Description
Alternative Sociale Association (ASA) proposes the project ”Strengthening the Role of NGOs in Developing Social Services”, which approaches the issue of low access rate of social services by families affected by migration, low level of preparation of social services to evaluate and intervene for the assistance of these families, the narrow perspective regarding the collaboration between NGOs and public social services in providing social services as well as the challenges regarding their adaptability to the needs of new groups of beneficiaries. The project will provide social services to address the negative effects of migration to 200 children and their families, will train 40 professionals from key positions from social services from Iasi and Bacau on anti-discrimination (with the support of InterCultural Iceland), will inform over 120 social protection professionals that work in rural areas with families affected by migration and will promote the combating of discrimination in their work, will inform at least 25.000 persons affected by migration on the importance of accessing socials services and contribute to the organizational development of ASA.
Summary of project results
The project tackled the low access rate to social services of the families affected by migration, low expertise of the specialised services to evaluate and intervene in assisting these families, the narrow perspective regarding the collaboration between NGOs and public sector in providing social services, as well as the challenges regarding the public sector adaptability to the needs of a new group of beneficiaries. To answer these issues, the Promoter developed the following activities: provided social services that addressed the negative effects of migration to children and their families; trained social services professionals in key positions, from Iasi and Bacau on antidiscrimination (with the support of their partner InterCultural Iceland); informed social protection professionals that work in rural areas with families affected by migration on how to combat discrimination in their work; informed persons affected by migration on the importance of accessing social services. The main beneficiaries of the project are 202 children, who benefited for the first time of psychological evaluation and counselling, social care and support from a professional team with expertise in working with families affected by migration. The project stimulated co-supply, co-financing and co-decision between public and private institutions with responsibilities in assisting families affected by migration (97 self-referred cases, 527 cases referred by the institutions located in the community). 42 specialists with middle management positions in social services institutions were trained based on the Icelandic partner’s expertise in antidiscrimination areas. The content used in the social media campaign had concrete, factual messages about the effects and risks of migration and promoted positive attitudes about the benefits of accessing social services and cooperating with local child protection institutions. An “Information guide on accessing social services by the families affected by migration” was drafted, printed in 5000 copies and distributed to partner institutions and direct beneficiaries.
Summary of bilateral results
InterCultural Iceland contributed to the project by producing the training curriculum for a training course in the field of anti-discrimination and delivered 2 training sessions (20 participants each) for professionals working in social services in Iasi and Bacau Counties, Romania. The sessions increased trainees' abilities to address discrimination and better respond to the needs of children affected by migration. This partnership set the grounds for bilateral collaboration and expertise transfer on anti-discrimination around migration and migrant families for NGOs from Romania and Iceland.