Social Work and the Provision of Social Services to Priority Populations: An Analysis from the Perspective of Restoring Rights in the Province of Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Abstract

The provision of social services to priority groups remains a structural challenge in rural areas of Latin America, where geographic dispersion and institutional weakness hinder the effective exercise of rights. This study analyzes the impact of professional social work intervention on the restoration of rights for vulnerable groups in the province of Cotopaxi, Ecuador, focusing on access to and the provision of social services. A qualitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed, with a purposive sample of 28 social work professionals affiliated with public and private institutions in the province. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews organized around four dimensions and were analyzed using ATLAS.ti software through an open, axial, and selective coding procedure. The results show that the restoration of rights does not depend solely on the formal existence of services, but also on the capacity of professionals, geographic barriers, the outreach of social services to the community, and public policies. Furthermore, the study identifies that inter-institutional coordination remains insufficient and that the sustainability of rights protection relies, to a large extent, on the individual commitment of social workers rather than on a consolidated institutional system. It is concluded that strengthening coordination among local governments, social protection institutions, and communities is essential for the genuine restoration of rights.