Clients of social services want to go to Prague. But there is a lack of space
The Svojšice castle was in an unsatisfactory condition for a long time. Therefore, Prague proceeded with the sale. The offered price is almost 29.5 million crowns. “The replacement place has been continuously created since 2019, when I discovered the tragic material-technical standard lock. So social service does not end with the abandonment of the castle in Svojšice, it just gradually moves from an inadequate building to a community environment,” said councilor for social policy and healthcare Milena Johnová (Prague to self).
The facility had inadequate technical infrastructure, including an outdated wastewater treatment plant. The interior spaces, which did not provide privacy or sufficient social facilities due to the up to six-bed rooms, were also a problem. Reconstruction of the castle, which would provide an adequate standard for the provision of social care, would, according to estimates, cost at least 159 million crowns and at the same time lead to a reduction in capacity to a maximum of 28 people.
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About the poor condition of the building, I believe that fourteen years ago. Johnová reminded that in 2008 project documentation was even created for the construction of a replacement building in Polní Voděrady. “Then the matter was somehow forgotten and processed, the never-used project was discovered only by the newly appointed director of the organization. At Monday’s council, we coincidentally approved the write-off of this failed investment in the amount of almost 300 thousand crowns,” she specified.
The municipality is looking for capacity to accommodate seniors, but also children and adults on a long-term basis. “In recent years, Prague has been trying to ensure a sufficient capacity of residential social services in the city and to solve the local unavailability of social care services so that the client does not have to continue to be placed in residential services outside of Prague,” said municipality spokesman Vít Hofman.
Despite the effort, there is still a lack of space. Money is also a problem. According to deputy and shadow minister of labor Aleš Juchelka (ANO), social services are currently missing 4.5 billion crowns.
Councilor Johnová reminded that from 2019 the municipality started with the transformation network of services using a European project. “Our goal was to move non-Prague care capacities to Prague, with the understanding that for those clients who want to stay in the region, we will provide community social services according to their preferences,” she added.
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Through its contribution organizations, Prague has newly opened or has opened several services for the needy. These include the Salvation Army Přístav Home, highly intensive services for people with autism provided by the organizations Nautis and Ruka pro život, where another facility is being reconstructed in Dlážděnec. Services for children are created through the city’s contribution organizations DC Paprsek or Centrum Charlotta Masaryková. New services for people with mental illness are implemented by other dedicated organizations.
However, the remnants of the communist era, consisting of placing clients outside the capital, have not yet completely disappeared. According to information from the municipality, Prague still has more than a thousand beds outside of its territory, and around one billion crowns will be added to its operation. Among other things, we bring this to a number of practical complications in the management of contribution organizations. In addition, there is logically little interest among the people of Prague in locations outside of Prague. Even so, there are sixteen buildings outside the territory of the capital, which are run by municipal contribution organizations and in which senior citizens, persons with disabilities and persons requiring a special regime live.