The Municipal Center of Social Services of the City of Totana has made a total of 833 attentions to demands of various kinds during the period between the second half of March and the month of April in this municipality, coinciding with the social and health crisis caused by COVID-19.Statistics have skyrocketed since the state of alarm was decreed, going from 122 in the second half of March to a very high increase, which has resulted in 711 lawsuits during the month of April.The Councilor for Social Welfare, Javier Baños, has reported on the main demands addressed by the Social Services Center since the declaration of the state of alarm began in the middle of last March, as a consequence of the pandemic generated by COVID- 19.The center, considered an essential service, has maintained its activity of attending to the needs presented by the residents of Totana, adapting to the limitations of the moment and always counting on the involvement of all its professionals.In addition, during this time, telephone attention has been prioritized, combining it with face-to-face activity in those matters that the situation has required, such as in cases of homeless people located in disadvantaged and unhealthy environments, minors at risk or unprotected, people elderly, people in a situation of disability, dependency, or others with addictions or mental illnesses that sometimes alone and other times accompanied, have lacked the necessary supports to maintain minimum living conditions.In relative terms, a very high percentage of cases, 44.8%, have been those claims related to the coverage of basic needs, part of which have been made possible in referrals to Cáritas Parroquial de Santiago and Tres Avemarías , together with the exceptional device of the City Council itself.All this has been provided in a coordinated manner in order to respond to those who need it most while maintaining unity and optimization criteria.In total, 31 families were beneficiaries of these resources during the month of March and 170 during the month of April, making a total of 587 beneficiaries of this type of benefit in just one and a half months.Likewise, in this area of ??need, during this period 13 files of Basic Insertion Income have been processed before the IMAS, in addition to 92 scholarships for school meals.In a smaller but also very relevant percentage, 24.49% of cases, referrals to services and programs belonging to the Social Services Center are located.These are those cases that required a more specific intervention or were already involved in intervention processes accompanied by professionals from the different programs and services of the Center (UTS, Family and Minor, Accompaniment, Drug Dependence, Elderly People, etc.).Although the last two types of demand have been the most numerous, it also highlights the importance of the need for information on other aid or resource benefits related to the Social Services system, such as non-contributory pensions, the autonomy system and attention to the dependency, parking card for people with disabilities, among others.These demands correspond to 12% of care, a parameter somewhat higher than those related to the need for information on resources from other systems (employment, education, health, social security, etc.), which have accounted for 8.40%.In lower percentages, needs related to specific immigration issues, the housing system, as well as other municipal resources have also been addressed.Finally, the councilor for Social Welfare recalls that the Social Services Center continues to provide service and adapt day by day to respond to the risks and needs that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing in the residents of Totana.Likewise, it thanks the support of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia through the Ministry of Women, Equality, LGTBI, Families and Social Policy, as well as that received from the Ministry of Social Rights and the 2030 Agenda, respectively.
