Quality Assessment Of Psychological And Pedagogical Social Shelters Services Provided To Children

• type of a social service;

• a description of the social service and its volume;

• conditions for the social services provision;

• quality indicators and assessment of the results of the social services provision.

The novelty of the study is the development of quality indicators and methods for assessing the psychological and pedagogical services provided to children in difficult life situations.

The stating stage of the study included the initial diagnosis of indicators of personal and social development of children, the systematization of children’s identified problems, the development of individual correction and rehabilitation programs, the selection of appropriate methods and forms of work. This stage consisted of the following research methods: observation, individual interview, testing, examination of documentation, etc. There were diagnostic examinations of the children carried out using Thomas Kilmann’s Diagnostics of Personal Predisposition to Conflict Behavior, methodology for detecting dependent behavior “RAFFT Test”, methods for monitoring children’s behavior in a shelter, etc. In addition, a methodology was developed for assessing quantitative indicators of children's activity, as well as a method for assessing qualitative indicators of a child’s personal development consisting of express methods.

The results of the stating stage of the study made it possible to conclude that the level of quality indicators of the personal development of children in a social shelter is quite low. The initial diagnostics showed that these children have many personal development problems (low level of self-esteem and responsibility, anxiety, isolation, aggression, emotional depletion, weakness of will, hysteria). The children fall behind in mental, emotional and intellectual development. In the socio-pedagogical aspect they are pedagogically uncared and have no positive experience interacting with adults and peers (Waterhouse, 2000). They have ill-formed basic concepts, moral and cultural habits of behavior and communication.

The lowest indicators of children's activity are performance (poorly formed motivation and independence in performing any activity), school performance (low level of knowledge, lack of learning motivation, learning skills), lack of success in previous life activities.

The personal records and individual life plans of the children in shelters who took part in the study were analyzed. These documents particularly reflected difficult life situations of the children when they lived in their biological families. The analysis showed that the main risk factor in most children’s life situations was the personal moral and social characteristics of their parents. It was concluded that most of the children entering the shelter are in a “vacuum” of care and protection. The children are in a state of socio-pedagogical neglect, have mental retardation and impaired physical development (Oslon, 2016).

Based on the data obtained, it was assumed that in order to improve the process of children’s socio-pedagogical and psychological correction and rehabilitation it is necessary to more actively introduce a complex of psychological and pedagogical services into the correctional and rehabilitation process of the social shelter reflecting the general strategy and specific tasks of specialists. At the same time, the efforts of the researchers and specialists from three shelters were aimed at developing a methodology for assessing the quality of the provision of psychological and pedagogical services to children. This methodology was supposed to help assess the quality of the state psychological and pedagogical services provided to children objectively.

Based on the data obtained, within the framework of the provision of a range of psychological and pedagogical services, there were developed individual personality-oriented programs of psychological correction and socio-pedagogical rehabilitation of children.

In accordance with these programs, a comprehensive correctional and rehabilitation work with children was carried out at the formative stage of the study. The implementation of the experimental program included the following forms of correctional and rehabilitation work: correction-and-development classes, games (didactic, story, imitating, computer), conversations, trainings, practical classes, walking, trips, observation, reading of books, watching movies and videos, communication with peers, classes in circles, sports sections, various competitions.

Specialists used various methods of educational impact such as methods of forming consciousness (persuasion, verbal explanation, example giving, requirement), methods of organizing activity (training, exercise, assignment, creating a situation of success, playing, integration in developing activities), methods of behavior stimulation (encouragement, reprehension).

At this stage, all diagnostic procedures, individual and group exercises, forms and methods of correctional and rehabilitation work were reflected in individual rehabilitation programs for children. In addition, teachers and psychologists noted behavioral signs of personal changes in the children.

The evaluation-and-productivity stage included re-diagnostics of the children, analysis of the dynamics of changes in the development of their personal and social qualities, comparison and analysis of the data of the stating and final stages of the study, discussion of the results of the work, making final psychological and pedagogical conclusions, identification and assessment of the effectiveness and quality of the psychological and pedagogical services provided.

At the final stage of the study, the main attention was paid to implementation of the methodology developed by the authors for assessing the quality of the psychological and pedagogical services provided to the children in shelters. An integrated methodology included:

1. The methodology for monitoring the quantitative indicators of children’s activities in a social shelter, which made it possible to identify individual and group problems.

