News
(30.4.2020)
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB provides assistance through a social COVID helpline. Master’s students of social study programmes answer the questions
People who need advice, as well as the media – including Czech TV – have already shown interest in the new service of our faculty.
The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia started the operation of a social COVID helpline on Friday, April 17. People suffering from the present coronavirus pandemic can call the helpline and ask where and how they can gain social benefits. The helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the phone number 725 917 303. People can also send their inquiries to the e-mail address covid-pomoc@zsf.jcu.cz. This service was highly requested, and dozens of people have already asked questions. The most frequently asked questions relate to caregivers’ allowance and the benefit system – so they can find the right benefit for them.
The social helpline operators are FHSS students of the Master’s study programme ‘Management of Social Work in Organizations. These students have already mastered the problems of social benefits, unemployment relief, sick benefit, caregivers’ allowance, or they know someone else who can give them a quick piece of advice. It is a form of social support that aims to offer free assistance to people who, for example, cannot reach the appropriate authorities because of busy helplines or for people who prefer a less formal dialogue. Doc. Alena Kajanová, from the Institute of Social and Special-paedagogical Sciences, came up with the idea to offer this much-needed service to the public. She said, “Don't hesitate to contact us if you have lost your job and you do not know what to do. We will provide you with all the necessary information relating to the current social situation.” The social COVID helpline works under the Institute of Applied Health and Social Sciences FHSS USB, which already offers services such as free rheumatic and lactation counselling.
Before launching the helpline there was a training period and theinformation was carefully studied. However, what students find more difficult is disappointing the caller with the information that they are not elgible for any benefits.”We often answer calls from people who have failed with their applications at authorities, so they try to call us with the hope of saving them,” says Alena Kajanová, who, along with her colleague, Stanislav Ondrášek, is in constant contact with these students in a Facebook group. From the students’ point of view, this is a great experience because they feel really helpful and understand their work is a huge responsibility.
Doc. Alena Kajanová has already been invited to Český rozhlas, České Budějovice, where she introduced this helpline live on air on the show ‘Dobrý den z Českých Budějovic’, during which she has explained the circumstance leading to its occurrence. She has also mentioned the first reactions of callers who were interested in this helpline. The link relating to this ČRo show can be found at the end of this article, the interview begins at 7:36 a.m. The journalists from the newspapers Deník and Právo have also informed about this helpline, the latest interview was broadcasted by Česká televize on Monday, April 28 – in the morning show Studio 6. Doc. Alena Kajanová, and a 1st year student of the Master’s study programme, Michaela Drdáková, spoke about the mission of this helpline as well as upcoming events at our faculty. Doc. Alena Kajanová said, ”After this the helpline was busy the whole morning, and we received many e-mails too. There continues to be great interest even today. We are also answering questions from people who failed to contact us yesterday.” The link to the full broadcast can be found below. Our show begins at approximately 1 h 25 minutes (approximately in the middle of the broadcast).
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