program to organize outreach visits to villages;
- Introducing 1:1 mentorship for new employees;
- Implementing dual internships for students;
- Holding regular retreats and supervision sessions for teams;
- Updating staff profiles and reporting systems in the Unified Information System for Social Services (UISS);
- Hosting “Open Days” in geriatric centers to raise public awareness and engagement.
Roundtable 3. “Sustainable Care Models: From Idea to Implementation”
The main focus was on how to implement practical, effective care models within local communities. Participants explored three successful case studies:
- CO Charity Fund I CARE (“Golden Age” project) — combining home care, day center services, and volunteering;
- Starenki Charitable Foundation — a targeted assistance system for people aged 60+ with transparent reporting mechanisms;
- ROPS Toruń (Poland) — examples of telemedicine and digital solutions in elderly care.
Communities worked on developing their own implementation plans for the next six months. Each received three ready-to-use case cards outlining the service model, funding mechanism, staffing structure, and a step-by-step implementation guide.
Impact and Results
- Engaged over 80 representatives from communities, social service centers, educational institutions, and charitable organizations;
- Identified more than 20 practical action areas now being integrated into local programs;
- Developed a unified map of resources and needs within the Khmelnytskyi region’s care system;
- Launched the process of creating training modules and supervision sessions for social care professionals;
- Prepared a set of three sustainable care models ready for implementation in communities across the region.
Three meetings were not just a series of discussions — they marked the practical start of renewing Ukraine’s social care system. Through the joint work of communities, public institutions, and civil society organizations, we are building a system centered on dignity, professionalism, and support for older adults.
