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Description
The aim of the project is to provide support to municipalities and communities in South-Estonia, by training, mentoring, and supporting volunteer support persons and case managers. The broader aim of the project is to strengthen communities by training community members who are willing to support refugees or other people in need in their communities. The project will help municipalities to fulfil their obligation to provide supportive social services.
The target group of the project are support persons who are already helping or willing to help Ukrainian refugees or other people in vulnerable situation in the local communities on a voluntary basis. Two groups of support persons, each with 15-16 participants will go through the training program as well as supervised practice. The training curriculum will cover all the areas needed to help the client and will be based on the CARe methodology. CARe is focused on the quality of life of people who are mentally and socially in a vulnerable situation. The methodology is a tool for professional care workers to support clients in achieving their desired quality of life.
The final beneficiaries of the project are Ukrainian war refugees and other vulnerable members of the community in need of a support person. During the supervised practice following the training, up to 32 people in need will be supported. Project partner Mihkelson Center will share its experience in working as a support person, and provide assistance in organizing the practical work of support persons.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to train community volunteers and case managers who are already supporting or will soon be assisting Ukrainian war refugees. The target group for the support service also included other vulnerable individuals in the community in need of help. In other words, the project involved training support workers and providing supported practice for assisting Ukrainian refugees.
The specific objective of the project was to assist, advise, and empower a vulnerable target group in Estonia—namely, Ukrainian war refugees—through support services. This would help them adapt to life in Estonia and better understand their future here.
The broader goal was to strengthen communities by training volunteers who could assist and empower vulnerable individuals and help solve their practical life challenges. By educating community members with the necessary skills and knowledge, the project sought to increase the influence and cohesion of local communities.
The first training group was formed in September and October 2022, with a primary focus on finding support workers for Ukrainian war refugees. The second group primarily addressed the needs of the local community. For the third group, the focus shifted to educational staff in Tartu schools who were supporting Ukrainian refugee children.
The training consisted of two parts: 1) the role and responsibilities of a support worker, and 2) the practical work of a support worker based on the CARe methodology. The training program lasted 50 hours, as outlined in the curriculum. In total, 48 people from 11 municipalities in Southern Estonia participated in the training.
Following the training, participants engaged in practical experience. A total of 513 hours of client support were provided under the project, with an additional estimated 350 hours during the participants'' regular work practices. In total, 42 clients were assisted, 22 of whom were Ukrainian refugees, mostly children.
The core of the CARe methodology, taught to the support workers, focuses on the relationship between the individual being supported, their family, and the local community. Social rehabilitation and integration into the community and broader Estonian society can only happen based on shared values. These values are essential to the work of support workers, particularly when it comes to integrating refugees into Estonian society and local communities. Support workers place emphasis on educating both public authorities and the community on creating an attitude rooted in these foundational values when working with refugees and other individuals needing assistance.
Based on the collected feedback, 28 of the participants are currently working as support workers or in similar roles, such as case managers, activity coordinators, social educators, social workers, and others. These support workers are active at the local community level, including working with Ukrainian refugees. Educational staff from Tartu schools who participated in the training, especially those originally from Ukraine, maintain close contact with the Ukrainian community and act as intermediaries between the Estonian and Ukrainian communities. Additionally, support workers are involved in assisting Ukrainian refugees at the municipal level, and one support worker is independently guiding job clubs.