Seeking to complete its mission the Department performs the following functions:

• provides methodological assistance regarding application of social care norms and control of quality of general social services and social care;
• establishes common practice of application of social care norms and requirements for general social service and social care;
• issues licenses for providing social care and provides regular monitoring to ensure that licensees comply with the established regulations;
• controls the process of assessment of an individual's (family's) needs of social services;
• administrates social programmes and projects at the state level and controls how the allocated funds are used;
• administrates social programmes and projects at municipal levels and controls how the allocated funds are used;
• administrates IT systems (registers) related to the implementation of state social programmes and projects;
• deals with citizens' and other persons' complaints and suggestions regarding the quality of services provided by social institutions;
• co-operates and shares good practices in the field of social security with relevant Lithuanian and foreign institutions and international organizations.

Licensing care institutions

Licensing care institutions is a new priority area of the activity undertaken by the Department. The Department is the only institution in Lithuania authorized to license social care institutions as of 2010.

The Law on Social Services authorizes the Department to issue licenses, suspend licenses, cancel suspension of licenses, revoke licenses and supervise how licensees comply with the regulations.

Administrating social programmes and projects

One of the main areas of the activities of the Department is implementation of state social programmes. Currently the Department is carrying out 5 state social programmes and 27 measures under these programmes.

To ensure implementation of the state social programmes the Department operates at state and municipal levels.

State social programmes that are being carried out at the state level:

• support for socially vulnerable groups of people and other activities of the Ministry;
• ensuring the child's rights to protection, support and inclusion in social life;
• enhancement of social coverage.

These programmes are being implemented in close co-operation with social operators - public institutions, non-governmental organizations, etc. - through signing contracts with social operators, providing consultations to them and supervising how they implement those programmes.

However, there are some programmes and their measures that are implemented only by the Department. It is carrying out the programme for political prisoners and exiles, which involves arranging and coordinating issues of providing accommodation for returning exiles and political prisoners, administrating provision of state support for relocation and social integration of political prisoners and exiles returning to Lithuania for permanent residence. Another programme carried out by the Department is aimed at supporting integration of foreigners who have been granted asylum: the Department arranges training and qualification improvement of the staff of municipalities and non-governmental organizations as well as other institutions working in the field of integration of foreigners who have been granted asylum; arranges research into integration processes, raises public awareness about foreigners granted asylum to prevent their isolation and xenophobia and promote tolerance...

State social programmes implemented at the level of local self-governance:

• state pensions, allowances and other social benefits;
• benefits for children.

State social programmes are carried out at the local self-governance level in co-operation with municipalities. The Department drafts agreements for allocation and transfer of state budget funds with municipalities of all towns and districts for each individual programme, provides consultations and controls implementation of the programmes administrated by them.