BRIEF INTRODUCTION –

S O C I A L   C H A M B E R   O F   S L O V E N I A

The Social Chamber of Slovenia is Slovenia's central professional social welfare association.  It was founded in 1993 on the basis of the Social Welfare Act and at the initiative of a group of professionals in the field. The Chamber brings together professional workers, associates, and other workers as well as volunteers from many different professions and occupations directly or indirectly active in the social welfare field.  
Its  activities, projects and the tripartite financing of its operations (through the State budget, membership fees and its own activities and donations) enable the Chamber to implement the principles of professional equality and autonomy, open communication, respect for the diversity of various professions, balanced representation and social welfare development trends in the public, non-governmental and private sector.
Slovenia is a state governed by the rule of law and a social state.  In order for a social state to operate, it is essential that economic and social development go hand in hand.  Social changes turn a welfare state into the type of welfare state, for which all members of society are responsible.
Social welfare is a system of services and financial assistance, regulated by law and provided by the State, in which the activities of the non-governmental, private and informal sector play an ever-greater role.

The Social Chamber of Slovenia performs the following duties:

- Sets up training programmes, as specified by the Social Welfare Act (ZSV); it has already organised the Assistant to the Family Training Programme as well as the Programme for Managing a Social Welfare Institute.

- Pursuant to Article 73 of the Social Welfare Act, plans and organises continuous professional instruction and training for professional workers and associates.  

- Pursuant to Article 70 of the Social Welfare Act, determines the types and levels of instruction programmes for professional associates in social welfare and determines  in which cases the level of competence must be tested prior to providing various social welfare services and performing social welfare tasks.  

- Pursuant to Article 71 of the Social Welfare Act, determines the conditions for and the manner of performing internships, as well as follows up and monitors the execution thereof according to the general Act.  

- Determines the conditions and the manner of taking the professional exam. It also organises and carries out an examination revision programme.  

- Prepares and adopts catalogues of required knowledge and reviews the level of competence for providing various social welfare services and performing various social welfare tasks.  

- Plans and organises the supervision of the professional work performed by professional workers.  

- Resolves or reviews appeals pursuant to Article 94 of the Social Welfare Act.  

- Organises and executes instruction counselling pursuant to Article 108b of the Social Welfare Act.  

The Social Chamber of Slovenia also performs other duties:

- It has adopted a Code of Conduct for workers active in social welfare and promotes and monitors its implementation and takes appropriate action in case of violations thereof.

- Offers its opinion during concession award and work permit issuance procedures.

- Provides reference opinions for international institutions, public invitations to tender.

- Executes the professional verification procedure for social welfare programmes.

- Follows up and executes projects of supervision of professional workers.

- Trains professional workers and associates.

- Cooperates in the preparation of legislation and  expert groundwork for the social welfare programme.

- Nominates members for the professional council pursuant to Article 8 of the Social Welfare Act.

The Social Chamber of Slovenia also performs other duties for its members and users of the services provided thereby.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE SOCIAL CHAMBER OF SLOVENIA
The Social Chamber of Slovenia is the country’s central professional association and can be joined by those performing social welfare activities as well as those performing other activities, who wish to contribute to the development of the field.   
Pursuant to the Social Welfare Act (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) and the Statute of the Social Chamber of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as “the Statute”), when the Social Chamber of Slovenia (hereinafter referred to as  “the Chamber”) was founded in June 1993, individual membership was obligatory for all  professional workers active in the social welfare field in public and other social welfare institutes, charitable organisations, disabled organisations, institutes with a concession and private undertakings (Article 69 of the Social Welfare Act), while it was voluntary for other social workers, professional workers and associates who demonstrated a special interest in membership. The amendment to the Statute in 1997 rendered membership voluntary.  The amendment had an immediate effect on the number of individual members, which subsequently fell in the following years.  Membership began to increase again in 2004, with 1007 individual members at the end of December 2008.
If you wish to become an INDIVIDUAL MEMBER, you must be a professional worker, as listed in Articles 69 and 70 of the Act, or any other worker interested in becoming a member.
Since 1997, interested organisations, associations, institutions and communities can also apply for COLLECTIVE MEMBERSHIP as representatives of the public, non-governmental and non-profit social welfare sector.  The first members of this kind joined the Chamber in 1998. By the end of 1999, 61 organisations and associations had already joined. The number of collective members has been on the increase  since then. Current membership amounts to 133 organisations and associations.
You may also become an HONORARY MEMBER. Such membership is conferred by the Chamber's assembly to an expert, professional worker or associate for his or her exceptional success in professional or voluntary work and special services rendered in terms of development of the social welfare field and implementation of the Chamber's mission.  The Chamber currently has one honorary member, Mrs. Zora Tomič  (as decided by the Assembly on June 6, 2002).
Even though membership is no longer obligatory by law, members of the Chamber see their professional connection as an opportunity to actively and creatively cooperate in programmes aimed at developing the field and to grow as people.  It is also how they express their recognition of the Chamber as the central professional social welfare association.

BODIES OF THE SOCIAL CHAMBER OF SLOVENIA
Public authorities and other duties of the Chamber are actively, professionally, responsibly and in a quality manner performed by the following bodies:
- The Assembly,
- The president and vice-president of the Chamber,
- The bodies and working bodies of the Assembly:  the Honorary Arbitration Board, the Election and Nomination Commission, the Supervisory Board,
- the two management and advisory bodies:  the Administrative Board, the Professional Council,
- the two executive organs:  the Secretary General, the Professional Service.

One holder of a PhD degree, four holders of a MA degree, two holders of a BA degree, who have successfully passed the professional social welfare examination, and two administrative workers are employed in the professional service.

According to the Rules of Procedure, the following sections are already in operation:
- the section for safe houses, maternity homes and related organisations in Slovenia,
- the section for social care at home,
- the section of family assistance,
- the section of sociologists in social welfare,
- the section of supervisors with a social welfare licence, whose main purpose is to actively participate in amendments to legislation and strategic documents.  

The Social Chamber cooperates with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affair, the National Assembly, the National Council and other administrative bodies on national, regional or local community levels, with professional associations and communities, research and educational institutions in Slovenia. We prepare regulations and standards governing social welfare services and qualification standards for different activities and for the assessment of professional work.

                                                                     
Prepared by:

Bojan REGVAR, Ph.D.
SECRETARY GENERAL