Social integration services

Temporary protection is intended for those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Its purpose is to provide temporary protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine within a short timeframe. More detailed information in English on temporary protection and applying for it is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service https://migri.fi/en/temporary-protection

Becoming a resident means that you are transferred from being a client of the reception center’s services to becoming a resident of the municipality and thereof a client of the services of your municipality. Once you have been granted a municipality of residence, you have the same rights and obligations as a person permanently residing in Finland. A municipality of residence is useful if you intend to stay in Finland for the time being.

Applying for a municipality of residence is voluntary and does not affect your citizenship. A municipality of residence does not cancel your residence permit for temporary protection. Neither does it prevent you from returning to your home country.

If you decide to apply for a municipality of residence and you have children, you must apply it not only for yourself but also for your children. Children cannot stay as clients at the reception center without their mother and/or father.

If you do not apply for a municipality of residence, you can continue your life in Finland as a client of the reception center.

You can find detailed information on how to apply for a municipality of residence on the pages of Digital and Population Data Services agency: Municipality of residence  | Digital and population data services agency (dvv.fi). The conditions for receiving a municipality of residence varies depending on where you are coming from. These conditions can be also found on the forementioned link.

You are free to choose which municipality you want to live in. If you have lived in accommodation arranged by a reception center, you must arrange and pay for the accommodation yourself after you have received a municipality of residence.

Once you have received a municipality of residence, you can submit an apartment application to Suonenjoki town, and we will help you find an apartment. A housing adviser will help you fill out the application if you wish. The housing adviser can also help you fill in housing related Kela applications, such as rental security deposit and housing allowance.

You are entitled to apply for Kela benefits. These include, for example, housing allowance, child benefit and basic social assistance. Kela will assess your situation and decide on which benefits to grant you and/or your family. You can get help filling in the applications, for example, from an integration adviser or housing adviser. The reception center will no longer pay you reception allowance.

You continue to have the right to work in Finland, as you have had until now. The employment coordinator will give guidance and help you regarding employment. You can also register as a jobseeker with the TE Office if you are looking for work or need support in finding a job.

Once your children have been granted a municipality of residence, they need to participate in the compulsory education in Finland. Compulsory education starts when a child turns 7 and continues until he/she turns 18.

You also have the right to get early childhood education for your children under school age, even if both parents are at home.

As a client of a reception center, you had access to social and health services through the reception center. Once you are granted a municipality of residence, you are entitled to social and health services provided by the wellbeing county. Suonenjoki is part of the Wellbeing Services County of North Savo. Having a municipality of residence extends your rights to various social and health services. For example, if you have a disability or illness, you may be entitled to home services to help you manage at home.

You have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections after you have had a municipality of residence for two years.

Once you have a municipality of residence, you become a taxpayer. This means that you must pay tax on your income to your municipality of residence.

For more information in English on a municipality of residence compared to reception services, see the Finnish Immigration Service’s website: Services of a Municipality of Residence | Maahanmuuttovirasto (migri.fi)

You should get a personal identity code if you live in Finland. An ID number is a more precise means of identification than a name, which is used for example in government information systems. You need a personal identity number, for example, to open a bank account, apply for Kela benefits or apply for a municipality of residence.

You can get a Finnish personal identity code if you reside legally in Finland and one of the following conditions is met:

– You have a residence permit issued by the Finnish Immigration Service.
– You are working in Finland, and you have a right to work.
– You are studying in Finland.
– You have a family member with a registered address in Finland and you have the original and legalized certificates of your family relationships.

*For detailed instructions in English on how to obtain a personal identity code, please visit the website of the Finnish National Board of Digital and Population Information E-Lomake – Request a Finnish identity code and registration of personal data (dvv.fi)

You should get an identity card if you plan to live in Finland. An identity card is an identity document issued by the Finnish Police. You may need it, for example, to prove your identity and to obtain online banking codes.

