Seongdong-gu Operates One-Stop Consultation 'Seongdong Welfare Comprehensive Consultation Center'

Operation begins on the 22nd at the 9th floor of the old district office building, where professional counselors identify residents' needs in a single consultation to provide customized integrated welfare services... Following in-person and phone consultations, online consultation services will be available from October, enhancing resident satisfaction through follow-up management after consultations

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeong Wono) has established the ‘Seongdong Welfare Comprehensive Counseling Center,’ where all welfare-related information can be obtained in one place, and has begun full-scale operations.

With the popularization of the internet, it has become easy to access numerous welfare-related information, but it is often difficult to select what information is truly necessary for oneself. The inconvenience of having to visit multiple departments due to application procedures also acts as a factor that increases residents’ discomfort.

In response, Seongdong-gu installed the ‘Seongdong Welfare Comprehensive Counseling Center’ on the 9th floor of the government building and started operations on the 22nd. The center functions as a one-stop comprehensive counseling center that provides everything related to welfare, from residents’ minor concerns to customized welfare information.

The counseling center has assigned three social welfare public officials as welfare specialist counselors. Based on over 10 years of experience in social welfare work, they are responsible for accurately and promptly resolving various demands and issues of residents.

In particular, even with just one initial consultation, the center identifies residents’ needs, provides tailored welfare information, and connects them to relevant departments, greatly helping to alleviate inconveniences such as cumbersome administrative procedures.

After counseling, the center conducts follow-up management to ensure that service connections are properly made, enhancing residents’ satisfaction. For matters that need to be handled by private or other institutions, the center connects residents to the relevant agency personnel to assist with processing.

Telephone counseling is also available for residents who find it difficult to visit in person. By calling the dedicated welfare counseling line, residents can receive detailed information on various welfare-related topics. In October, an online counseling service through the Seongdong-gu Office website’s comprehensive counseling board is also planned.

Prior to this, the district established a cooperative system among 23 teams across 6 departments to provide more professional information, and completed the creation of a basic counseling manual to enable comprehensive counseling in case of complex issues.

Additionally, specialized comprehensive counseling training will be conducted quarterly for welfare officers belonging to the community service centers. The policy aims to strengthen staff capabilities so that community service centers can fully perform the role of the welfare comprehensive counseling center.

Jeong Wono, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, “The ‘Seongdong Welfare Comprehensive Counseling Center’ was created as an effort to provide residents with high-quality, customized administrative services. We hope that no one misses out on welfare benefits due to complicated procedures and difficulties in accessing information through this center, and we will do our best to implement welfare policies that meet residents’ needs.”