Description
Due to societal and economic developments during the two last decades like increased female labour market participation, the ageing of society, changes in family structures and changing preferences of people above all, the following issues have become increasingly important across Europe: work-family balance from the perspective of workers and accessibility of good quality care services from the perspective of children, elderly and other groups with care needs. In this context both child care and elder (long-term) care are becoming central issues. The objective of this project is to explore and explain differences and similarities of the key stakeholders´ discourses and strategies and their mutual compatibility in caring policies within the existing constraints and limitations in a broader framework of changes in the labour market, welfare state and in the economic and business cycle. Project findings will help develop adequate strategies of various stakeholders in regulation, financing and delivery of caring services and their mutual co-operation directed by full respect to the needs and strategies of service users/families. The project results will be used to inform general public about the effective strategies of meeting care needs in different national contexts, the innovations, the role of governance and social investments via mainstreaming at all levels.
Summary of project results
The project has explored and explained differences and similarities of the key stakeholders´ discourses and strategies in caring policies within the existing constraints and changes in the labour market, welfare state and in the business cycle in the Czech Republic and Norway. In particular, we have analysed how effective are the policies in responding the increasing demand for care services and how strategies and innovations in care services are emerging in different societal contexts. The project started in October 2014 by summarising the existing knowledge and theoretical approaches to the topic worldwide and in the two countries in focus in particular. In 2015, two-country overview comparative study on population in need of care and policies of childcare and eldercare was carried, and data collection with key stakeholders in care provision was conducted in both countries in order to identify priorities, capacities and limitations in care provision. Two national workshops with care providers and regulators were organised in both countries with the aim to share the project findings and mainly to discuss the most burning problems in both care fields. In 2016, national reports and comparative report on stakeholders’ strategies and policy discourses were finalised. Data were collected in both countries on the strategies of families in ensuring care and their assessment of the childcare and eldercare policies. The national and comparative reports related to these issues were delivered and the academic articles. In 2017, final conference was organised, the book delivered, final report, expert report and Layman report, academic articles. The outcomes of the project provide an assessment of policy deficits and needs of families in childcare and eldercare, their strategies and preferences, and finally, recommendations. The outputs can be found on the project website
www.inncare.fss.muni.cz.
Summary of bilateral results
The donor project partner participated substantially in all work packages. It was a leader in WP3. He has influenced methodology of other work packages thanks to his expertise both in qualitative and quantitative research. He was involved in the book, conference, final report and three academic articles substantially. It would not be possible to conduct such comparative research not being the partnership. This has enabled in-depth two countries qualitative study which enables to understand how the policies are synergic and how they meet the needs of population. It was also possibly to formulate policy recommendations, very much inspired by the Norwegian experience in care services. The partnership of Masaryk University and NOVA has led to the involvement of Masaryk University in another project NEGOTIATE, Horizon 2020 which started in 2015. Also, the project proposal in the current call by Norwegian Funds is currently negotiated where both partners should take a part in a broader consortium of partners. The scientific findings and policy recommendations resulting in the project can have significant impact since in both countries care policies are intensively discussed and several changes are planned (in particular in the Czech Republic). As the project highlighted the key policy deficits and need of families in care provision, the socio-economic impacts are far reaching. This was reflected during national workshops and the final conference. One of the related issues is gender equality implications emerging from care policies, extremely significant in the Czech Republic.