Since January 1, 2025, Kazakhstan has introduced licensing of special social services (hereinafter – SSS) in the field of social protection of the population. This will create conditions for improving the quality of their provision and reducing the number of violations in this area. According to the results of a pre–licensing analysis conducted by the Committee for Regulation and Control in the Field of Social Protection (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), it was found that 72.3% of 1007 organizations providing SSU meet the requirements.
The introduction of licensing is one of the stages of modernization of the system of providing special social services and is aimed at: improving the quality of services provided; guaranteeing the safety and protection of the rights of service recipients; establishing uniform standards for organizations providing SSAS.
"It has long been necessary to ensure the proper quality of the SSU, regardless of the form of ownership of the organizations providing these services. It is enough to recall the tragic case that occurred last year in one of the centers for the provision of special social services, where children with disabilities were poisoned, even with a fatal outcome. According to the results of the comprehensive audit, it was found that the rights of children with disabilities were grossly violated in the organization: household services were not provided in full; minimum standards for the issuance of bed linen, clothing and shoes were not observed; screening examinations were not carried out; nutrition standards were violated.
For 11 months of this year, as a result of 167 inspections, 148 subjects were issued orders to eliminate the identified violations, 15 fines totaling 1.75 million tenge were imposed," Chairman of the Committee Tolegen Ospankulov said.
He stressed that the quality of the SSU directly depends on two main factors: the level of professional qualifications of employees and the compliance of organizations providing services with established requirements.
"Today there are 12.7 thousand social workers in the republic in the field of social protection of the population. Of these, only 12% have specialized education and 88% have medical, pedagogical, economic, etc.
To improve the quality of personnel, a professional standard has been developed this year, which sets requirements for social workers. More than 8.3 thousand social workers have already completed specialized training and received certificates this year. Since 2025, a Register of social workers is being introduced, which will reflect all data related to their professional competence. Also, starting next year, social workers will be able to undergo retraining and advanced training on the basis of 14 universities of the republic with specialized departments, with which the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection signed memoranda.
And in order to solve the issues of creating appropriate conditions in organizations providing SSU, licensing will be introduced from 2025," the chairman of the Committee stressed.
One of the main conditions for obtaining a license are defined: the presence of a building suitable for the provision of SSU and corresponding to Sanitary rules, Fire safety Rules; the availability of the necessary material and technical base ensuring the proper quality of services provided; the availability of staff; ensuring the accessibility of buildings for low-mobility groups of the population, etc.
Since October of this year, the territorial departments of the Committee have been conducting a pre-licensing analysis, during which it was found that 72.3% of the 1007 organizations providing SSU fully comply with the licensing conditions.
Local executive bodies are working to bring the state centers for the provision of special social services in line with the established requirements.
At the same time, out of the non–governmental sector organizations providing SSS, 86 facilities were identified that do not have fire safety certificates, 70 do not have SES conclusions, 87 buildings of organizations are not provided with access for persons with disabilities.
"We continue to work out issues of preparation for licensing with akimats and NGOs, provide the necessary consultations and support in terms of passing pre-licensing control. Licensing of organizations will, first of all, ensure the quality of the services provided, and secondly, ensure the effectiveness of social rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and other categories of service recipients with their further integration into society," Ospankulov stressed.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/enbek/press/news/details/899389