Services

The purpose of the shelter service is to provide a temporary place to stay for an adult who is unable to find a place to stay. The service is provided by the Valga Activation Centre, which is managed by Valga Municipality. The service is provided with a bed and washing facilities. The person in need of the service can contact the service provider directly. Within the next three working days, the service user must contact an official of the social work service of the municipality for an assessment of the need for assistance.

The recipient of the service is a person whose place of residence, according to the Population Register, is in Valga. For residents of other municipalities, the asylum service is provided as emergency assistance and the service is invoiced to the municipality according to the price list of the service provider.

Shelter provider:
Valga Activation Centre
The service provides a bed, washing facilities and a safe environment for overnight stays.
Piiri 19, Valga
5770 2765

Assessing the need for and referring to services:

Temporary accommodation, psychological counselling and legal aid for women who have experienced violence is provided by the Valgamaa Women's Support Centre, which can be contacted by phone at. 5303 2544 or by e-mail to valgamaanaistetugikeskus@gmail.com

Good to know: victim support information on the Social Insurance Board website

Support services provide support, motivation, guidance and development for independent coping of adult and child service recipients in situations where the person needs a significant degree of assistance in fulfilling their responsibilities and exercising their rights due to social, economic, psychological or health problems. The support worker does not provide physical assistance.

The level of need for assistance is assessed and specified on a person-by-person basis. The provision of the service, the objectives to be achieved and the activities to be carried out will be decided by the social work officer of the municipality. The proposal for the appointment of a support person and the provision of the service in question may be made by a member of the educational or medical staff. In order to obtain support services, you should contact the social worker at Valga Municipality or at the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru. 

The aim of livelihood training is to help the long-term unemployed (unemployed for more than 9 months) to become self-sufficient. The person can be admitted to the service by an official of the municipality and attends the service every month for five consecutive working days between 9.00 and 14.00 or on the basis of an individual action plan drawn up by the official.

The livelihood training includes teaching household management skills (family budgeting and household management, sustainable living and personal hygiene skills), teaching simple tasks and work habits, working with other livelihood learners and facilitators (group interaction and respect for group members).

If a person who has been referred to the service has failed or refused to attend a subsistence training course more than once without good reason, the social work officer of the municipality may refuse to pay the subsistence allowance. All the specialists who determine the subsistence allowance in the municipality of Valga refer to subsistence training. 

Residential education services are provided in Valga municipality:

The aim of debt counselling is to help a person identify their financial situation (income and liabilities), negotiate with creditors and settle their claims, prevent new debts by improving their ability to pay, and solve other debt-related problems.

During the case management process, the social worker explains the client's need for assistance and helps them find a suitable service provider.

HUGO.legal, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, has been providing free legal aid for 4 years and in this time 37 000 people have received legal aid. Legal aid is available on the spot in 16 major regional centres, as well as by email or via a website. To book an appointment, please contact www.hugo.legal  or by calling 6 880 400.

HUGO offices are located in 16 cities across Estonia: Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Rapla, Viljandi, Valga, Võru, Põlva, Jõgeva, Paide, Narva, Jõhvi, Rakvere, Haapsalu, Kuressaare and Kärdla.

See who can get free legal aid and how: in Estonian in Russian

In Valga municipality, a social housing service is provided to ensure the use of suitable housing for a person who is unable to provide it for themselves and their family. Social housing is provided for rent on the basis of a fixed-term rental contract in the form of social housing or accommodation in the social housing units of the institutions managed by Valga municipality.

The rental of the dwelling and the length of the rental contract and other ways of guaranteeing the dwelling are decided by the official of the social work service of the municipality or the social affairs committee of the municipality. The person concerned pays the rent and incidental expenses for the use of the accommodation. The amount of the rent is set by the municipality.

To get housing-related services, you need to provide. application for social housing . The application can be submitted at the Social Work Service of Valga Municipality.

The housing guarantee service is provided in Valga municipality:

A carer is appointed at the request of the person who needs help with daily living. The carer can be an adult relative, a relative in the same family, a friend or a neighbour. A carer is appointed if care cannot be provided by other social welfare measures. Care is based on an assessment of the person's means of subsistence, the need for support and the resources available to him or her. The carer's tasks are described in the order; in general, they include assisting or instructing the person to eat, hygiene, dressing, mobility, communication, and to carry out duties outside the home. The care is provided by the municipal social work officer, for a maximum period of three years. The care allowance is granted from the month following the month in which the application is submitted until the end of the period of care and is not automatically extended.

In Valga municipality, the following amounts of allowance are paid to the carer of an adult person and the carer of a child from 01.01.2020:

• 50 euros per month for an adult carer;
• EUR 75 per month for a child carer.

See more: Valga Municipal Council Regulation No 89 of 25.10.2019 "Procedures for granting social assistance “

In the event of extensive care needs, the municipal social committee is entitled to award a higher amount of support.

