Social services
Key statistical data on social expenditure and financing in
Finland are collected each year. Data are also available on social
expenditure as a share of GDP in the Nordic countries and OECD and
EU countries.
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) also collects
data from private service providers on their personnel and service
provision. The data covers non-profit organisations, business
enterprises and the like that provide social services through
business or professional activities.
In addition, THL annually collects care reporting data on
institutional and housing services in social care (for the Care
Register for Social Welfare). The data collection concerns
institutional care for older people, people with intellectual
disabilities and people with substance abuse problems; service
housing for older people with 24-hour assistance; housing for
people with intellectual disabilities with 24-hour assistance; and
other housing services for older people, disabled people and people
with mental problems.
THL also compiles statistics on health-care professionals. The
statistics are based on year-end data in the Central Register of
Health Care Professionals, maintained by the National Supervisory
Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). All persons with a
permission to practice a health care profession in Finland are
recorded in the register.
At 4-5-year intervals, THL issues a publication on social
welfare and health care personnel in municipalities and municipal
federations. The publication contains information on social and
health care personnel working for municipalities and municipal
federations with a monthly salary. The most recent publication is
from 2002.
Data on the number and type of social assistance recipients and
the costs of social assistance are collected annually. Preliminary
statistics on social assistance are compiled twice a year,
presenting the number of recipient households and the costs of
social assistance.
More information on social services is provided in the Childhood
and Family section. The information covers child welfare, high
costs in child welfare, child maintenance and custody, child
guidance and family counselling, the School Health Promotion Study,
a yearbook on young people's living conditions and a database on
young people.
Additional information:
Salla Säkkinen
E-mail: firstname.lastname@thl.fi
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