Support of the Institutionalised clients integration into local communities on the example of Banska Bystrica pilot region

Project facts

Project promoter:
M.E.S.A. 10 - Centre for Economic and Social Analysis
Project Number:
SK10-0029
Target groups
Disabled
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€72,284
Final project cost:
€71,671
From EEA Grants:
€ 64,504
The project is carried out in:
Banskobystrický kraj

More information

Description

Slovakia has a more than 27 000 institutionalised clients. In the Central and Eastern Slovakia the Roma clients represent a significant proportion of the total number of clients in social care homes for disabled clients. Banská Bystrica is a first region that has started with process of de-institutionalisation. The objective of this project is to create optimal set-up for how the services for disabled clients can be organized in local community. Direct output is to integration of 4 clients from institutional care into assisted small apartment, creation of practical handout how to built disabled – friendly community and lessons learned from experienced country as Norway. There are 4 main target groups who benefit from the project: disabled people from Institution, regional Government of Banská Bystrica, and local community of City Lučenec and social services providers in Slovakia. Norwegian expert (Jan Tossebo) from NGO NTNU presents Norwegian example of history of building of community based alternatives. Main achievement from partnership is increased motivation of Slovak stakeholders and gained trust towards process of de-institutionalisation.

Summary of project results

Slovakia has a more than 27 000 institutionalised clients. Banská Bystrica is a first region that has started with process of de-institualisation. The objective of this project was to create optimal set-up how the services for disabled clients can be organized in local community. Direct output was with expertise, analytics, monitoring, examples of partner countries and professional discussion support the process of deinstitutionalization in Banská Bystrica region and to enthuse for deinstitutionalisation stakeholders. In several residential social services process of deinstitutionalization was in progress all time during the period of project implementation. They reached more than planned values in the number of clients who switched to community based services 9 (4), or the number of clients involved in the process of DI 11 (4). In the region grew the number of community based services during the project 7 (3). One output – residential social services closure and transfer the clients to community based services was not fulfilled because there was a major change at the position Chairman of Banská Bystrica region after the elections in November 2013. Nevertheless, in individual residential social services slow steps to deinstitutionalisation still continue. MESA10 also prepared a whole series of analyses, monitoring, models and recommendations for further development and continuation of the process of deinstitutionalisation not only in Banská Bystrica region. Outputs have been delivered to us.

Summary of bilateral results

NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS is a NGO that was founded by Norwegian University for Science and Technologies in Trondheim. Main partnership was focused on expertise of Jan Tossebro, leading Norwegian expert experienced in area of de-institutionalisation (DI) - transformation of institutional care into community based alternatives. Process of DI is only on the begging in Slovakia. There is very important to create potential of exchange of experiences, where the Slovak stakeholders may gain answers to "sceptical" questions focused on real feasibility of DI in Slovak context. Norwegian way of DI started in 70´s and during 1991 -1996 most of the institutions for disabled clients were closed. Services were decentralised on the local level. There were also deep scepticism mostly among parents about capability of local communities undertake responsibility for disabled inhabitants. Norwegian society overcome problems connected with transformation of institutional care and thus can increased motivation of Slovak stakeholders to the transformation process of DI. Partner was in Slovakia twice on the opening and final conference and other meetings to motivate and enthused stakeholders for this important change for the long and difficult process.