engleski

CHILD-FRIENDLY SOCIAL SERVICES – FOCUS ON THE CHILD'S RIGHTS

Almost 28 years have passed since the Convention on the Right's of the Child, as the first and the most important international legally binding document, which changed the way children are viewed and treated, and recognition of all the fundamental rights of the child has been adopted. During this period of time following the foundations of this UN Convention, numerous other international documents have been adopted, among which we can particularly point out the conventions and recommendations of the Council of Europe which have further emphasized commitment of State Parties to advance, promote, protect, respect and enforce children's rights. Being aware that social services are very often the first refuge for children and families when endangerment or violation of children's rights occurs, and bearing in mind particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as other important documents of the Council of Europe regarding children's rights, Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM (2011)12 on children's rights and social services friendly to children and families. This Recommendation addresses children's rights in social services planning, delivery and evaluation, stressing the necessity and importance of exercising a distinct set of children's rights in all processes where social services are provided to children. This soft legal document also highlights the fundamental principles which are built on the existing principles enshrined in the instruments mentioned above, but further develops them and determines the general elements, the achievement of which makes social services delivery child-friendly. The aim of this Recommendation is ensuring that social services are delivered upon individual assessment of the child's needs, and in particular cases taking into account views and opinion of child involved considering his or her age, level of maturity and capacity. A child's right to provision, participation and protection and the inevitable principles of the best interest of the child are the core elements of child-friendly social services. The Recommendation also contains key strategies in child-friendly social service delivery and those strategies will be presented in the paper. Having in mind that social services are a crucial component of effective protection of children's right's and children's welfare, as well as the need of child-centred and individual approach of social services to every child who is in a vulnerable situation, adequate functioning of social services is of great importance not only for children’s, or family well-being, but for society as a whole. Namely, social services are in many cases, especially in the context of family law regulations, the first and direct means through which the State accomplishes its international obligation of respecting and ensuring exercise of children's rights. Therefore, this paper will present and analyze key requirements for child-friendly social services, according to international documents, emphasising especially social services delivery in child and family law context

child's rights, social services, family law, Council of Europe

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