The quality of services provided by social work centers plays a significant role in improving
individuals' quality of life, as many require assistance that demands professional expertise.
Social workers are expected to provide users with high-quality services. In my research, I
examine the key quality elements identified by both users and service providers in the services
offered by social work centers. The findings contribute to a better understanding of what quality
means from the perspective of both users and providers and how service quality can be
improved. In the theoretical part of my master's thesis, I define the concept of quality and later
present the concept of quality and its measurement in relation to social services. In the research
section, I describe the process of a qualitative study, which I conducted through interviews with
a non-random convenience sample of eight service providers and eight users of social work
centers in Slovenia. The aim of the research was to determine how both stakeholders define
service quality and which factors are most important to them. Users tend to define quality more
through personal experience, while providers focus more on the method of service delivery and
the challenges they face. The research results show that users primarily assess services based
on the level of empathy, personal approach, and response time from social workers. They also
place great importance on receiving clear and concrete information that is crucial for resolving
their issues. Additionally, they consider high-quality services to be those that are holistically
dedicated to the user. On the other hand, service providers highlight the need for additional staff
training and an increase in personnel, as this would reduce their workload and improve
workflow. The research also offers several suggestions for improvement. These include greater
adaptation to individuals’ needs and a more personalized approach, digitalization of systems
for monitoring quality and improving information flow, and enhanced inter-institutional
cooperation. By implementing these suggestions, the quality of services could be significantly
improved, and users' trust in the functioning of social welfare services could also increase.
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