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Policy and practice resources

ESN’s Spring Seminar 2012 was a major opportunity to share examples of good practice in social services helping young people leaving care in their transition to adulthood and programmes aimed to prevent and reduce early school leaving. It brought together some 100 senior managers, professionals and researchers, half from Italy and half, mainly ESN Members, from the rest of Europe. The event was preceded by a meeting with ESN’s Italian members and colleagues working in regional and local public social services across Italy.

Setting the scene

This session looked at the overall situation of young people in Europe with a particular emphasis of those who are not in employment, training or education.

Young People in Europe – vulnerability factors and options for action
Massimiliano Mascherini, Research Manager at Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions

Session 1: Transition into adulthood – young people leaving care

The first session looked at the services that various European countries offer to prepare young people for an independent life after leaving care.

European research and practice on young people’s transitions from care to adulthood
Emily Munro, Assistant Director at the Centre for Child and Family Research, Loughborough University (UK) and Coordinator of the International Network on Transitions to Adulthood from Care (INTRAC)

Pathways into adulthood
Sandra Verhauwert, Project Manager in Youth and Family, Municipality of Ghent, Belgium

Vulnerable youth towards inclusion - The experience of Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco
Alessandro Iannini, Psychologist responsible for the Family Home and Youth Day Centre Borgo Ragazzi Don Bosco, Italy

Ambulant services for 16-21
Sandra Hagemeier, Project Manager, Office for Children, Youth and Families, City of Cologne, Germany

Session 2: Early school leavers – prevention and intervention

The second session looked at various projects aimed to prevent and fight early school leaving amongst young people across Europe.

YIPPEE Project - Young people from a public care background: pathways into education in Europe
Carme Montserrat, Professor, Research Institute on Quality of Life (IRQV), University of Girona, Spain

Factors shaping pathways of secondary school Roma students in Romania
Borbála Kovács, Researcher, Foundation Resource Centre for Roma Communities, Romania

M@zl Project - guidance of secondary school students frequently absent for medical reasons
Yvonne Vanneste, Youth health care physician, Regional Public Health Service West Brabant, The Netherlands

Integrated approaches to reduce early school leaving
Clare Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, National Educational Welfare Board, Ireland