Family homes as a growing form of family entrepreneurship and the way of providing new workplaces

U Republici Hrvatskoj su se 2003. godine otvorile zakonske mogućnosti za pružanje socijalne usluge smještaja za starije i teško bolesne osobe (do 20 korisnika) u obiteljskim domovima. Taj novi vid obiteljskog poduzetništva u djelatnosti socijalne skrbi, koji ranije nije postojao, od tada do danas kontinuirano bilježi rast ponude i potražnje. Anketnim istraživanjem na ukupnoj populaciji predstavnika obiteljskih domova u Hrvatskoj, sukcesivno u 2017., 2018. i 2019. godini, utvrđen je broj i teritorijalna rasprostranjenost aktivnih obiteljskih domova, kapaciteti i broj korisnika, raspon cijena, minimalni ukupni prihodi te broj i profili radnika koje zapošljavaju, uključujući angažirane članove obitelji i vanjske zaposlenike. Zahvaljujući nesaturiranoj i trajno rastućoj potražnji za uslugom smještaja, pokazalo se da je ponuda obiteljskih domova za starije i teško bolesne osobe prisutna u svim županijama te da je do 2019. godine narasla na 400 aktivnih obiteljskih domova i blizu 6.000 korisnika, s perspektivom daljnjeg rasta. Ustanovljeno je da je prosječno u obiteljskom domu angažirano preko 6 osoba, u okvirnom omjeru: 2 člana obitelji i 4 vanjska zaposlenika. Budući da obiteljski domovi u dobroj mjeri angažiraju „neiskorištene“ materijalne i ljudske resurse kojima obitelj raspolaže (nezaposlene članove obitelji, postojeće objekte i opremu, u slučaju seljačkih domaćinstava i poljoprivredne resurse), cijena novootvorenog radnog mjesta je po prirodi stvari relativno niska. To ovu poduzetničku djelatnost čini još značajnijom, osobito jer se razvija i u manje razvijenim područjima i zapošljava i osobe niže zapošljivosti (nižeg obrazovnog statusa, starije, žene). Može se zaključiti da su obiteljski domovi nimalo zanemariv čimbenik otvaranja novih radnih mjesta i zapošljavanja, sada i ubuduće. Istraživanjem su ustanovljene i velike razlike u cijenama usluge, kao rezultat cjenovne prilagodbe tržišnoj potražnji i kupovnoj moći. To zacijelo rezultira i značajnim odstupanjima u kvaliteti usluge i uvjetima smještaja ove osjetljive skupine korisnika, što će ubuduće zahtijevati sustavniji državni nadzor i veća ulaganja predstavnika obiteljskih domova.As from 2003, in the Republic of Croatia there are legal possibilities for the provision of social accommodation services for the elderly and seriously ill persons (for up to 20 beneficiaries) in family homes. This has enabled a completely new form of family entrepreneurship in the field of social welfare, which did not exist before, where the growth of supply and demand has been continuously recorded since then. The survey research, which included the total population of active family homes in the Republic of Croatia, successively in 2017, 2018 and 2019, has established their number and territorial distribution, capacity and number of users, price range, calculation of minimum total income, as well as the number and profiles of their employees, including engaged family members and external employees. Thanks to unsaturated and evergrowing demand for accommodation services, it turned out that the offer for family homes for elderly and seriously ill persons was present in all counties and by 2019 was increased to 400 active family homes and close to 6,000 users, with the prospect of further growth. It was found that, on average, more than 6 people were employed in a family home, in an approximate ratio of 2 family members to 4 external employees. Since family homes to a good extent engage the “unused” material and human resources that families have at their disposal (unemployed family members, existing facilities and equipment, and in rural households agricultural resources), the cost of a newly created job is relatively low. That makes this entrepreneurial activity even more important, especially because it is being developed in less developed areas, and is also an opportunity for people of lower employability (older people, people with lower educational status, women). It can be concluded that family homes are not a negligible factor in employment, now and in the future. The research has also revealed considerable differences in prices of accommodation services, as a result of their price adjustment to market requirements and purchasing power. It certainly also results in significant deviations in service quality and accommodation conditions. Since socially vulnerable groups are concerned, this will certainly require more systematic state supervision and greater investment by family home representatives in the future