To get an identity card, you need a suitable photo or a photo ID. In Suonenjoki, you can have a suitable photo taken for your ID card and passport at a photographic studio, for example @Valokuvaus ja videotuotanto I Savo (jasonleskinen.com)

*You can get your ID card at the police station in Suonenjoki. Please check the opening hours from the Police of Finland website, Eastern Finland Police Department, units and services – Police (poliisi.fi).

Your identity card can only be valid for as long as your residence permit. For example, if your residence permit expires on March 4th, 2025, you cannot obtain an identity card valid beyond that date.

There are several different banks operating in Finland. In Suonenjoki, we have a bank called Pohjois-Savon Osuuspankki (Rautalammintie 12, Suonenjoki). You must be at least 18 years old to open a bank account.

*To open a bank account with Osuuspankki, you must first fill in the bank’s preliminary information form. After that, a bank officer will contact you to arrange an appointment with you at the bank. You can find more information in English and fill in the form online: Did you move to Finland and want to become our customer? | OP

Before submitting the form, you will need:

– A Finnish personal identity code.
*– Your Finnish address registered with the Finnish Register of Digital and Population Services. The address should be for permanent or temporary accommodation, not just a postal address.
– A residence permit. The residence permit must be valid for more than 3 months. If you are an EU citizen, you must register your right of residence in Finland.
– A valid identity document (e.g. passport or identity card).
– Sufficient funds for bank’s service fees.

A housing adviser can help with housing-related matters, for example:
-Applying for an apartment
-Filling in Kela applications for social security (housing allowance, rental security deposit + basic social assistance)
-Making an electricity contract and getting a home insurance.
-Maintaining neighborliness and dealing with disturbances

If you are looking for a rental apartment, you can inquire the municipality for one. Suonenjoki town and Kiinteistö Oy Suonenjoki Vuokratalot have apartments of all sizes for rent, from studios to 100 m² apartments in apartment buildings and row houses.

At Suonenjoki Employment Service, you will have access to our expert services to help you find a job. Welcome to hear about our wide range of services! From the outset, our work is based on personal advice and guidance. We listen to your current situation, your wishes, and your goals, and based on these we work together to create a plan towards your employment.

Looking for a job is about matching the skills of the applicant with the needs of the vacant position. We help our clients to identify their skills and support them in areas such as writing a CV and online job search.

Many new jobs are so called unadvertised jobs, which are filled without a public search. Employers take advantage of their own networks and partners in these situations. Be proactive and use your personal networks to find these hidden jobs. You can also build up networks during job trials or studies, as well as in various hobbies and voluntary activities.

Contact us when you are looking for a job or applying for training. If there is no common language, we can use an interpreter.

In Finland, social security is provided by Kela. For information on Kela benefits and how to apply for them, visit the Kela website: Our Services | Kela

After living in Finland for a year, you are entitled to apply for a Kela card and child benefit. Child benefit is paid for children under the age of 17 living in Finland. You can apply for a Kela card and child benefit even if you have not applied for a municipality of residence. More information in English: From other countries to Finland | Our Services | Kela and  Kela card | Our Services | Kela and Child benefit | Our Services | Kela

You can get medicines prescribed by your doctor at a lower price when you show your Kela card at the pharmacy. The reimbursement is deducted directly from the price of the medicine. You can apply for a Kela card using the same form as for child benefit.

If case of need can apply for help with housing costs from Kela. You are entitled to apply for housing allowance when you have been granted a municipality of residence and start paying your own housing costs. You can also apply for housing allowance if you do not have a municipality of residence but have lived in Finland for a year and pay your own housing costs.

*You must attach you signed lease to the application. You can find more detailed information Who can get general housing allowance? | Our Services | Kela

You can apply for basic social assistance from Kela if you have a municipality of residence and have no other means of securing your livelihood. If you are a beneficiary of temporary protection and a client of a reception center, you cannot receive basic social assistance.