To appoint a carer and apply for a carer's allowance, you need to submit a form application from the carer and the person you care for. Download the guardian application  and application by the ward . The application can be submitted at the Social Work Service of Valga Municipality.

Valga municipality is responsible for appointing a carer and paying carer's allowance:

A monthly care allowance is paid to cover part of the costs of daily living for a person who needs more support and who has not been appointed a carer but cannot be supported by other social services.

As from 01.01.2020, support for care costs will be granted if the person's subsistence cannot be organised by other welfare measures once the need for assistance has been established. The allowance is granted for up to 1 year and amounts to €25 per month.

See more detailed regulation in the Valga Municipal Council Regulation No 89 of 25.10.2019 "Procedures for granting social assistance “

The allowances for care costs of €15 per month for an adult with a severe disability and of €25 per month for an adult with a severe disability will be implemented until the expiry of the administrative measures in force.

To apply for maintenance costs, you need to provide the following information the application form . The application can also be filled in at the Valga municipality government and the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru. 

Support for maintenance costs is provided by the municipality of Valga:

Home help is provided to an elderly or disabled person who is unable to manage independently at home for reasons related to their state of health, activity capacity or living environment.  

Home services include the following types of assistance:

1. providing food and other essentials for life;
2. helping with activities and responsibilities outside the home (helping with heating, laundry, medicines and aids, etc.).
3. organising access to general public services, social services and other assistance (assistance with medical care, exchange of ID cards, etc.);
4. assisting with household chores (heating, fetching water, cleaning);
5. assisting with personal hygiene activities
6. other agreed work to ensure the independence of the recipient of the home help.

The provision of home care, its content and scope are decided by the social work service officer following an assessment of the need for assistance. The co-payment for home help is €24 per month. To obtain the service, you must submit a reasoned application in free form. The application can be submitted at the Valga municipality government and the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru.

The official dealing with this area:

Out-of-home general care services provide assistance and care in a residential care home for an adult who, for reasons related to his or her state of health, capacity for activity or living environment, is unable to manage independently at home. The care activities and other support and coping activities and services are defined in the care plan to be drawn up in the care home. Out-of-home general care services are generally provided in nursing homes managed by the municipality and by service providers with whom a framework contract for the provision of general care services has been concluded.

For out-of-home care, the recipient's co-payment is usually 90% of his/her regular monthly income. The beneficiary's legal dependants (spouse, children, adult grandchildren) or persons who have a contractual obligation to maintain the beneficiary are responsible for the balance of the total cost of the service after the co-payment. In the event that the persons with maintenance obligations are unable to meet them, the shortfall is paid by the municipality.

If it turns out that the dependent relative has sufficient means to assist his/her relative in paying for the service, the municipality has the right to recover the amount paid from the dependent relative at a later date, in accordance with the provisions of the administration without instructions. Under the Social Welfare Act, the local authority must take into account the fact that the provision of maintenance must not be detrimental to the breadwinner's normal subsistence and does not require full, but partial, payment of the shortfall in the total cost in a particular case. The municipality will take a discretionary decision when taking the final decision.

The municipality assists people looking for a place in a nursing home by providing information on general care providers and the conditions for accessing the service. If a suitable provider is found and the person's income allows them to pay the full cost of the nursing home place, there is no need to contact the municipality. 

To apply for the service, you need to submit an application. The application can be submitted at the Valga Municipality Government and at the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste. 

Good to know: Guide to the maintenance of a dependent family member

Description of service

• General care service is a service provided outside the home by a local authority, the purpose of which is to provide a safe environment and a means of subsistence for an adult who, for reasons related to his or her state of health, capacity for activity or living environment, is temporarily or permanently unable to manage independently in the home.
• The welfare principle is that priority should be given to help that supports people to manage in their own homes. It is only necessary to arrange for residential care when it is not possible to live at home with support.
• Those persons in need of care whose place of residence has been determined in the population register as Valga municipality are entitled to have the costs of care in a nursing home paid by Valga municipality.

Cost of the service

• According to the care reform that will enter into force on 1.07.2023, Valga municipality will cover the care costs of the care staff (salaries of care workers and auxiliary care workers, work clothes and personal protective equipment, health check-ups, vaccinations, training and supervision) from the cost of the nursing home service place.
• The Valga Municipal Council has set a ceiling of 620 euros for maintenance costs. If the cost of care in a care home is more than €620, the difference between the limit and the staff costs must be paid by the person themselves, their legal dependants or their relatives.   
• The person's own contribution remains the cost of accommodation and meals in the nursing home and other costs related to personal needs.
• If a person's income is lower than the average old-age pension (less than €636 in 2023), the lower income benefit will be extended. The lower income benefit is calculated as follows: the part of the cost of the place of stay (accommodation and meals) not covered by the pension of the beneficiary is deducted. The result is the reduced income supplement.
• Calculate nursing home costs and their breakdown

Procedure

• In order to receive the service, an application must be submitted to the Social Work Service of Valga Municipality. Application form
• Once the application has been submitted, a social work specialist will assess the person's care needs and make a decision within 10 working days.

