Thirty new and modern social services are being developed in Latvia, offering forms of support that have previously been unavailable or insufficiently accessible to people in different life situations. The new services are intended for children and young people with functional impairments, people with addictions, disabilities and mental health conditions, cancer patients, children and young people who have experienced violence, families at social risk, and other groups in society requiring support tailored to their individual needs.
The innovative services aim to provide practical solutions for needs for which no suitable service has previously been available in Latvia or where existing support has been insufficient. A key feature of the new approach is adapting services to each person’s specific situation – providing support as close as possible to their everyday environment, combining the expertise of different specialists and making use of digital solutions to ensure faster and more convenient access to services.
Municipal social services, non-governmental organisations and businesses, including social enterprises, are involved in developing and implementing the services. They cover the whole of Latvia: 36% of the services are being implemented in Riga, 22% in Kurzeme, 14% in Zemgale, 9% in Vidzeme and 8% in Latgale, while 11% are being implemented nationwide.
From Real-Time Health Monitoring to Latvia’s First Hospice Day Centre
Several of the services currently under development are being introduced in Latvia for the first time, bringing new approaches to social care and rehabilitation as well as preventive support.
Tukums Municipality is developing a service for families at social risk, providing accommodation in fully equipped and aesthetically designed premises adapted to the needs of families and children.
Hospiss Māja Ltd has established Latvia’s first hospice day centre for people receiving palliative and hospice care and their relatives, providing a new form of support for people approaching the end of life and their families.
Mājas aprūpe Ltd, meanwhile, uses real-time health monitoring devices in the provision of home care for older people. Digital solutions make it possible to monitor a person’s health and respond to changes more promptly, while enabling older people to remain in their familiar home environment for as long as possible.
The association Nepaliec viens will implement Latvia’s first life-skills training groups for children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim is to develop skills needed in everyday life, promote greater independence among young people and improve their opportunities for full participation in society.
The foundation Centrs Valdardze offers a new social rehabilitation programme for children and young people who have experienced violence. The programme is based on an individual approach, selecting rehabilitation methods best suited to each person.
The innovative social services are planned to be introduced throughout Latvia by 2029 under the ESF+ project “Support for New Approaches to the Provision of Community-Based Social Services”, implemented by the Society Integration Foundation (SIF). Thirty project applications have been approved under the project. In total, the new services will be piloted with 1,777 people at risk of social exclusion.
Ten Social Innovation Stories Featured in a Photo Exhibition
Ten creators of new social services, who together with their organisations are implementing innovative social services, are featured in the photo exhibition “Person. Care. Change.”, on display at the Domina shopping centre from 24 August to 14 September. The stories of the people featured in the exhibition are also available on the SIF website: Photo exhibition “Cilvēks. Rūpes. Pārmaiņas.”
Selection of New Social Service Projects Continues
SIF continues to provide support for the development and implementation of new social services. Organisations can apply for funding until 28 September 2026 for the development, piloting and further advancement of new community-based social services.
The additional selection covers four thematic areas: social care at home in remote rural areas; support for informal carers to help them remain in employment; integrated social care services at home; and preventive measures in the field of sexual and reproductive health for children and young people.
