“The importance of technology may increase, the number of services and the amount of benefits may increase, but above all there is humanity,” Ainārs Judeiks, head of the Social Service of the Cēsi District municipality, admitted to “Druva” when assessing the winds of change affecting social work.
On March 10, at the Cēsu Children and Youth Center “Spārni” anniversary event “Social work in Cēsu county 30”, pioneers of this field in Cēsu county, long-term employees, every social worker of the Social Service, as well as cooperation partners, were especially honored.
March 10, 1993 is recognized as the beginning of social work in the county, the day when the head of the Social Care Service, Dzintra Strautas, was hired by the decision of the Council of People’s Deputies of the city of Cēsis. He and Rudīti Šulmeisteri, head of the Social Service of the historical Cēsi District Council, were the first to be honored at the festive event and were the first to say thank you.
“Social workers give more than they receive. In your everyday life, you provide support, advice, and hope for how to live on. Therefore, I would like to say that social work is a labor of human love. I wish that, despite the difficult duties you perform, you come to work with joy, so that you receive more thanks from your customers and cooperation partners! I want new challenges and success in social work,” said Jānis Rozenbergs, chairman of the Cēsu County Council, addressing the social workers.
Ilze Skrodele-Dubrovska, Director of the Department of Social Work and Social Assistance Policy of the Ministry of Welfare, before presenting the Certificates of Appreciation, emphasized that more and more measures dedicated to social work are being implemented – both at the national level and in each county, which are important both for the continuous development of the field and for the employees for the evaluation of the work done.
Appreciation from the Ministry of Welfare was received by: Elita Rancāne for her long-term contribution to the development of the social sphere by establishing the Social Service and the implemented European Union projects, as well as the introduction of new social services for the residents of Cēsi County; Svetlana Lilita Vasilijeva for her long-term contribution to the development of the social field in the county and professional interest in the latest trends in the industry, in order to provide professional support to families with children, as well as methodical support to new social workers when starting their work. Velga Berķe received recognition for her long-term contribution to the development of the social sphere in Cēsi county, for providing support to her colleagues. These employees have worked in the county for 25 years or more.
Velga Berke has been working in the social field in the county since 1995. She admits that everyday work is often hard and she rarely receives thanks, so it is nice that there are festive occasions when social workers are honored and appreciated. During her years of work, V. Berke has experienced changes and growth in the field. She says: “Our client has changed a lot over the years, has become demanding, but also ready to cooperate. Society is changing and we have to change with it because we work for people. We want to believe that everything is happening towards development, towards the positive.”
Dzintra Strauta, evaluating how social work has changed, concludes: “If in the past the contact with each client was more personal, now it is possible to provide support much more smoothly. And the fact that it is now possible to send the application electronically makes the situation easier for people who do not find it easy to come to the social service and ask for help. I think every time has its good and bad sides. But there will always be social work, because there will always be a social problem to be solved.” Evaluating what gave her the greatest satisfaction in her work, Dz. Strauta says that it was the opportunity to help a mother who was in trouble, but after years she took her grandchildren in a stroller, so she got over the difficulties. Christmas events for children are prepared with joy, and there are many such examples: “And every time I have been satisfied with the team, with the social workers, who have always been understanding. “
During the event, many people talked about how fast social work has developed in 30 years. “Druva” invited Ainārs Judeiks to outline the direction of social work in the coming years. “Increasingly, we are moving towards individual social work with each person, differentiated benefits, services. That’s why I like social work, it’s dynamic, changing, can adapt to circumstances. And the social workers who work in this field are fantastic.”
During the event, special thanks were given to the very first pioneers of the social field, social workers who started this work in the parishes: Rudīte Petrova in Vaive parish, Rudīte Auziņa in Nītaure parish, Iveta Freivalde in Zaubes parish, Andris Jansons in Drabešu parish, Biruta Bebriša in Skujene parish, Amata parish Genovefa Bicāne, Skaidrīte Kalniņa in Līgatne parish, Inguna Nille in Līgatne parish, Anita Šipko in Vecpiebalga parish, Anita Kamerāde in Dzerbene parish, Biruta Engere in Inesu parish, Velga Buraka in Kaives parish, Daina Krēsliņa in Taurene parish, Līga Ābelniece in Jaunpiebalga parish, Valda Pumpure in Zosēnu parish, Priekuļi parish Inita Jansone, Rūta Ravinska in Mārsnēni parish, Silvija Zakševska in Liepa parish, Ināra Roce in Veselava parish, Inga Bērziņa in Raiskuma parish, Sarma Sicika in Stalbe parish, Anita Kalniņa in Straupe parish, but the first director of the Cēsi county municipality agency “Social Service” was Iveta Sietiņsone.
Colleagues who have worked in the county for 20 years or more were especially welcomed: Līga Šmitiņa – Jankovski, Inga Kārkliņa, Sarma Sicika, Sarmīte Sviderska, Sergejs Sviderskis. Employees who have worked for ten years or more were also welcomed.
