SCALE – Assessing and shaping youth work from contextual perspectives Erasmus Project

Project Title

SCALE – Assessing and shaping youth work from contextual perspectives

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 : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Social dialogue; Labour market issues incl. career guidance / youth unemployment

Project Summary

Successful European youth work needs more know-how of how to prevent youngsters suffering from mental health problems to falling out from the society (becoming NEET) and how to empower NEETs while they still are NEETs. European youth work organizations must also find new concrete solutions (both proactive and reactive) to respond to the psycho-social problems of the youngsters. To answer to these challenges, Sosped Foundation, Stiftelsen Fryshuset and YEU Cyprus had a partnership to enhance social inclusion of youth suffering from psycho-social problems. These persons are often either in a risk of becoming NEET (RNEET) or are already NEETs. Project SCALE – Exchange of experiences and knowledge of contextual youth work” aimed to develop a new kind of framework that describes youth work from a contextual perspective. Framework works also as a tool for professionals working with youth.

PROJECT’s CENTRAL RESULTS
1) Exchange of experience of RNEET and NEET from contextual perspectives

2) Knowledge & capacity building
2.1 RNEETs and professionals working with RNEETs learned aspects from reactive contexts and how to work there
2.2 NEETs and professionals working with NEETs learned aspects of proactive contexts and how to work there
Project’s main result was an innovative framework that combines the aspects of both RNEET and NEET and reactive and
proactive contexts.

Scale project consisted of one preparative TPM (March 2019), one short-term learning event(June 2019) and an evaluative TPM (September 2019).
Learning event, that was held in Stockholm, brought together youth professionals from three different countries and a variety of youth, that are (or have been) in a risk of becoming socially excluded.

SOSPED’S CULTURE HOUSES IN FINLAND
Culture houses provide low-threshold activities for young adults (18-35 years) suffering from mental health problems. Most of these are NEETs and RNEET. 7 Culture houses’ peer-advisors
and two staff members attended to the Learning event. Also a researcher from the university of Helsinki attended to the event and her main task was a evaluate both the project as whole and the created framework. Through attending personnel and youngsters, Sosped foundation got a simple framework that they can use on on their different Culture houses in Finland.

FRYSHUSET WORK IN A PROACTIVE CONTEXT
Fryshuset focuses its operations primarily on the empowerment of youth, as well as its inclusion in society by providing youth, in particular the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, with opportunities for change. Many of these are RNEETs. From Fryshuset, one trainee, a special teacher and two pupils from Fryshuset’s special school attended to the learning event. Special school’s teachers got a simple and easy to use tool that they found both innovative, easy to use and modifiable to their pupils’s needs.

YEU CYPRUS – WORKING ON BOTH REACTIVE AND PROACTIVE CONTEXTS
YEU Cyprus is facing similar challenges than Fryshuset and Sosped. The organization is also working actively to integrate more and more refugees from North African countries. From YEU Cyprus, there were 8 persons attending, including one youth coordinator and 7 youth and volunteers. Concept of NEET is not known is Cyprus, so attending persons got familiar with a new concept, they got a framework that they can use to train their volunteers.

DEVELOPED FRAMEWORK AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
Developed manual provides a visual presentation about the developmental phases of social inclusion and exclusion. It lists also different safety factors that can hidrance social inclusion and and risk factors than can indicate or accelerate social exclusion. In the end of the framework there is also a list of questions that can be used to discuss with youth. Developed material works as as toolbox for youth professionals and youth and the main goal is to help to discuss about social exclusion and help youngsters to be more aware of their current life situation. Material can be used both individually and together with professinals. Due to great cultural differences, heterogenity of NEETs and limited time ( 4 days), framework isn’t completely ready. English and Finnish versions exist already but them are first versions.
Material was tested together with extern stakeholders inclusing outreach youth workers, special teachers and mental health workers and all of them agreed that material has potential. Yet, it should me developed further in order to respond better to NEETs needs, at least on national level.

Material is available for organizations wanting to test it to to used in future applications.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 31374 Eur

Project Coordinator

Sosiaalipedagogiikan säätiö & Country: FI

Project Partners

• NEOLEA GIA ANTALAGI KAI KATANOISI
• STIFTELSEN FRYSHUSET