Safety Network - transit care as a systematic tool for involving children in decision-making processes

Project facts

Project promoter:
Šafrán dětem, p.b.o.
Project Number:
CZ04-0016
Target groups
Bodies responsible for systems and policies in education and local, regional and/or national level.
Status:
Completed
Initial project cost:
€137,377
Final project cost:
€137,377
From EEA Grants:
€ 123,639
The project is carried out in:
ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

Description

The system for vulnerable children including Roma in the Czech Republic is fragmented, inefficient and does not support transit care. The objective of the project is to establish a continual follow-up of children within the system of social services. In order to achieve the objective the following outputs will be created within the project: A methodology of the transit care, i.e. continual follow-up of children, which will clearly define this type of services and will serve as an input for education of social workers. The methodology will also include Transit Care Standards; educational programs; and accredited training courses, which will prepare the workers for the introduction of the methodology into practice. The curriculum will be based on practical experience and model situations. The outputs will be addressing the social workers, police workers, teachers, health workers and representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The latter target group will be able to implement the outputs as policy for children´s protection and the establishment of the transit care. The aim of additional activities (approved in June 2016) are based on the previous project and aims to (1) verify the functionality of the methodology of the transfer care in practice with help of created training documents, (2) create and produce a set of educational materials (methodology, methodology attachment – book of safe contact, badge as a symbol for kids identification), (3) produce additional video-spot – training of professionals and their work in the field.

Summary of project results

The system for vulnerable children in the Czech Republic is fragmented, inefficient and does not support transit care. There are no communication standards and no mechanisms how to listen to children´s opinions and wishes, social workers are not trained in such skills prior to the project implementation. Neither an organization, which would deal with the prevention of frequent changes of carers and continuous accompanying of children so that they are not endangered by the instability of family and social environment, was identified prior to the project. The Transit Care Methodology and Standards were created within the project by means of a participative approach via the interaction of various experts. The methodology was tested during three training workshops connected to particular methodology parts : 1) How to Listen to and Respect an Opinion of a Child Going Through a Difficult Period or Crisis in Transit Care 2) Interdisciplinary Communication in Practice as Prevention of Fragmented System of Care for Children 3) How to Communicate and Prepare a Child for Transit Care and Successful Adaptation in a New Environment (focused on children 0 -7, children with disabilities and from minority groups) including The Book of Safe Contact. The participants of the workshops were social workers, teachers, police officers and health care workers. The Methodology was also prepared in a printed form, together with an identifying badge for all four groups of professions involved in the transit care process. Four video spots were made focused on: 1) the professional public explaining what information a child needs in transit care and what prevents them now from efficient communication 2) Social – Legal Protection of Children authorities and accompanying workers - how to tackle transit care situations 3) on children, the spot can be used by social workers in critical situations to explain to children what is happening 4) expert opinions, workshops and transit care environment. One of the biggest benefits of the project was raising awareness of the transit care among teachers, social workers and mainly health care workers as they deal with children in need on a daily basis. The video spots are going to be of a big help to the organization Šafrán dětem as they can be used to explain the basic procedures of transit care to children or present its specifics to professionals. The Methodology together with the Book of Safe Contact create the first guide of this kind available to target workers in the Czech Republic.

Summary of bilateral results