Description
In housing developments of Bratislava children and youth spend their leisure time on the street, they are increasingly exposed to conflicts, social-pathologic and other phenomena. The goal of the project is to increase quality of service for children and youth in low-threshold (LT) programs by providing certified education, conference, seminar and exhibition for LT programme’s workers and general public. Thanks to the cooperation with the Norwegian partner (Agency for Social and Welfare Services, Competence Centre, City of Oslo), children and youth at risk will receive effective help. Around 50% of the target group participating in the project are Roma children and young people.
Summary of project results
In housing developments of Bratislava, many children and young people spend their leisure time on the street. These people are increasingly exposed to conflicts, social-pathologic phenomena, etc. The project outcomes will be maintained via ongoing social field work of the low-threshold club but also thanks to the recording system developed and employees trained. The objective of the project was to increase the quality of service for children and youth in low-threshold programs, to keep records of the work with clients more effectively, and to improve the skills of people working with children and youth in Slovakia. The objective was fully met. The long-term impact of the project will transpire later, e.g., in a “right” decision of a client who will make it as a result of cooperation with Kaspian employees. The outcome of the project was defined as an increased quality of service for children and youth in the low-threshold program KASPIAN, more effective recording of the work with clients, and improved skills of the professionals involved; all achieved in cooperation with the Norwegian partner. The outcome was fully met. Main outputs: 663 clients of the Club; 3 trained and accredited employees; 18 graduates of Alphabet of Threshold; an effective recording system for low-threshold client work; 124 participants at international conference MyStreet and 280 at PIK-NIK exhibition. Beneficiaries were involved in active leisure-time activities, including preventive and participative ones, in a safe and motivating environment of the Club, surrounded by employees providing support and help in hard life situations. These services were provided three times a week, for 4 hours each. The donor partnership achieved that good practice was conveyed to experts in Slovakia. It happened at two events with total participation of 124 people, where the Early Intervention project, focusing at children and youth at risk, was presented, inspiring Kaspian to starting new activities.
Summary of bilateral results
The Norwegian partner Agency for Social and Welfare Services, Competence Centre, City of Oslo (CC-ASWS) is a regional centre for competence development in the area of addictions. It works under the Ministry of Health Care, and has 7 regional competence centres working in the given area. The partner made a contribution via experience sharing and know-how that they had gained from the work with children and youth at risk within their “Early Intervention” program. At the conference and seminar, the partner presented to the experts from Slovakia their “Early Intervention” project which deals with the prevention of various pathologic phenomena occurring in the life of young people. They also introduced the practical experience of working in the local government of Oslo. This experience and the valuable know-how made a contribution to increasing the quality of service provided to children and youth in the low-threshold program KASPIAN. Also, it has the potential to make a positive impact on the work of other low-threshold programs and experts from Slovakia. This cooperation contributed to reinforcing the bilateral relations and cooperation between our countries in the area of services provided to children and young people at risk. In addition to experience exchange, the expert conference (with the participation of the Norwegian partner) helped to build new contacts and find new possibilities for further cooperation between Slovak and Norwegian organisations. This cooperation will not be only about low-threshold programs, but will also include other forms of work with children and young people at risk.