Zaporizhzhia: first meeting of the coordination group on identifying community needs for social services

The NGO “Responsible Citizens” participated in the first meeting of the city coordination group established to identify the needs of residents of the Zaporizhzhia city territorial community under emergency or martial law conditions. The group includes representatives of relevant city services (education, healthcare, social protection) as well as non-governmental organizations.

During the meeting, our team presented the results of a sociological study conducted with the support of UNICEF Ukraine. The survey covered both community residents (including internally displaced persons) and professionals working in the field of social service provision.

“Our study allowed us to comprehensively assess the situation: we surveyed not only the population but also representatives of all key sectors—education, healthcare, and social protection. This enabled us to identify both the strengths of the system and areas that require improvement,” said Alla Maslakhova, regional coordinator of the NGO “Responsible Citizens.”

One of the positive findings was that Zaporizhzhia, unlike many other communities, has maintained and continues to support an extensive network of social services despite the challenges of war. This system continues to function and is funded from the city budget.

At the same time, the study identified several issues requiring systemic attention:

• Reduction in the volume of humanitarian aid;
• Limited access to services for children with disabilities;
• Shortage of specialists in municipal institutions;
• Insufficient public awareness of available services.

The Department of Social Protection of the Population of the City Council also presented its own analysis of community needs, prepared based on collected data. Participants discussed directions for improving the social services sector in the city, particularly in light of updates to legislation on social services.

The next step is for all members of the coordination group to review the report and develop proposals to enhance the accessibility and quality of social services in Zaporizhzhia.

Photo: Zaporizhzhia City Council