2. The methodology for assessing the quality indicators of a child’s personal development, which consists of express methods. Using a complex of express diagnostics, we were able to combine them into a single whole and present calculation formulas for various indicators, which makes this method valuable.

3. The methodology of expert assessment of psychological and pedagogical services provided to children in difficult life situations.

1. Methodology for monitoring the quantitative indicators of children’s activities in a social shelter.

The purpose is to assess the level of children's social competencies.

Assessment of quantitative indicators of children’s activity in a social shelter was carried out according to the following criteria:

• attendance (at a social shelter, school);

• activity success (school performance, positive changes in life in a social shelter);

• performance (the amount of time a child spends on individual work);

• interaction (with peers, social shelter staff, teachers, biological or adoptive parents, strangers, shelter group mates);

• discipline (the number of delays, violation of internal rules, administrative penalties).

Qualitative indicators of the children’s activity obtained at the initial level:

1. Attendance – p1

2. Success – u1

3. Performance – r1

4. Interaction – o1

5. Discipline – d1

The average level of quality indicators was within 50%.

Qualitative indicators of the children’s activity at the final stage of work amounted to:

1. Attendance – p2

2. Success – u2

3. Performance – r2

4. Interaction – o2

5. Discipline – d2

The results of the analysis were presented in the form of standard units:

0 points – no progress;

1 point – minimum progress;

2 points – average progress;

3 points – significant advance.

The social counselor, teachers and educators were suggested to evaluate the quantitative indicators of the activities of the children in the social shelter at the beginning and at the end of the academic year, 2017-2018. Quantitative indicators were assessed by attendance books, academic performance, success and achievement portfolios.

Processing the monitoring results, a total score are calculated for each child individually. Determining a quantitative indicator, the total score and percentage are calculated. Identifying children with a low and critical level of performance indicators, the teacher draws up an individual plan to work with the children on this problem. According to the results of evaluation at the end of the academic year, the goal and tasks of further socialization of the children for the next academic year are determined.

We calculated the average level of quality indicators using the following formula:

Σ = (p2+u2+r2+o2+d2):5 / (p1+u1+r1+o1+d1):5

2. The methodology for assessing the quality indicators of a child’s personal development, which consists of express methods.

The purpose is to assess the level of development of children’s personal qualities:

• level of general self-esteem;

• satisfaction with one's own activity and achievements;

• satisfaction with one's own ability to solve interpersonal problems;

• level of independence, self-confidence, responsibility;

• ability to control one’s emotions.

Qualitative indicators are identified on the basis of the diagnosis of the child’s personal development which are recorded in the child’s individual social rehabilitation program. The following encoded components are presented in the methodology:

j1 – the sequence number of the methodology;

m – the methodology;

u – levels of development;

uv – high level of development;

us – average level of development;

un – low level of development;

b – points;

p – recipients of services;

Σ – the total sum.

The average level of quality indicators was within 76%.

The value of this methodology is that using a group of express diagnostics, we were able to combine them into a single whole and present formulae for calculating various indicators.

$$\Sigma =(j1+j2+j3+j4+j5):5$$

3. The methodology of expert qualitative assessment of the provision of psychological and pedagogical services to children in difficult life situations.

The purpose is to assess the quality of the provision of psychological and pedagogical services to children in difficult life situations.

There were external experts (guardianship specialists, school teachers, educators, psychologists) involved in assessing the quality of psychological and pedagogical services provided to children in social shelters. The assessment was carried out by conducting an expert survey according to the non-material criterion (level of social competencies, intensity of prosocial personal qualities and degree of improvement in the psycho-emotional and physical condition of children in difficult life situations as a result of interaction with the service provider).

As a result of the analysis of the presented expert questionnaires, we found out that the range varies from 49 to 54 points out of a maximum 64. This indicator shows a rather high level of professional competence of shelter specialists and the quality of their services to the children. Nevertheless, experts had a number of difficulties in filling out the assessment sheets. This suggests the need for further adjustment of the quality attributes of a particular service and its points in the questionnaire.

The study sample was presented by 130 children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years who are pupils of three social shelters in rural areas of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. These shelters provide such public service as “Social services for children and adolescents in difficult life situations, in stationary conditions”. In these public institutions children aged 3 to 18 experiencing difficult life situations are held. The study also involved psychologists, social counselors, health workers, educators and other specialists in social shelters, as well as school teachers in a total of 36 people.