ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY WITH DIGITAL TOOLS Erasmus Project

Project Title

ENHANCING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY WITH DIGITAL TOOLS

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs

Project Summary

Context: The Covid-19 crisis has changed the way we live, especially for those already marginalised by disability, ill-health & social exclusion. It has accentuated isolation & inequality and has resulted in compounding mental health issues & loneliness. It has also shown that the Care Sector must find ways to adapt to keep its clients active, safe & protected. The value of Care Workers has finally been recognised. The crisis has also accentuated skills gaps.

The Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the need to use digital skills in many aspects of people’s daily lives, especially to communicate when physical visiting is not possible. People with severe disabilities & others in closed communities have no other way of keeping in touch with their families and support circles. Many do not have the capacity to use digital tools themselves and rely on residential staff to enable virtual contact. Many staff do not have the skills to perform the most basic digital tasks and are consequently frustrated by their own inability to ease the suffering of their clients. The limitations of our current digital preparedness have been revealed. Currently, at least 85% of jobs require some level of digital ability, while only 56% of adults had at least basic digital skills in 2019. In the Care Sector this is much higher.

This project is led by Diagrama Foundation UK and brings together partners from Belgium, France, Spain & Italy. The partners create a new training course for workers in the Social Care Sector ‘Digital Facilitator of Change’ and a Digital Inclusion Toolkit. The Transnational Steering Group meets at regularly & there are 4 mini-seminars. Local Focus groups drive the project at local level.

Objectives:
1. Create a new professional profile for workers in the Social Care Sector by creating a new needs-driven vocational training course
2. Overcome social exclusion & isolation by opening digital communication pathways
3. Influence public perception of Diversity as part of life in all life contexts
4. Foster “Professional Identity” for people with disabilities/other excluded groups, celebrating ‘ability’ and using cornerstones of Empowerment, Real Work & Quality
5. Build & mainstream a Digital inclusion Toolkit with potential to transfer to other sectors

Methodology:
Learner Participants are Social Care Workers, working directly with highly disadvantaged client groups, are trained to become Digital Facilitators of Change. After initial local digital preparedness sessions participants undergo specialist transnational training modules in Belgium to cultivate deeper digital knowledge and also studies ways in which the public’s perception must be changed to endorse clients’ “ability” rather than recognise disability using Professional Identity. At Salerno University further digital knowledge is built and the course promotes the inclusive improvement of people with disabilities in working contexts in particular addressing disability in the context of diversity. Training is concluded in the UK by pooling innovation and participative learning creates the Digital Facilitator Toolkit. The partners pilot the concept of “Micro-credentials” (New EU Skills Agenda) issuing units for each module of training completed, led by University of Salerno.

Learner Participants use their learning to facilitate digital communication channels for clients and their family networks & support circles. Working alongside occupational tutors they also promote clients’ work and employment opportunities through highlighting creativity and artistic talents. This includes virtual tutor sessions and online workshops with the public invited to interact or observe. Digital tools provide virtual shops, marketing products created by talented crafts-people further aiding clients’ professional recognition & pathways to work. Impact includes Social Inclusion – new digital tools for promoting communication & well-being & access to work.

Results include:
1 new training course, ‘Digital Facilitator of Change’ piloting 3 Micro-credential units preparing the course for mainstreaming to impact on other communities.
1 new European Digital Inclusion Toolkit
42 Care/Social Workers trained as Digital Facilitators of Change & Euro-Pass Certificates. Impact includes qualified, confident, empowered workers creating happier, healthier work environment
20 local creative workshops are held resulting in high quality arts & crafts used & exhibited to promote clients’ Professional Identity
20 disadvantaged creative clients progress towards work, impact includes high levels of self esteem, empowerment and vision of new horizons, impacting on potential to find/sell work.
4 Transnational Steering Group meetings & mini-seminars promote societal change & drive diversity awareness & digital readiness initiatives.
1 new Network to promote digital social inclusion
1 Evaluation Report led by Salerno University

The project starts on 01.03.2021 and runs until 28.02.23

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 79745 Eur

Project Coordinator

Diagrama Foundation Psychosocial Intervention & Country: UK

Project Partners

• vzw Ubuntu Achtkanter
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SALERNO
• FUNDACION DIAGRAMA INTERVENCION PSICOSOCIAL
• LitFest.eu Festival de Voulmentin