Kela will consider your income, assets and expenses when deciding whether to grant you social assistance. You can receive basic social assistance if you have more expenses eligible for basic social assistance than you have income and assets. *You can find the form to apply for assistance here: Application – Social assistance (kela.fi)

The unemployment benefits Kela pays are the basic unemployment allowance and the labor market subsidy. You can apply for a basic unemployment allowance if you meet the work requirement. You may be eligible for a labor market subsidy if you do not meet the work requirement. The work requirements will change in the fall of 2024. Here is more information on the changes: Changes in unemployment benefits, general housing allowance and social assistance | Kela

Another Kela benefit during unemployment is the labor market subsidy (työmarkkinatuki).

You can apply for the unemployment benefit by using this form (in Finnish): Hakemus – Peruspäiväraha – Työmarkkinatuki (kela.fi)

If you are a client of the reception center, you can get social and health services through the reception center. Please get in touch with your current reception center.

Once granted a municipality of residence, you are entitled to social and health services provided by the wellbeing services county. Suonenjoki is part of the North Savo wellbeing services county. Suonenjoki Healthcare Center is at Sairaalapolku 6, Suonenjoki.

* You can book an appointment with a doctor through your own nurse. Suonenjoki is divided into four regions, so the nurse’s phone number depends on your region. You can call the nurse on weekdays between 8:00 -10:00. When you call the nurse, your call will be directed to the callback system, and the nurse will call you back on the same working day. If you need help making an appointment, please get in touch with the integration adviser.

In life-threatening situations, call the emergency number 112.

You can find the contact information of your own nurse (only in Finnish): Lääkärin vastaanotto – Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue – Pohjois-Savo (pshyvinvointialue.fi)

Contact information for mental health and substance abuse services (only in Finnish) can be found at: Mielenterveys- ja päihdetyö – Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue – Pohjois-Savo (pshyvinvointialue.fi)

Suonenjoki Healthcare Center offers laboratory and X-ray services. To A doctor’s referral is required to make an appointment.

You can book an appointment from Appointments and services » Islab or by phone on weekdays from 8:00 to 14:00, tel. +358 44 717 8888.

You can make an appointment for an X-ray by telephone, tel. +358 400658940.

If you need it, the integration adviser can help you make an appointment.

For more information on the services of the North Savo Wellbeing County (only in Finnish), please visit: Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue – Pohjois-Savon hyvinvointialue – Pohjois-Savo (pshyvinvointialue.fi)

MIELI Crisis Helpline – MIELI

How to talk about war with children and youths – The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (mll.fi)

Front page | Mentalhub.fi (mielenterveystalo.fi)

Online shelter – Nettiturvakoti

Preparedness is part of the municipality’s basic tasks and is always based on arrangements during normal conditions. The municipality’s tasks include drawing up various plans, such as readiness plans and evacuation plans. The general part of the preparedness plan is public, and the material that is confidential under the Openness Act is collected in annexes.
Citizens of the town can rest assured that the rescue services will protect the population and evacuate residents if necessary. Shelters are often located in connection with larger housing estates workplaces. There is usually no shelter in smaller housing estates or detached houses. If the need for protection arises, the rescue services will inform the population of the need to take shelter. If necessary, the rescue service will also provide guidance on the measures to be taken, for example, by moving residents to safe areas.
Home storage is the basis for home preparedness
It is natural to start preparing for every day and even exceptional incidents with the knowledge and skills of each individual and with the safety arrangements in their home and work environment. Everyone can prepare themselves in their own homes for various accidents and incidents. (SPEK)

Preparedness at home is
• preventing incidents from occurring
• preparing for the protection of persons, property and the environment in the event of all kinds of incidents
When preparing, remember these
• Homes should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days during a state of disruption.
• Take care of your neighbors and check the home storage regularly, especially for older people.
• You can get training and advice on home storage and other household preparedness from rescue services, rescue organizations and household and advice organizations (SPEK).
• “72 Hours” is a preparedness recommendation for households drawn up by authorities and organizations. For example, a prolonged power cut can cause a situation that disrupts or even interrupts the services provided by society. Households should be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least three days in the event of such a disruption. Get to know the preparedness recommendation and aim to prepare for different types of disruption following this advice. You may also want to consider whether, for example, there are elderly people in your immediate circle whose household preparedness situation should be considered together.

