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Description
The project aims to tackle the problem of poverty and reduced access to social services of the vulnerable groups in at least 46 Romanian municipalities (43 rural settlements and 3 small towns) from Bihor and Timis counties, by developing and implementing innovative services in the field of social assistance, health (including telemedicine), education and housing.
The main target groups consist of at least 1,300 vulnerable persons, including Roma, who will receive personalized integrated social services such as support in solving housing related issues and identity documents, healthcare services (identification and prevention of communicable and high-mortality chronic diseases, diagnostics and treatment etc.) and education services (school after school and remedial education, parental education etc.) The project will also provide services for victims of domestic abuse and/ or gender-based violence.
The secondary target groups consist of 50 professionals working with vulnerable groups (who will be involved in training and exchange of best practices program) and 50 family members and/ or supporters of people in the main target group.
The planned measures and target groups are part of the local development strategies and are meant to significantly improve the situation of the disadvantaged communities in the medium- and long-term, by ensuring increased access to quality social services, promoting the principles of non-discrimination and desegregation, public-private partnership and civic participation.
Summary of project results
The project targeted several critical social and economic challenges in vulnerable communities across Bihor and Timiș counties, specifically in rural and small urban areas. The key issues included:
- Limited Access to Social Services: Unequal distribution of social services, particularly in rural areas, with insufficient or unqualified social workers;
- Healthcare Disparities: Poor access to medical services, including a lack of specialized healthcare for vulnerable populations;
- Education Gaps: High risk of school dropout among children from vulnerable families, including those affected by parental migration;
- Housing and Social Inclusion: Limited support for victims of domestic violence, elderly individuals, and people with disabilities, as well as a lack of affordable housing solutions;
- Economic and Employment Barriers: High levels of poverty and unemployment among disadvantaged groups, including Roma communities.
To address these challenges, the project implemented a set of integrated social services, including:
- Development of Community-Based Services: Establishment of integrated community centers to provide social, healthcare, educational, and housing support services;
- Establishment of a Mobile Multidisciplinary Teams: Deployment of mobile teams to deliver medical, psychological, and social support directly to vulnerable communities;
- Personalized Assistance: Provision of customized intervention plans for 2,238 vulnerable individuals;
- Telemedicine and Specialized Health Services: Introduction of telemedicine solutions to improve healthcare accessibility;
- Multidisciplinary teams performed over 10,000 socio-medical interventions and conducted health screening assessments, diagnosing and treating a wide range of conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, and liver problems;
- 116 people benefited from social assistance services; 422 children benefited from health education activities; 371 people benefited from social counselling; 1277 people benefited from psychological counselling; 13 people benefited from housing services (Information and Counselling services, for example, counselling for identifying housing alternatives and solutions, information on the legal conditions for obtaining social housing, sheltered housing, etc.);
- Educational Support: Implementation of after-school programs, remedial education, and parental support for children at risk of school dropout for 701 students;
- Capacity Building for Professionals and Families: 75 social workers were trained in communication techniques and beneficiary support to enhance long-term assistance for disadvantaged populations.
The project led to significant improvements for vulnerable populations in Bihor and Timiș counties:
- Improved access of vulnerable individuals to personalized social services;
- Strengthened social service workforce, with professionals trained to improve service delivery;
- Enhanced community engagement, with family members/caregivers trained to support beneficiaries;
- Improved inclusion of disadvantaged groups, especially from rural areas and Roma communities (more than 75% of beneficiaries were from rural areas, including 35% of Roma individuals);
- Improved access to integrated healthcare and social services, reducing the urban-rural gap.
The project contributed to long-term social inclusion and poverty reduction, aligning with county development strategies and strengthening public-private partnerships to improve service delivery in vulnerable communities.