Latvia–Lithuania Cross Border Cooperation Programme 2007–2013
Summary of the Thematic Capitalisation Report as Precondition Social Inclusion elopment of Territorial Dev
2014
Summary of the Thematic Capitalisation Report
“Social Inclusion as Precondition of Territorial Development” The field “Social Inclusion as Precondition of Territorial Development” includes 13 projects with a total ERDF grant 5,36 million EUR. The total number of projects is rather small. The interest of project applicants about this field has appeared just recently as most of projects were supported within the last two calls of proposals. Projects have been divided into three pools based on their thematic focus: “Development of Health Care and Social Services”, “Social Inclusion of Disabled People” and “Employment Promotion for People with Fewer Opportunities”. The pool “Development of Health Care and Social Services” includes projects that improved and developed new social services, explored new methods to be used by the social workers in the work with people of the social risk groups. The infrastructure of the health and social care institutions were improved. Some activities adapting the external environment for people with the disabilities have been implemented and the importance of the Universal design promoted within the society. Projects mainly focus on following target groups disabled adult persons and children, relatives (family members) of the persons with disabilities, other persons of the social risk groups, the social workers and other staff of the health and social care institutions. The pool “Social Inclusion of Disabled People” includes projects that introduced new and creative methods for the social rehabilitation of the children and young people, as well as the ensured the social integration of the disabled people within the social life of the society. This pool addressed following target groups: adult persons and children with the disabilities, relatives of the persons with disabilities that take care of these persons, social workers and other staff of health and social care institutions. The pool “Employment Promotion for People with Fewer Opportunities” focused on the improvement of the employment and business opportunities for disabled people, as well as on the development of new methods for the professional rehabilitation of people with fewer opportunities. This pool addressed following target groups: adult persons with disabilities, other persons of the social risk groups, relatives of the persons with disabilities that take care of these persons and social workers as indirect target group. There are several target groups that have not been addressed by the projects and is a further challenge of new projects: the children with the learning difficulties and early school-leavers; people depending on the social welfare system and not willing to integrate into the labour market; people in a precarious situation – offenders, the drug or alcohol abusers; young and/or single parents; orphans and others.
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In order to solve the needs of the target groups in the best manner, the detailed situation and needs analyses of the target groups shall be carried out before the project implementation. This shall lead to more targeted measures for particular target groups and will better justify the need of the project. Projects have demonstrated innovative approaches and good practises to be transferred to other regions as the best experience. New joint social services – the companion-assistant services and a short time stay services were created that make every day easier for people with disabilities and their family members within the project “My Response”. The swimming facilities for blind people in several beaches were created in this project. The project “INISS” raised the problem of maintaining good physical health of the patients of the mental hospitals. The project provided the sports infrastructure and facilities, as well as organised the first joint cross border sports competition for the patients. The project “Social Support” introduced innovative methods to be used by the social workers to improve not just their work with persons of the social risk, but as well their personal work environment. The project “SOC NETWORKING” raised the problem and explored for the solutions related to the family members that care of the disabled children and thus fall under the risk becoming socially excluded of the society and the labour market. The project “Creation-MyOnlyHope” used new and creative methods for the social integration of the disabled people through the dance, singing, theatre and crafting trainings. The project “Cured by Animals” introduced the unique triple benefit rehabilitation method ‘animal-assisted’ therapy for the disabled children and youth. This method provided triple synchronous benefits – the physical, physiological and social improvement of disabled children and youth. The project “I CAN WORK” initiated the discussion on the national level, analysed the experience of other countries and provided policy recommendations about the support and promotion of the social enterprises. The project “MODPART” created the innovative and scientifically justified methods of the professional rehabilitation of people with fewer opportunities increasing the efficiency of the professional rehabilitation in order to integrate persons with fewer opportunities into the labour market. Good practice of projects is seen in several ways by: 1) step by step development of the approach – first understanding the context through analysis, then developing strategy and action plan (“Social Support”, “INISS”); 2) the effective use of resources and added value of cross border cooperation (“Social Support”, “I CAN WORK”); 3) involving different stakeholders and wide target groups (“Cured by Animals”, “My Response”, “I CAN WORK”, “Social Support”).
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As this field contains rather homogeneous projects, most of them form a certain synergy. The synergy can be found not just between the projects of one pool, but as well between the projects of different pools. Moreover, the analyses show that the projects demonstrate synergies with the initiatives financed by other financial instruments. “I CAN WORK” and “Be able” projects both promoted the employment and business opportunities for the people with fewer opportunities. Projects “My Response” and “Social support” demonstrated the synergies both trying to introduce innovative methods and new services within the social care. “Baltic hipo” and “Cured by Animals” projects both were focused on the use of the animals, in particular horses, for the social rehabilitation of children with disabilities. “INISS” is good example demonstrating synergies as a sequent project to “SocServices” implemented by 2 partners Rokiskis Psychiatric Hospital and Daugavpils Mental Hospital. The cooperation is continued in a new project “R-D-S Health” with the support of the Latvia–Lithuania–Belarus ENPI CBC programme within wider partnership with the partner from Belarus. The project “I CAN WORK” demonstrated synergies with two former projects financed by EEA Financial Mechanism and Norwegian Financial Mechanism and implemented by Liepaja Society of the Blind. The idea of the project “Cured by Animals” was further developed in the wider partnership with partners from Russia in a new project “Nature Therapy” supported by the Estonia–Latvia–Russia ENPI CBC Programme. All projects contribute to the Objective “Increase Prosperity” and the Priority Area “Health” of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR). In some extent few projects have contributed to the Priority Areas “Culture” and “SME”. The analyses of the contribution of the projects to the fulfilment of target indicators of EUSBSR show that just three projects have a direct impact on these indicators (“I CAN WORK”, “Be able”, “FirstAid”).
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