Ensuring social security in modern Ukraine: political and legal aspect

Abstract

The article is devoted to analyzing the political element of the legal mechanism for ensuring social security in modern Ukraine. In the political and legal context of understanding the nature of this mechanism, it has been established that an important element is its political component, which is mainly manifested in social and personnel policies. The author emphasizes the importance of ensuring the effectiveness of social policies, which must meet the requirements of accessibility, adequacy, fairness, sustainability, and inclusiveness. The criteria that ensure social security are identified and analyzed. Among these criteria are guaranteeing equal opportunities for all citizens in social protection, providing adequate social services, and equitable distribution of resources in social protection. Additionally, a long-term approach to supplying the social protection system with the necessary resources is considered essential. It is established that an inclusive approach to social and personnel policy contributes to the integration of different population groups into the formation and implementation of social policy, which is critically important for creating conditions for the social security of the state. Special attention is given to the importance of personnel policy in the social security system, noting the problems of staffing social workers, which directly affects the quality and timeliness of social services provision. It is stated that personnel policy in the social security system is characterized by a personnel crisis, particularly in the context of social workers. This crisis is because in Ukraine (as in several countries around the world) the importance of social work is underestimated, and social workers are forced to work in conditions lacking decent working conditions. Exacerbating this problem are background issues, including an aging population, changing patterns of family formation and the role of women in society, rising unemployment and poverty, and the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine. Since the personnel crisis in the social security system undermines social stability and the effectiveness of the social security system, there is a need to create conceptual and strategic acts that will determine the goals and methods for improving the effectiveness of social and personnel policies in Ukraine, aligned with the state’s social security goals. Additionally, the findings suggest introducing systematic training and professional development programs for social workers, as well as creating better working conditions and providing psychological support. These measures should help improve the professional level of social workers, and enhance their motivation and job satisfaction, which are important aspects in achieving the social security goals of a modern state.