Majority of measures carried out in the Kaste Programme were successful – work to be continued in the key projects

The project funding granted in the Kaste programme, the National Development Programme for Social Welfare and Health Care, helped municipalities develop service entities that enable children, adolescents and families with children to get help faster and with lower costs than before. Queues in health centres also became shorter and cooperation between primary health care and specialised medical care became more effective as a result of the Kaste Programme. The final report of the Kaste Programme concludes that his was achieved by introducing individual care plans and reforming the division of work.

Work to implement the objectives of the Kaste Programme was carried out between 2012 and 2015 in six complementary sub-programmes. The programme was aimed at narrowing the gaps in well-being and healthcare and organising the social welfare and health care structures and services in consultation with the client. This was in order to move the focus of social welfare and health care from taking care of problems to active promotion of physical, mental and social well-being and prevention of problems in the entire population.

Kaste was a lot more than just projects. The six sub-programmes comprised a total of 13 nationwide measures, which were further specified through 133 tasks. A total of 85% of the 133 tasks were implemented successfully. 11% of the them were not completed and 4% were not implemented. The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (TTL), the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, municipalities, joint authorities and organisations were among the parties responsible for the implementation.

Between 2012 and 2015, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health granted project funding totalling about €46 million in order to help achieve the objectives of the Kaste Project. Altogether 34 development projects complying with the Kaste Programme and aimed at reforming and developing the social welfare and health care services were granted government transfers.
Additionally, the ten largest cities in Finland were granted funding for reducing long-term homelessness.

The last term of the Kaste Programme ended at the end of 2015. The development work that started with the Kaste Programme will now be continued in the key projects of Prime Minister Sipilä’s Government. They include, for example, the programme for addressing child and family services as well as the project for developing home care for the elderly and enhancing informal care in all age groups.

A description of all projects in the Kaste Programme can be found in Innokylä at http://www.innokyla.fi/kaste (In Finnish)

Further information:

Salme Kallinen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 2951 63290, [email protected]
Taina Mäntyranta, Medical Councellor, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 2951 63692

• The final report of the Kaste Programme, the National Development Programme for Social Welfare and Health Care (Reports and memorandums of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2016/8, pdf, In Finnish)