Transformation for Social Service Improvements in Banská Bystrica Region

1. The Reform of Social Service Institutions withthe Focus on the Social and Labour Integration of their Residents Lead Partner: Social Work Advisory Board (the Board), Františkánska 2, 811 01 Bratislava, www.rpsp.sk National partner:

2. Transnational partners: Úřad práce v Chrudimi, Česká republika www.cr.uradprace.cz Fachhochschule, St. Poelten GmbH,Austria www.fh-stpoelten.ac.at RKW Sachsen GmbH, Chemnitz, SRN, www.rkw-sachsen.de LOGOS, soc. coop a r. l., Comiso, Taliansko, www.logos-italia.it

3. Realization: 1 March 2005 – 30 June 2007 Reasons • Continuing large number of clients in residential institutions with year-round operation. • Large institutions – the last stop regardless of clients skills. • Key to solution – THE REFORM. • Training of employees and preparation of clients for changes. • Interest and the need of the Self-Governed Region of Banská Bystrica ("the Region"). The amount of financial support: 9 440 000 ,-

4. Aims • To prepare conditions for social service reform in the social institutions within the Region. • The main goal of the reform is to improve provided services by training the employees working in the Region’s social service institutions and thus secondarily influence opportunities and life quality of clients living with such social institutions. • The reform will enable social and occupational integration of clients living in the social service institutions and thus will contribute to substantial change in the quality of their life.

5. Action 1 - Project Activities March – April 2005 • Conclusion oftheCo-operation Agreement between the Board and the Region • Conclusion of the Transnational Co-operation Agreement • Specification of project activities • Mutual communication between the Board and the Region. • Preparation of the National Co-operation Agreement. • Signing of the National Co-operation Agreement. • Selection of organisations eligible for transnational co-operation. • Preparation and completion of the Transnational Co-operation Agreement. • Specify contents of the project activities.

6. Action 2 - National Co-operation Co-operation between the leadpartner (the Board) and the national partner (the Region) July – September 2005 • Analysis – specify the starting position – analysis of the monitoring of the Region’s social service quality. • Co-ordination meeting with the first national partner –intention, content, goals. • Preparation of a training course (200 hours) called "Social ServiceReform and Transformation“. • Preparation of educational literature for the training course. • Registration of the training course. • Initiation of co-operation with representatives ofsocial service institutions in the Region.

7. October 2005 – February 2006 • Preparation of proposal for the establishmentof the Department for the Transformation of Social Services in the Region. • Establisment of the team for social service transformation. • Department’s activities - preparation of the 1st phase of the transformation. • Realization of the training course – October, December, February. March – June 2006 • Setting conditions for the preparation of the transformation project. • Commencement ofthe Department’s activities. • Consultationson the project focus and social service reform with the social service institutions representatives. • Monitoring of clients needs in the social institutions. • Presentation of the transformation projects.

8. July – September 2006 • Commentsto the reforms and the projects focus. • Selection of three organisations eligiblefor the 1st phase of the transformation. • Preparation of the training course II. • Preparation of educational literarture needed for the training course II. • Registration of the training course II. • Activities of selected institutions with local community. October 2006 – February 2007 • Realisation of the training course II. (October, December, February). • Preparation of evaluationof the outcomes achieved during the realisation of the project. • Preparation of the final workshop/conference.

9. March 2007 – June 2007 • Workshop/Conference. • Preparation of evaluation of outcomes achieved during the performance of the project. • Preparation of final conference.

10. Action 2 – Transnational Co-operation • B) On the right way– the way to quality • Joint development • Comparative analyses of the quality of NGOs management. • Identification of the best managament practices/methods applied in NGOs. • Parallel development of innovative elements • Preparation of the catalogue of standards for training comprising needs and orientation to innovation and retrainingof NGO employeeswith social service providers. • Import, export or adoption of new approaches • Preparationof standards for quality evaluation of social services provided by the operators of social institutions within the third sectorin order to use such standards on European level. • Identification of the minimum standards for social service efficiency and quality evaluation. • Exchange of information and experience • Presentation of sucsessfully verified best practices/methods. • Seeking optimal solutions to the problems which will occur during the realisation of the project activities.

11. 5. Workshops • Comparison of experience • Dissemination of information in all relevant areas • 6. Visits and transnational meetings • Slovakia (October 2005) • Italy (March 2006) • Czech Republic (June 2006) • Germany (December 2006) • Austria (April 2007) • Study program in Germany (October 2006) • 7. Dissemination of best practices • Internet webside which will be created by each transnational partner about their own project, it will contain transnational activities – periodically updated. • Final meeting with the focused on the dissemination of deliveries and best practices. • 8. Evaluation • Regular monitoring • Adequacy of selected methods and instruments.

12. Dissemination of Best Practices: • Regular information on the webside of the Board www.rpsp.sk • By means of a proffessional interdisciplinary magazine "Integrácia" (special edition focused on the EQUAL project, released in 2006). • Presentation of the project outcomes at the World Conference/Workshop (March 2007) • Presentation of the project at the International Conferences/Workshops. • Release of a guide book on the reform of social service institutions.