The aim of this study was to find out what can be learned from Finnish social work preparedness to develop future interventions and use of social capital in disasters. The data consisted of municipalities' social sector's disaster preparedness plan documents. Quantitative content analysis was used as the research method. The analysis was based on the concept of social capital and its forms of bonding, bridging, and linking. The results show that micro-level social work and bonding social capital were emphasized. Bridging and linking social work to disaster-related structures should be developed and social capital enhanced pre and post disasters.
Local actors are crucial in disaster risk management; thus, their capacities should be assessed periodically. In this study, local social services' preparedness plans were assessed using Emergency Management Program Measurement and quantitative document analysis. The specific aim was to study how social service areas of various sizes were prepared for disasters in Finland. The results showed that disaster risk management capacity varied significantly between large and small service areas. Larger areas were better prepared for supporting management, and had better procedures to activate their response, modern public information and deeper cooperation with the private sector and the civil society. The differences might derive from the fact that large areas have more resources allocated to disaster risk management.
This study explores the role of social work in disaster management in Finland and its relation to international disaster social work discussions. The aim is to obtain information on the role of social work in disasters in Finland and to conceptualize disaster social work to understand it better. The framework of disaster social work interventions and the concepts of vulnerability, resilience and social capital are used in analyzing and conceptualizing the role. The methods used are integrative literature review, quantitative document analysis, and statistical analysis of the survey. Municipal social services' preparedness plan documents and survey data of private social care units' preparedness form the main empirical data. The results show that social work interventions of social and human investments, i.e. day-to-day roles, which enhance bonding social capital, were emphasized in disaster social work. Interventions of political empowerment and economic participation, which embrace bridging and linking with other disaster management actors were less common. Preparedness planning was completed only on a very general level in Finland, and the overall level of preparedness and understanding of bridging and linking with other disaster management actors was inadequate. Statistically significant differences were found between large and small social service areas in favor of the large ones. I conclude that enhancing social capital in client work, social work's own organization and in multiorganizational networking, should be central in disaster social work. The concepts of disaster vulnerability, resilience, and social capital are central in understanding the role of social work in disasters.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the level of disaster preparedness of institutional care and sheltered housing services provided by the private sector in Finland.
Design/methodology/approach A web-based questionnaire was completed by businesses producing institutional care and sheltered housing services in Finland. They answered questions on disaster preparedness, impacts of recent hazards, measures taken during the hazards and connections to disaster risk management actors and relatives of their residents during the hazards.
Findings The study showed that only 19 percent of the private service providers had a disaster preparedness plan, and only 11 percent reported that it was a requirement agreed on with the service purchaser. The size of the unit predicted only partly the differences in the level of preparedness. The major impacts of storms were on energy supply, leading to disruptions in the daily activities of the services.
Practical implications The most vulnerable to disasters are people dependent on others, which include those receiving social services. Consequently, this study recommends that preparedness planning should be legally mandated requirement for all social service providers. In addition, the local governments' service purchasers should include private services in their disaster preparedness activities.
Originality/value Private businesses are increasingly involved in producing social services in Finland; hence, their preparedness to face hazards and connection with disaster risk management partners is vital. This study increases knowledge of private institutional care and sheltered housing services' disaster preparedness, which has seldom been the focus of studies.
