COmmunity Support for Migrant Informal Carers Erasmus Project

Project Title

COmmunity Support for Migrant Informal Carers

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Migrants’ issues; Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

An informal carer is someone who supports a family member, spouse, partner, relative or friend of any age who needs help and support to manage a range of daily living tasks. Distinct from paid care workers, carers receive no wage for the support they provide. In Europe, 80% of all care is provided by informal carers (Eurocarers). Due to increasing migration flows it is now common to find carers across Europe who have a migrant background (CWMB). CWMB, in common with carers more generally, work tirelessly in support of those they care for, often without recognition and to the detriment of their own health and well-being but CWMB are known to experience unique challenges in accessing support services, even more when they are in an undocumented status. These challenges arise in the main from a lack of self-identification among migrants of their status as carers and hence an absence of policy recognition of their needs and rights, compounded by stereotypical assumptions of how their needs are, or should be, met. Also, we could argue that CWMBs face in fact a “double disadvantage” or “double fragility”, with their rights not yet fully recognized as carers, and with a higher risk of social exclusion as migrants.
The CO.S.M.I.C. project will develop and test methods and tools to support CWMB and professionals working with them, in order to: increase recognition and self-identification, support access to available services and improving the attention to cultural diversity in existing services. The project will adopt a user-led approach with CWMB directly involved as contributors and reviewers in every stage of the process, to make sure that the outcomes developed are actually respondent to the needs of the final beneficiaries (themselves). The tangible results, the project will make available:
1. An awareness rising package for carers with migrant backgrounds (CWMB)
2. An informative pack for migrant communities
3. A face-to-face training package for professionals, which will be piloted at local level.
4. A MOOC (massive open online course) for professionals
5. More specifically:
Partners are: Parorendealliansen /Norwegian alliance for informal carers (project applicant): an umbrella organization working for better carers rights and conditions; ANS – an Italian NGO specifically focused on training and support of informal carers; Associazione C’ENTRO: an umbrella organisation gathering different non-profit entities across Italy; KMOP, one of the oldest Greek NGOs with 40 years of experience in the provision of services to disadvantaged groups and The Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Ljubljana – Slovenia.
Expected impacts include: an increased offer of opportunities to a dedicated support intervention for migrant informal carers in the community (during and after the project implementation); improved support and reduced stigma will result in reduced negative impacts on the physical and mental health of the migrant carers and thus a lower burden on community social and health care services and enhanced social cohesion will be and equal opportunities will be increased within local communities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 169265 Eur

Project Coordinator

Pårorendealliansen & Country: NO

Project Partners

• UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
• ANZIANI E NON SOLO SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE
• KENTRO MERIMNAS OIKOGENEIAS KAI PAIDIOU
• Associazione C’ENTRO