LOST- Learning Opportunities, inStruments and Investigation Techniques to fight the growing phenomenon of missing people in Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

LOST- Learning Opportunities, inStruments and Investigation Techniques to fight the growing phenomenon of missing people in Europe

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 vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Home and justice affairs (human rights & rule of law); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

The issue of missing people and children in particular (whereas these people are potential victims of human trafficking), is increasing in Europe: in 2016, according to the EU’s criminal intelligence agency, at least 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees have disappeared after arriving in Europe. National statistical data of Police and Ministries of European Member States also reveal a high percentage of people never found.
The project has focused on the needs of improving the investigation processes by carrying out an in-depth analysis of the subject, providing more information and raising social awareness, and offering training for risk groups and operators involved the area of action of a) THE RESPONSE TO DISAPPEARANCE where different kind of professionals are working on cases of missing children and adults would benefit from receiving specific training and support; b) THE PREVENTION TO THE DISAPPEARANCE, especially in relation to adults suffering from psychiatric and dementia diseases.
LOST project concerned two kinds of sectors: 1) FIELD OF THE RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION where especially law enforcement agencies are working with the help of voluntary associations and 2) FIELD OF SOCIAL SUPPORTING SERVICES provided by NGOs organisations and local public entities, to support the families during the disappearance and the after care support of a person or unaccompanied child who returned or was found after disappearing.
The main target groups were:
• Trainers and operators of professional sectors involved as social assistants, psychologists who provide support to families of missing people, health professionals and legal doctors;
• Members of the police force and police officers, civil protection and other security services
• Representatives of voluntary associations
• Policy makers and officers of Public entities with social competencies in the field of Child protection and parenthood support/aid
• Association supporting Families of people going missing.

In particular, the project aimed at 1) improving the competences of the trainers and of the operators of the sector (police, health, voluntary organisations, etc) in the key first investigation phase (informational phase which support the overall investigation process) with aim of increasing the percentage of people found; 2) to define a new core professional profile supporting any law enforcement agency in the research; 3) increasing and improving social policies of local Public Institutions to support and protect families and in general their local communities from this phenomenon and to prevent it; 3) developing a new operative model that can be easily transferred in any EU country by using innovative and open ICT tools; 4) increasing knowledge and awareness among social groups and communities of social society (families, younger, citizens, voluntary associations) with the cooperation of Local Public entities (Municipalities and Regions).

LOST project, in order to contribute to fighting the phenomenon, has developed and tested an innovative operational approach and methodology on the investigation process by means of the development of a new professional in “Analysis -Information and Research Missing People -A.I.R.M.P” , to support and enhancing the overall investigation process and police forces in EU countries by the definition, sharing and validation of an innovative training programme (O2) at transnational level from the participating organisations which has been tested and tuned in Italy, Spain and Denmark (O3). The training package has been based on a competence model, taking into account the European and national instructions in the field of the competencies framework and assessed and widely disseminated in European countries, together with the toolkit for social services in policies. All these intellectual output are available within LOST platform: https://lost.team/, which is freely accessible, with openly licensed documents and media that are useful for learning, assessing as well as for research and transfer purposes.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 264504,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Consorzio Pubblico Società della Salute Zona Pisana & Country: IT

Project Partners

• C.M. SKOULIDI & SIA E.E.
• INSTITUTI PRINCIPE REAL – ASSOCIACAO PARA A INOVACAO E DESENVOLVIMENTO
• ASSOCIAZIONE OMNIS
• EUROPEAN FORUM OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
• SOSU OSTJYLLAND
• Asociacion sosdesaparecidos
• SIULP Perugia