Social policy
Respect for citizens' legal certainty.
Status
Odense Municipality faces significant challenges in the social area, where many vulnerable citizens – including people with disabilities, children removed from the home, the homeless, and the mentally ill – do not receive the necessary help and support.
The efficiency in case processing becomes low because the employees have too many cases, and this creates frustration.
When the municipality prioritizes short-term budget cuts over early and preventative interventions, it creates a social debt resulting in serious human and financial consequences.
Liberal Alliance wishes to break away from this practice and instead focus on a social policy that is long-term, holistic, and based on respect for citizens' legal certainty.
We believe that early, preventative interventions and a focus on citizens' well-being represent both financial responsibility and the right choice from a human perspective.
Needs and challenges
- There is a great need to ensure the legal certainty of vulnerable citizens through targeted and professionally grounded interventions.
- Middle management should be minimized, Decisions should be made as close to the citizen as possible by professionals who understand the specific situation.
- There should be a greater focus on citizen involvement and on using citizens' feedback to improve the initiatives.
- Legislation must always be complied with, and the municipality must take responsibility for mistakes to ensure that citizens' legal rights are upheld.
Summary
To address the challenges Odense is facing, the municipality must implement a holistic social policy that focuses on both early and preventive initiatives and improves the quality of existing services. Transparency in finances, a focus on professional quality and a responsible leadership culture are necessary steps to restore trust in the municipality's social system. The municipality must act quickly and effectively to ensure that vulnerable groups receive the necessary support – both in the short and the long term.
Political proposals for the social sector
- Transparency in finances and accounts: Full transparency must be created in Odense Municipality's social finances and accounts. Citizens must have access to detailed information about how resources are used and whether they achieve the desired results. The municipality must prepare accounts in accordance with the Accounting Act with independent audits also at the institution level. We demand this from every company and therefore the municipality must live up to the same standards, so we can see what the money is spent on and which initiatives are effective.
- Improvement of professional quality and specialization: We must raise the professional quality of social services. Employees must have the necessary skills and specializations to make well-considered decisions. Specialized teams that work interdisciplinarily and with a holistic perspective must be established to ensure that citizens receive the right support at an early stage.
- Legal rights and responsibility: The municipality must always be held accountable for mistakes. Violations of citizens' legal rights must never be accepted, and clear procedures for handling complaints must be established so that citizens can have confidence in the system and know that their rights are protected. We demand that the municipal council reviews a status every 3 months, and that the administration's leadership meets quarterly to ensure focus on reducing the number of errors.
- Proactive citizen involvement: Citizens must be actively involved in decision-making processes regarding social policies and services within the framework and possibilities of the law. We will establish advisory committees consisting of citizens with experience from social challenges, ensuring that political decisions are both relevant and effective. This will promote a more inclusive and responsive municipality, where citizens feel heard and respected.