and children it was found, for example, that in the home in the city of Yakoruda has been placed a child for a day care, whose mother works as a social worker there. One of the employees in the same home regretted failing „to settle” and her/his own children in the home. The NPM noted with concern that these institutions perform functions more like a dormitories rather than homes for children deprived of parental care. Most of the residents there are not children deprived of parental care. The suspicion that in fact the parents or the relatives of such children have sufficient capacity to exercise due care for them is completely grounded. The above problem arises out of the procedure for provision of social services prescribed in art. 21 of the Rules of Organization and Procedure of the Homes for Children which function is exhausted by the adoption of the National Strategy „Vision for deinstitutionalization of children in Bulgaria”. The NPM recommended amending art. 21 of the Rules of Organization and Procedure of the Homes for Children, skipping the supply of weekly and day care in the homes for children deprived of parental care. These services could be replaced by other social services in the community. Management and administrative capacity Under the methodology for determining the positions of staff in specialized institutions and community based social services the position of a psychologist is recommended for the homes for children deprived of parental care. In view of the observed problems in the homes - frequent truancies, conflict between the staff of the home and the children, conflicts between the children and their aggressive behaviour, the NPM believes that the daily work of the psychologist with children is extremely important. According to the NPM team change in that methodology is necessary in order to include the position of a psychologist in the list of obligatory positions. The attention of the NPM is also attracted by the issue of staffing in the homes for children deprived of parental care. Quite a few are the specialized institutions where staff is provided with internal training or external training of licensed companies or NGOs (HCDPC – city of Bratsigovo, CSSCF – city of Roman). In order to provide better quality care for children funds for the training of personnel should be provided. Medical Care In all visited homes for children deprived of parental care, inmates are included in the patients’ list of a GP and if necessary they are provided with consultations with the appropriate professionals. Unfortunately, however, the checks also found out cases of denial of medical assistance (inpatient and outpatient) to children and to the disadvantaged people (e.g. HCDPC „Tanio Voivoda” – city of Asenovgrad). The requirement of the medical institutions the children to be accompanied significantly hinders the overall performance of the specialized institution. The NPM also established a problem with the implementation of mandatory immunizations. Often in the homes come children from different places and of different ages, to whom the appropriate immunizations should have been made. In the absence of medical records, however, it is impossible to keep track of whether the child immunization calendar is fulfilled and to what extent. This is why the medical staff in institutions can not decide whether to make any immunizations or reimmunizations which are required for their age under the immunization calendar. The problem is particularly worrisome when a booster dose is necessary, and there had not been first immunization – in this case can not be risked in making the second immunization. But if it comes to 35 Annual Report of the National Preventive Mechanism | OMBUDSMAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA