Description
Practice shows that most fieldwork in vulnerable families is focused on improving parents communication and make them more at ease in their parenting role. The participation of children in these processes is normally of second importance. The basic aim of the project is therefore to establish and verify in practice a method of working with families ensuring children's participation in decision-making processes with immediate effects on the relevant child. The method strives to find an appropriate approach to children, making them involved in surrounding activities and processes. The project will be based on particular experience from intense work with families, when communication relations have been successfully established with both parties – children and parents – and the intra-family communication has improved substantially. Children as a target group will be directly involved in creating the method in a manner adequate to their age. When direct communication with the child is not possible (due to age), the project shall work with parents to make them understand the reasons for acting for the benefit of the child and the relevant future effects.
Summary of project results
Most of the terrain work between family and social workers focus on parents to master their role. Child drops out of the decision making process. This project contributed to increase quality of the Individual Child Support Plan by planning and verifying the methods of extracting and refining the information coming from the child. Methods aim was to find a suitable way how to work with children to involve them into the events around them. Project tended to support and deepen communication between parents and child. Special teaching aids (set of toys for children) and assessment material were developed and manufactured.The method is not diagnostic and is designed for the trained social workers. It is supporting social workers work. It serves to illustrate the image of the family and their relationships while developing Individual Child Support Plan. The printed output of the projects is developed “Methodology. Working with the family game. Playing with stories, or the child´s involvement in decision-making processes. “Four crises through the eyes of a child – a handbook and a guide for workers ASLPC”. They were created for professional social workers. They deals with difficult life situations that the child can face in the family. Topics: Parents ´mental illness, drug or alcohol addiction, breakup and removing of the child from the family. Picture playing cards: 19 picture cards serve as a didactic support for workers during an interview with the child. Communicate information of stories is sometimes easier through images. Cards help to promote contact between the child and the worker. Two seminars were held to familiarize professionals with the outputs of the project. The aim was to introduce social workers and NGOs focused on working with the vulnerable child and family with the outputs of the project. A crucial finding was that through the games can be families motivated and pay more attention to the child. It leads to the cooperation on matters necessary for maintain family social or economic status. The fact that we play can lead to better approaching each other. Humor and shared experiences help to relax atmosphere and approach the family from different side. It is easier to strike up a conversation about more serious topics.
Summary of bilateral results