Information about Soite
The social welfare, healthcare and rescue services were transferred on the 1st of January 2023 to wellbeing services counties. A wellbeing services county is an institution of public law that is separate from municipalities and the state and has a self-government in its area. A wellbeing services county is responsible for social welfare, healthcare and the rescue services.
The responsibility for organising social welfare, healthcare and rescue services was transferred in the beginning of 2023 in the entire Finland from the municipalities and joint municipal authorities to wellbeing services counties. The goal with the reform of social welfare, healthcare and rescue services is to ensure equal services in all areas, to reduce differences in welfare and health and to mitigate the increase in the cost. From the clients’ viewpoint, the reform will eventually lead to better services, but big changes are unlikely in the beginning.
In Central Ostrobothnia, the wellbeing services county reform meant that the following were transferred to the same organization:
- The units in the joint municipal authority Soite excluding Kruunupyy
- From the Rescue services of Central Ostrobothnia and the Pietarsaari region, the functions in Central Ostrobothnia
- three disability services units from the joint municipal authority Kårkulla
- and some employees from municipalities and towns in Central Ostrobothnia (e.g. school social workers and school psychologists and some personnel in catering)
The name Soite that is familiar from the joint municipal authority is also the brand name of Central Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county.
Of course we can is our promise to you, to me and to us.
It is an aim and an attitude that we strive for together in different ways.
Of course we can:
- We prosper.
- We succeed!
For clients and residents in the area, the promise means well-being, a good and happy everyday life and that the resident is able to lead an active and engaged life.
The promise to the entire well-being services county is reflected in the area’s prosperity, growth and development as well as cooperation.
For the employees, the promise is expressed as strong professional pride and a sense of togetherness – it is well-being and a good everyday life at work.
For Soite as a whole, our promise is a healthy work culture, well-being, a culture of development and trying new things and cooperation with others.
Soite consists of the eight municipalities in Central Ostrobothnia that have a total population of 68,000 people. Central Ostrobothnia Central Hospital is the nearest on-call hospital for approximately 200,000 citizens. Central Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county functions in the following municipalities:
- Halsua
- Kannus
- Kaustinen
- Kokkola
- Lestijärvi
- Perho
- Toholampi
- Veteli
The wellbeing services county has 4,000 employees and 300 persons working in contract fire departments.
The strategy 2022-
The vision for Central Ostrobothnia wellbeing services county is to be the most well-functioning wellbeing services county in Finland. The mission is welfare, health and security – for the individual.
Soite’s operations and development is based on our values, which are:
- Respectful treatment of each other
- Courage
- Security
- Participation
- Effectiveness
- Equality
Soite’s operations and administration are based on the following strategic goals:
- Strong basic services and an on-call central hospital in the area
- Welfare, health and security through cooperation in Central Ostrobothnia
- Pre-emptive, equal and well-functioning chains of service supporting the individual in the everyday life
- Effectiveness through good leadership and humanely and economically sustainable solutions
- A competent and thriving personnel
The strategy of the wellbeing services county Soite (available in Finnish and in Swedish):
Equality in Soite
Equality in the social welfare and healthcare services needed by patients and clients means that a person in need of help or support is not treated as lesser than anyone else based on some reason related to their person. They are not for any such reason placed in a position that means they would miss out on the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation or guidance they need. In Soite, the goal is a non-discriminatory culture based on a principle of transparency. More information in Soite’s equality plan (available in Finnish):