Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organizations, or administered by a government agency. Social services are employed to address the wide range of needs of a society. What is considered a 'social service' in a specific country is determined by its history, cultural norms, political system and economic status. Social services can be both communal and individually based. There are a number of factors that contributed to the development of social services in this period. These include: the impacts of industrialisation and urbanisation, the influence of Protestant thought regarding state responsibility for welfare, and the growing influence of trade unions and the labour movement.
Europe (1833–1914)
left|thumb|282x282px|Illustration of industrial-era child labour, depicting a girl pulling coal up a mineshaft. The Factory Laws and [[Labour movement|labor movements in the late nineteenth century aimed at limiting and ending child labour in Europe. ]]
In the nineteenth century, as countries industrialised further, the extent of social services in the form of labour schemes and compensation expanded. The expansion of social services began following Britain's legislation of the 1833 Factory Act. The legislation set limits on the minimum age of children working, preventing children younger than nine years of age from working. The Factory Act introduced limitations on working hours, provided maternity benefits and provided workplace protections for children and young adults.]]
Within Asia, the significant development of social services first began in Japan after the conclusion of World War II. Due to rising levels of social inequality in the 1950s following the reformation of the Japanese economy, the incumbent Liberal Democratic Party legislated extensive health insurance laws in 1958 and pensions in 1959 to address societal upheaval. Another study recorded by the Global Barometer of Happiness in 2011 found similar results. One paper conducted within China indicates that social services in the form of direct financial assistance does not have a positive impact on the reduction of poverty rates.]]
thumb|325x325px|The relative poverty rates before and after the introduction of welfare of various countries
{| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Poverty levels pre- and post-welfare
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Country
! scope="col" colspan="2" | Absolute poverty rate (1960–1991)
(threshold set at 40% of United States median household income)
{| class="wikitable floatleft plainrowheader sortable"
|+ Welfare spending of countries as percentage of total GDP
! scope="col" | Rank
! scope="col" | Country
! scope="col" | 2019
! scope="col" | 2016
! scope="col" | 2010
! scope="col" | 2005
! scope="col" | 2000
|-
! scope="row" |1
|
|31.2
|31.5
|30.7
|28.7
|27.5
|-
! scope="row" |2
|
|28.9
|29.0
|28.3
|25.3
|23.5
|-
! scope="row" |3
|
|28.7
|30.8
|27.4
|23.9
|22.6
|-
! scope="row" |4
|
|28.0
|28.7
|28.9
|25.2
|23.8
|-
! scope="row" |5
|
|15.9
|28.9
|27.6
|24.1
|22.6
|-
! scope="row" |6
|
|26.6
|27.8
|27.6
|25.9
|25.5
|-
! scope="row" |7
|
|26.1
|27.1
|26.3
|27.4
|26.8
|-
! scope="row" |8
|
|25.1
|25.3
|25.9
|26.3
|25.4
|-
! scope="row" |9
|
|25.0
|25.1
|21.9
|20.7
|20.4
|-
! scope="row" |10
|
|23.7
|24.6
|25.8
|20.4
|19.5
|-
! scope="row" |11
|
|23.5
|27.0
|23.8
|20.4
|18.4
|-
! scope="row" |12
|
|22.6
|24.1
|24.5
|22.3
|18.5
|-
! scope="row" |13
|
|22.4
|21.8
|22.9
|22.4
|18.6
|-
! scope="row" |14
|
|30
|
|20.7
|20.0
|19.4
|-
! scope="row" |15
|
|21.9
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |16
|
|21.2
|22.8
|23.4
|21.4
|22.4
|-
! scope="row" |17
|
|21.1
|20.2
|20.6
|20.9
|20.2
|-
! scope="row" |18
|
|20.6
|21.5
|22.8
|19.4
|17.7
|-
! scope="row" |19
|
|19.4
|20.6
|23.0
|21.9
|20.1
|-
! scope="row" |20
|
|18.9
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |21
|
|18.7
|19.4
|19.8
|18.1
|18.0
|-
! scope="row" |22
|
|18.7
|19.3
|19.3
|15.6
|14.3
|-
! scope="row" |23
|
|18.4
|17.4
|18.3
|13.0
|13.8
|-
! scope="row" |24
|
|17.8
|19.1
|16.7
|16.7
|18.2
|-
! scope="row" |25
|
|17.3
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |26
|
|17.0
|18.6
|18.1
|15.8
|17.6
|-
! scope="row" |27
|
|16.7
|22.0
|22.1
|20.5
|18.4
|-
! scope="row" |28
|
|16.2
|14.5
|18.7
|12.2
|14.8
|-
! scope="row" |29
|
|16.2
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |30
|
|16.0
|16.1
|16.0
|16.3
|17.0
|-
! scope="row" |31
|
|16.0
|19.7
|18.4
|18.4
|16.3
|-
! scope="row" |32
|
|16.0
|15.2
|17.0
|15.9
|14.6
|-
! scope="row" |33
|
|14.4
|16.1
|22.4
|14.9
|12.6
|-
! scope="row" |34
|
|12.5
|
|
|
|
|-
! scope="row" |35
|
|11.1
|10.4
|8.3
|6.1
|4.5
|-
! scope="row" |36
|
|10.9
|
|
|
|
|}
center|thumb|757x757px|[[File:Social expenditure in OECD.svg|thumb|776x776px|none|The above graph displays social spending as a percentage of yearly GDP in OECD countries in 2015.The topmost graph displays spending on social services as a percentage of yearly GDP in OECD countries from the period between 1880 and 2016.]]
Health services
thumb|upright=1.4|[[List of countries by total health expenditure per capita|Total healthcare cost per person. Public and private spending. US dollars PPP. $6,319 for Canada in 2022. $12,555 for the US in 2022.]]
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the provision of health services is a significant factor in ensuring that individuals are able to maintain their health and wellbeing. The WHO identifies 16 health services that must be provided by countries to ensure that universal health coverage is achieved. This includes a positive correlation between life expectancy and the provision of health services and a negative relationship between life expectancy and countries which's social service programs do not provide universal healthcare coverage. The US does not provide a universal health care program, but introduced the Affordable Care Act in 2010. For more, see Healthcare in the United States.]]
Within the area of child welfare, social services aim to provide help to children and their families, while providing mechanisms to ensure they are able to live safe, stable lives with a permanent home. In the United States, 3 million children are maltreated each year, with the overall economic costs of child maltreatment totalling up to US$80 billion annually. Following 1996 welfare reform in the US, employment rates among single mothers have increased considerably from 60% in 1994 to 72% in 1999. Social services such as education may be employed to overcome discrimination and challenge gender norms. Other examples of social services which may help address this issue include the police, welfare services, counselling, legal aid and healthcare.thumb|261x261px|A photograph of a doctor in 2020 in the midst of the [[coronavirus outbreak. Social services and social workers played a central role in the response to the pandemic.]]
Social services and COVID-19
Social services have played a central role in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers, public officials, teachers, social welfare officers and other public servants have provided critical services in containing the pandemic and ensuring society functions.