Participacija korisnika u domskom smještaju u sistemu socijalne zaštite Bosne i Hercegovine / User Participation in Residential Care within the Social Protection System of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Participation, as one of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), holds particular significance in the context of children placed in institutional care, given their vulnerability and limited opportunities to influence their own lives. Individual care plans represent a key tool for operationalizing participation within the social welfare system, as they involve continuous work with children from their admission to an institution until their departure. Their purpose is to ensure the active involvement of children and young people in decision-making processes, planning daily activities, and developing future plans that facilitate their integration into adult life. In this sense, participation is not viewed merely as a normative requirement, but as a prerequisite for social integration. Based on these premises, the aim of this study was to examine the extent to which users in an institution are genuinely involved in decision-making processes concerning their lives. The research was conducted in 2024, from July to November, within residential care, and the sample consisted of 46 high school-aged users. A closed-ended questionnaire based on a Likert scale was used, and statistical data were processed using the SPSS 25.0 software. The results indicated that users are not sufficiently involved in everyday decision-making processes, are not adequately informed about individual care plans, and did not participate in their development.