NB! If your loved one is receiving general care outside the home before 1 July 2023, you do not need to apply to Valga Municipality again or resubmit a separate application.

Legislation

• Regulation No 71 of 25.10.2019 of Valga Municipality Council "Procedure for granting social welfare assistance"
• Valga Municipal Council 31.05.2023 Decision No. 71 "Establishment of the threshold for maintenance costs"
• Social Welfare Act

More information

• Ministry of Social Affairs
• Social Insurance Board

Hooldereform

The care reform, which will come into force on 1 July 2023, means that while up to now a person has been covered by the 100% nursing home place fee, from 1 July the place fee will be shared between the person needing the service and the local authority. From the cost of the nursing home place, the municipality of Valga will cover the costs of care, which are the costs of care staff (salaries of care and support staff, clothing and personal protective equipment, health checks, vaccinations, training and supervision). The person's own contribution covers the costs of accommodation, meals and other personal needs.

The Valga City Council set the ceiling for maintenance costs at 620 euros on 31 May 2023. The limit was set to cover the local authority's contribution to most of the nursing homes in the region. This means that people will still be able to choose their own nursing home, where the municipality's contribution is sufficient to cover the €620. There are certainly care homes where the cost of care is more than €620 of the monthly fee. In such cases, the difference between the ceiling and the cost of care will still have to be borne by the person themselves or by their relatives. Some nursing homes do not include the cost of medicines and nappies in the accommodation charge. These costs are also borne by the person.

However, if a person's income is not sufficient to cover the cost of the place, the municipality may in certain cases provide support. This is done by finding out whether the person has the money to pay the shortfall or whether relatives can help them to pay. An assessment of the person's own assets and those of his or her legal dependants, as well as of his or her other financial situation, will certainly be made. If the person's pension is less than €636, the municipality will pay a lower income supplement to help cover the person's contribution.

Each person is approached individually. The social worker assesses the assistance and care needs of all persons in the service or in need of the service. Before 1 July 2023, people in residential care and their relatives do not need to apply to the municipality separately. Anyone wishing to receive general care outside the home after 1 July will have to contact the social work service of Valga municipality themselves and submit an application. People will still have the option of going directly to a care home (without an assessment by the municipality), in which case they will pay for the entire service themselves.

Those persons in need of care whose place of residence has been determined in the population register as Valga municipality are entitled to have the costs of care in a nursing home paid by Valga municipality.

Application form

The aim of the service is to reduce the burden of care on the legal guardian of the person receiving the service. The personal assistant service assists an adult person with a disability in activities that require physical assistance: eating, cooking, dressing, hygiene, household chores, mobility and other activities. The decision on the provision of the personal assistance service, its content and its volume (hours per week) is taken by the social worker after an assessment of the person's needs. The cost of the personal assistant service is €1 per hour of service.

To apply for the personal assistant service, you need to submit an application. The application can be submitted at the Valga municipality government and the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru. 

The official dealing with this area:

The social transport service enables a disabled person who has a disability that prevents him or her from using a private or shared vehicle to use an appropriate vehicle to travel to work or educational institutions, to use public services and to make journeys that are essential for daily living. The user pays a contribution.

The application for social transport service can be filled in at Valga Municipality Government and at the service centres in Karula, Taheva, Tõlliste and Õru.The application must indicate the time, destination and reason for the journey. The order is considered to have been agreed when the representative of the municipality providing the social transport service has informed the applicant of the time of the service. 

Charges levied on the client for social transport services

The official dealing with this area:

Good to know:

• adapting the environment for people with special needs
• special care services
• social rehabilitation

The aim of the childcare service is to support the breadwinner's livelihood, to support the child's employment and to reduce the burden of care on the family because of the child's special needs.

Childcare is provided to a child up to 18 years of age with severe or profound disability at the Valga Family Centre Kurepesa, managed by Valga Municipality, or the child is referred to a service organised by another legal person. In accordance with Valga Municipality Council Regulation No 27 of 6 April 2018. "Procedure for granting social assistance ˮ the service user pays the cost of the child's own board.

To apply for childcare, you need to submit an application form.

The application can be filled in at Valga Municipality and at the child protection specialist in Karula and Taheva and Tõlliste and Õru:

The aim of the childcare service is to support the breadwinner's livelihood or work, or to reduce the burden of care for a child with special needs.

Supporting the livelihoods of parents of children with high dependency and special needs includes facilitating their participation in other activities of daily living:

• looking for a job
• self-improvement
• when needed, when taking a break from the care burden
• dealing with other family members
• pursuing your hobbies.

Dear parents - please contact the child protection specialists of the Valga Municipality Social Work Service for advice and services. The need for assistance will be assessed by a child protection specialist, and the local authority will pay for the service (except catering).