Digitalization of social services

Abstract

Introduction. United territorial communities implementing their social functions form a system of providing social support and assistance to various population categories. Their obligations in social security, including the provision of social services, are enshrined in the commitments and guarantees of ensuring human rights. Social services are the initial fundamental element of social protection aimed at prevention, minimization, or overcoming difficult life circumstances. The purpose of the paper is to justify the need and further use of digital technologies in providing social services, outlining the ways and recommendations for their application to increase social services' efficiency in modern conditions. The results. The article examines the features of the digitalization of social services in the conditions of new economic and social challenges in Ukraine. The essence of social services and the prerequisites for their provision have been studied. The necessity, purpose, and tasks of the digital transformation strategy of the social sphere are outlined. The concept of the Register of providers and recipients of social services, a subsystem of the Unified Information System of the social sphere, is defined, and its advantages are highlighted. The benefits of using a single information system of the social sphere for recipients of social services, their providers, and united territorial communities are outlined. Conclusions. Digitization of the sphere of social services is designed to ensure high-quality interaction between the state and citizens, increase the protection of personal data and speed up the provision of services, as well as eliminate bureaucratic obstacles. Digitization of the sphere of social services will allow: to improve the mechanisms of informing citizens about the complete list of social services, to upgrade the quality of social services provision, and ensure the expansion of social services.