Certification Procedure for Actors Providing Social Care Services

The National Centre for Social Solidarity (NCSS) within the framework of its institutional responsibilities gives Opinion on the Certification of Actors providing social care services in the private sector of non-profit, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to the competent Services of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA)

  • The decision of Certification for the Actors providing social care services is the responsibility of the competent authorities of the MLSA, which is responsible for the issue of the relevant Decision, following the NCSS Opinion.
  • The Certification of an Actor is the institutional recognition that the Actor has the proper legal form, the needed characteristics and experience, as well as the quality prerequisites, that are based on the existing legal framework. The Certification is a prerequisite for the participation of Actors in national or European funding and actions.

The institutional framework for the Certification of Actors in providing social care services is mandated by Law 2646/1998 (GG 236/Α/20-10-1998) and the procedure and the criteria for the issue of a Certification by the Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) of the Ministries Finances and Health and Social Welfare, no Γ.Π: Π(2)γ/οικ. 34029/22-03-2012 (GG 1163/Β/10-04-2012).

However, the process of Certification does not take place electronically, through the Informational System which is in an update process, it does use however electronic communication as much as possible. The following paragraphs describe the process for Certification, according to the existing institutional framework.

Application Process

The Actors applying for the first time choose the time they will submit their application. The Actors, which have already been given a Certification which is valid, must submit for its renewal two month before it expires.

More specifically, the process is as follows:

  1. The Actors that are interested to submit an Application for the issue or renewal of the Certification and have the prerequisites stated in Article 2 of the aforementioned JMD, must send the initial Application Form to the e-mail address: aitisi@ekka.org.gr.
  1. The competent NCSS service sends electronically to the Actor the proper forms-questionnaires for the registration of the Actor’s identity and services provided, filling instructions as well as a description of the documents needed for the Certification Application file, and the way it can be submitted to the NCSS.

  1. The candidate Actor submits or sends by mail the Application file according to the relevant Instructions to the Secretariat of the NCSS Central Services.
  1. Following the receipt of the Application and the file the competent NCSS employees control it. If the file is deemed complete, they send an application for opinion to the competent Regional Unit for the judgement of the Actor’s certification. If the file is incomplete there is a communication when more instructions are given for its completion.
  1. Following the Issue of the Proposal by the competent Regional Unit or the passing of two (2) months form the completion of the Actor’s Certification Application, the NCSS gives its opinion regarding the Certification.
  1. The relevant Proposal is sent to the MLSA, which issues the final Certification Decision, which is published in the GG.

In the case of the rejection of the Certification application, the Actor has the right to submit an objection within thirty (30) days from the date the Decision is issued, which is submitted to the competent MLSA. Following the issue of a final rejection Decision, the Actors can submit anew after two (2) months.

Certification Duration

  • The Decision for the Certification is valid for four (4) years and following an Application of the Actor can be renewed every four (4) years. Six months following the end of the Certification’s validity, if the actor does not apply for renewal, it is deleted by the Registry of Certified Private Actors providing social care services and can not apply for renewal but for an initial Certification.

Help Desk

The NCSS fully supports the actors during the Certification Application submission through its Help Desk, which provides the Actors with proper information and tech support. The Help Desk operates in the framework of the competent Department of Evaluation of the NCSS Coordination and Organization Division. The Actors can communicate on working days and hours, by phone or e-mail.

Help Desk

Ioanna Georgouli

Maria Papastathi

Tel.: 2132039751

E-mail: axiologisi.aitisi@ekka.org.gr