22nd European Social Services Conference workshops
The European Social Network (ESN) has been working closely with its members and stakeholders to promote the social investment approach throughout the life cycle, with special attention to securing better outcomes for children and young people. We do this through projects, such as Investing in Children Services, Improving Outcomes, under the framework of which we recently held a second peer review to look at the organisation of children services in different countries; we also encourage debates in national and international contexts – we recently helped our member, the Directorate for Development and Community Assistance of the Municipality of Arad, Romania, to organise a conference on the topic ‘Investing in children and young people, a community challenge’; and we create opportunities for the exchange of good practices between ESN members and other stakeholders – our 22nd European Social Services Conference will feature many innovative practices aimed at improving the life of children and young people. Below a selection of workshops from ESN members:
Securing better outcomes for children and young people: the role of young people in inspection and improvement (Scotland, United Kingdom)
The Care Inspectorate is the national agency in Scotland that inspects and supports the improvement of care services for the most vulnerable children and young people in society. The workshop will examine the role of young people with experience of being in care as team members in the inspection process and the added value they bring to identifying both excellent and weak practices. This innovate approach to scrutiny brings together inspectors, young people with experience of care and reflective practitioners from social work, education, health and the police services to support and drive improvement. The best practice examples are evidence-based and will be of interest to any professionals wishing to develop their practice.
Inter-agency data collection for effective child protection policies (France)
This workshop will present how evidence and data act as a driver for effective child protection policy, based on the example of the 2007 French reform on child protection. This reform implemented a closer cooperation between local and national child protection strategies. Local observatories and a centralisation of data through the National Observatory of Children at Risk (GIPED) enable services to develop a more holistic understanding of children at risk. Improved data collection allows services to identify population needs and provide tailored services.
The “Community-Around-Baby” toolkit; Early years education and support for first-time parents (France)
The Pas-de-Calais Maternal and Child Protection services in northern France have developed a research-based protocol of support for first-time parents (from pregnancy to the child's second birthday) for which an educational toolkit, based on problem-solving, has been created. The result of an evaluation has shown satisfactory rates of voluntary adhesion for families, which establish trust-based relationships between parents and professionals, thus making early intervention easier. The toolkit is currently in use for groups of parents with an open approach. The workshop participants will get to know the ‘Community-Around-Baby’ toolkit and the different stages of the problem-solving process on the basis of situations parents may be confronted with in their daily life.
‘Families in the middle’: developing quality foster care in the local community (Italy)
The ‘Families in the middle’ project in the Veneto Region seeks to create family support networks and improve foster care services in the local community. The project, which runs across eight municipalities, is part of a wider deinstitutionalisation process in the region. This workshop will present regional efforts to expand community-based child protection and care services by building strong family networks based on the principles of prevention, protection and quality alternative care for children.
Read more about the wide range of workshops at the 22nd European Social Services Conference to be held in Rome on 7-9 July in English, français, español, italiano, deutsch