The Nordic states have extensive welfare systems in which the local social services are an important component. Despite a growing research on disaster resilience, we lack research examining in systematic way whether and how local social services in the Nordic countries contribute to resilience. Aiming to fill this gap, this article asks whether we can identify a common Nordic model of the role of local social services in disasters, or whether the countries have taken different paths. We use policy documents and legislation to examine the extent to which roles for local social services are embedded in the disaster management systems of the five Nordic countries. We analyze the institutional organization in eachcountry, as well as the models of social services related to disasters from a comparative perspective. We find that the Nordic countries have chosen quite different paths regarding local social services' role in disaster management and conclude that there is no Nordic model. Another general conclusion is that a more robust position of local social services within the disaster management system might enhance disaster resilience in the Nordic countries as a whole. ; acceptedVersion
The project focused on the emergency management systems in the five Nordic countries. It investigated whether local social services have a formal role in the contingency planning of the systems. The project was part of The Nordic Welfare Watch research project during the Icelandic Presidency Program in the Nordic Council of Ministers 2014-2016. The council financed the project.The main findings show that Finland, Norway and Sweden specifically address the role of social services in times of disaster in their legal frameworks on emergency management. Finland and Norway also address the role in the law on social services. In Sweden, the role is more implicit as the social service act applies regardless of circumstances. All countries expect all authorities to make a contingency plan. This means that even if the law in Denmark and Iceland does not address the roles of social services, the services are legally obligated to make contingency plans. Furthermore, Finland, Norway and Sweden have prepared special guidelines on contingency planning for social services.In recent years the Nordic countries have all faced disasters due to natural, technical and man-made hazards. The frequency of such disasters is on the rise according to forecasts. In order to enhance resilience and preparedness of those most vulnerable in disasters, the involvement of local social services in the emergency management system is of vital importance. The literature shows how social services can enhance social and human investment, the citizen's economic participation and political empowerment. Furthermore, the literature shows that the co-operation between social services and the voluntary sector during the emergency and recovery phases is crucial, and the Red Cross is usually the largest voluntary organization providing social services during disasters in all the countries.The following recommendations build on the results of the project. Their purpose is to make the Nordic Welfare States more resilient and better prepared for future ...
In: Eydal , G B , Ómarsdóttir , I L , Dahlberg , R , Cuadra , C B , Hvinden , B , Rapeli , M & Salonen , T 2016 , Local Social Services in Nordic countries in Times of Disaster : Report for the Nordic Council of Ministers . Nordic Council of Ministers , København .
The project focused on the emergency management systems in the five Nordic countries. It investigated whether local social services have a formal role in the contingency planning of the systems. The project was part of The Nordic Welfare Watch research project during the Icelandic Presidency Program in the Nordic Council of Ministers 2014-2016. The council financed the project. The main findings show that Finland, Norway and Sweden specifically address the role of social services in times of disaster in their legal frameworks on emergency management. Finland and Norway also address the role in the law on social services. In Sweden, the role is more implicit as the social service act applies regardless of circumstances. All countries expect all authorities to make a contingency plan. This means that even if the law in Denmark and Iceland does not address the roles of social services, the services are legally obligated to make contingency plans. Furthermore, Finland, Norway and Sweden have prepared special guidelines on contingency planning for social services. In recent years the Nordic countries have all faced disasters due to natural, technical and man-made hazards. The frequency of such disasters is on the rise according to forecasts. In order to enhance resilience and preparedness of those most vulnerable in disasters, the involvement of local social services in the emergency management system is of vital importance. The literature shows how social services can enhance social and human investment, the citizen's economic participation and political empowerment. Furthermore, the literature shows that the co-operation between social services and the voluntary sector during the emergency and recovery phases is crucial, and the Red Cross is usually the largest voluntary organization providing social services during disasters in all the countries. The following recommendations build on the results of the project. Their purpose is to make the Nordic Welfare States more resilient and better prepared for future challenges. • There is a need to share knowledge on how to increase the involvement of social services in all phases of emergency management. The guidelines for social services' contingency planning and their plans should be shared across the Nordic countries and among various actors on the state, regional and local levels. This task could also be implemented under the umbrella of the Svalbard Group. • There is a need to make the role of social services known in the emergency management systems, so that the relevant parties can activate the full potential of social services in all phases of the disaster cycle. It is likewise important to inform the social services of emergency management law and organization in order to facilitate effective co-operation in the event of disaster. • It is important to address the role of emergency management in the education of social workers and social carers and enhance disaster research in the social sciences. • It is important to create opportunities for the social services to prepare for future disasters. It is also important to include the social services in emergency management exercises. The exercises might also be extended in scope in order to cover all phases of disasters. Nordic countries could share exercise scenarios involving tasks for the social sector and make use of scenarios already developed. • The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Welfare Center (NVC) should address social sector preparedness issues. Social sector preparedness cooperation should be enhanced under the umbrella of the Nordic Council of Ministers (Svalbard Group) and collaborate closely with the Haga-process. Such high-level co-operation enhances regional and local level co-operation.
