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Description
The need for social services in the local community is increasing, due to shortfalls in the system of support for people with disabilities, especially those in need of permanent support in fulfilling social roles. We already conduct intensive activities to provide assistant services and daily support for people with disabilities in the Polkowicki local district. In our view, however, this is not sufficient, mainly because it is not possible to provide twenty-four-hour assistance to consolidate the progress made. The project addresses the problem of insufficient access to social services that provide an opportunity for self-reliance and improve quality of life of people with disabilities and their families, and the low level of their social activity. In the project, we will create the Independent Life Academy, which is living quarters that can be used for training for people with disabilities. We plan to convert part of a building, devise a concept for how the facility will function, and hold two six-month terms of 24-hour residence, and coaching on self-reliance, self-determination, and self-advocacy. The residential unit will operate based on a standard devised in the project according to working methods we have used in the past (such as the Activeness Coach model) and methods of activating people with disabilities, implemented from the Norwegian Partner. Six people with disabilities will benefit from the measures under the project directly. During the six-month term, we will provide Activeness Coach support and a personal coach for each of those persons, as well as specialist support (psychologist, lawyer, etc.). The Norwegian Partner - Fønix AS - will share the know-how it has gained from activation measures and help to implement effective solutions. The Domestic Partner, the Polkowicki district local government authority, will help achieve effectiveness and permanence of the model devised in the initiative.
Summary of project results
The project responds to the problem of insufficient access to social services creating opportunities for independence and improvement of living conditions for people with disabilities and their families, as well as the problem of low social activity of this group in the Polkowice district. In particular, there is a lack of 24-hour support to deepen and consolidate the progress achieved. The offer of care services provided by social welfare centres is limited and addressed to a narrow group. People with disabilities lack the space to spend time constructively in the community and to acquire the necessary skills to increase their chances of independent living. Due to the low professional and social activity of people with disabilities and their environment, there is a high risk of poverty and social exclusion for this group.
As part of the project, an assisted flat with a training function for people with disabilities was set-up. A total of 8 people with disabilities were accommodated in the flat over 2 six-month periods. During the six-month stay, each person received support from an activity coach and a personal trainer, as well as specialist support (psychological, sexological, vocational). They also received training in independence, self-determination and self-advocacy. Educational meetings were held for people with disabilities and their environment, staff of the project promoter and local authorities. The assisted housing worked on the basis of a standard developed in cooperation with the Norwegian partner. The trainers worked on the basis of a standard co-designed by the project promoter - the Activity Trainer Model. The project promoter team also made a study visit to Norway where, thanks to the partner, they learnt about the model of training housing there.
Assisted housing with a training function responded to the needs of people with disabilities and reduced the systemic gap in the availability of social services. The project gave programme participants the opportunity to develop and acquire new skills. Two people became independent and two others significantly increased their independence. 6 people carried out self-advocacy activities - they met with the Deputy Mayor of Polkowice and the District Council for People with Disabilities and started discussions about housing and activities for people with disabilities. Public awareness was also raised about barriers to everyday life for people with disabilities.
Summary of bilateral results
The project was inspired by the Norwegian Partner''s system of supported housing for people with disabilities. The exchange of experience and training of the Norwegian partner in the field of housing operation was the foundation of the application and initiated activities in the project Academy of Independent Living - train everyday life gain independence. Having a partner in the project enabled the organisation to develop as well as learn from good practices in housing for people with disabilities and adapt them to Polish conditions. The exchange of international experiences and the possibility to see how the Norwegian partner works (visit to Norway) has significantly broadened horizons and increased recognition and perception of the Foundation as an innovative organisation with great potential. On the other hand, the Norwegian partner was also able to see what services the Eudaimonia Foundation offers and thus also gain new experience. The Norwegian partner was always available for advice and experience. The main results of the cooperation in addition to the activities mentioned above are: - creation of a standard model for the functioning of assisted housing with a training function preparing for the process of becoming independent and acquiring self-advocacy competences implemented by the Norwegian Organisation''s working methods - training of staff in the concept of functioning of the flats.- establishing international cooperation.Already during the project, the Norwegian partner became a partner in a second project on self-advocacy measures. We are in contact with the possibility of cooperating in other activities when the opportunity arises.