All children have a subjective right to early childhood education and care. That means that all children under school age are entitled to early childhood education and care, even if their parents or one of them is at home. Suonenjoki has three communal municipal daycare centers.

A fee may be charged for early childhood education and care. The family’s income will determine whether a fee is charged. If the income is very low, no fee will likely be charged. For information on early childhood education and care fees, please get in touch with Susanna Kaasinen, Director of Early Childhood Education and Care: susanna.kaasinen@sivistys.suonenjoki.fi

Suonenjoki town supports private early childhood education through a service voucher. The service voucher means that the town contributes to the costs of private early childhood education by granting a family a service voucher for their child’s early childhood education. The family pays the possible remaining difference.

As a rule, applications for early childhood education are made in eDaisy via town website eDaisy (daisynet.fi).

When you fill in the application in eDaisy, you must identify yourself, for example, by using an online banking ID. * As a foreigner you might have limited online banking IDs, and it is impossible to authenticate with them. In that case, you can fill in a paper application.

You can pick up a paper application form from the Early Childhood Education Office (Jalkalantie 6 B 7 Futuria Suonenjoki) or request one by e-mail from Susanna Kaasinen, Director of Early Childhood Education: susanna.kaasinen@sivistys.suonenjoki.fi

The application must include all family members’ Finnish personal identity codes, if available. When completed, it can be returned by e-mail to Susanna Kaasinen or taken directly to the Early Childhood Education Office.

Every child has the right to early childhood education and care. Care may be needed based on the guardians’ employment or studies. Children are also entitled to early childhood education for other reasons. Efforts will be made to find a place for the child at the latest four months after receiving the application.

The office is open on weekdays between 9:00-15:00. There you can get information on early childhood education and care and fill in a paper application.

Address: Kasvu ja oppiminen, Varhaiskasvatuspalvelut, Jalkalantie 6 B 7, Futuria, Suonenjoki.

Basic education is free general education. It lasts nine years and is for children aged 7-16.

In Finland, the Finnish National Agency of Education decides on the objectives and main content of education by laying down a core curriculum, which each education provider uses as a basis for drawing up a local basic education curriculum.

The school cooperates with the child’s home to promote the child’s schooling. In this context, ‘home’ means the child’s guardians. The most common forms of cooperation between home and school include parent evenings for the guardians, performance meetings, and informing guardians via the electronic Wilma system and e-mail. Teachers discuss issues such as learning objectives, assessment, working methods, and the general course of the school year with guardians. An interpreter can be used if necessary. Opportunities are also created for interaction between pupils’ guardians, for example, through Parents’ Associations and different events. Ask teachers for more information on cooperation between home and school.

Suonenjoen yhtenäiskoulu has an instruction preparing (VALO) class. It is intended for pupils who do not yet speak Finnish or need support in strengthening their Finnish language skills.

Children permanently residing in Finland are subject to compulsory education. This also applies to children with an immigrant background. When a child’s municipality of residence is registered, compulsory education begins. Compulsory education ends when the child reaches the age of 18 or has passed the matriculation examination or the qualification provided for in the law on Vocational Education before they turn 18.

There are 4 schools in Suonenjoki: Sammalselän koulu, Lempyyn koulu, Iisveden koulu and Suonenjoen yhtenäiskoulu.

Suonenjoen yhtenäiskoulu has an instruction preparing (VALO) class. It is intended for pupils who do not yet speak Finnish or need support in strengthening their Finnish language skills.

Children permanently residing in Finland are subject to compulsory education. This also applies to children with an immigrant background. When a child’s municipality of residence is registered, compulsory education begins. Compulsory education ends when the child reaches the age of 18 or has passed the matriculation examination or the qualification provided for in the law on Vocational Education before they turn 18.

In Suonenjoki schools, enrollment for the 1st grade in basic education is done through the electronic Wilma system. In other cases, enrolment is done by contacting the school principal. If necessary, you can ask the integration adviser for help with this.

If the child is in preschool, the child’s guardians will receive instructions for school enrolment from the preschool.

Information about the school visit is published separately on the school website.