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Description
Programme outcome the project contributes to: “Improved well-being of vulnerable children and youths”.
The project will provide vulnerable young people at high risk of social exclusion a new integrated social model programme consisting of a mix of education, physical activity and a family environment in a residential setting.
Project activities shall include:
- campaign focused on rights and duties of young people towards leading an independent healthy life;
- multi-disciplinary team of professionals providing professional services to the participating cohort of young people;
- ‘safe house’ setting supporting highly vulnerable and young individuals coming from dysfunctional families / background needing a sheltered environment;
- ‘start-up’ and employment opportunities for individuals entering into duty-oriented agreements
Summary of project results
Opportunity Knocks (OK) aimed to address the increasing rates of youth who are not in employment, education or training (NEET). Particularly challenging are youth with low levels of education since they are more pronounced to become unemployed or fall within the NEET category, which can eventually lead to risk of poverty. Against the Draft Youth Policy Framework (2014) and the National Children’s Policy (2016), the National Strategic Policy for Poverty Reduction and for Social Inclusion and the National Youth Policy Framework (2015-2020), the OK project intended to offer those most vulnerable young people an opportunity, for some, of a life time, to leap forward and dream for a brighter future. Beneficiaries were given an opportunity to deal with their complex emotional needs and highly challenging behaviour, mostly resulting from their past prevalence of multiple abuses.
The Opportunity Knocks project was based on four pillars as follows:
- OK pack focused campaign;
- Fast track multi-disciplinary team of professionals;
- Advisory/mentoring towards independent living Home pack setting; and
- ‘On track’ Pack – duty oriented.
Through the first pillar of the project, 2181 youths were reached through the prevention campaigns held in different settings such as schools, scout groups, youth groups and football centres, amongst others.
The multi-disciplinary team of professionals offered integrated services to a total of 512 youths whilst 154 of these benefited from an opportunity and 55 youths benefited from therapeutic workshop (drama therapy and equine therapy). A total of 25 youths resided in a safe house and benefitting from OK project.
In the meantime, the Project Promoter (PP) also focused upon augmenting its collaboration with other stakeholders involved in the field of children and youth. Various meetings (total of 110 formal meetings) were held with the Department of Education, Department of Health and other similar entities in order to promote the project and its objectives whilst building bridges for further collaboration. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Foundation for Social Welfare Services(PP) and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology to facilitate educational opportunities targeting shared cohort.
Moreover, 12 training modules were offered to professionals in various subjects (such as youth mental health first aid, Management of Actual or Potential Aggression, suicidal and non-suicidal self-injuries risk assessment, emotional intelligence, positive parenting for parents of teenagers, and influencing behaviour).
Following the completion of the project, the National Agency for Employment, Jobsplus, confirmed that 176 youths (aged 16 -25) were in education, employment, or training 12 months after having received services.