Developing the Skills of COmmunity and health workers working with REfugees Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing the Skills of COmmunity and health workers working with REfugees

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: Integration of refugees; Migrants’ issues; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND: The refugee problem is one of the most important public health problems in Europe. Refugees have been forced to wait in temporary camps in various parts of several countries in Europe (e.g. Greece, Italy, Spain) with limited access to crucial information and available services. Many suffer not only from the trauma of witnessing the death of loved ones, but also the profound sense of powerlessness of a refugee’s life in limbo. They endure the added stress of uncertainty and constant waiting. They need mental-health counseling and other psychological support as well as administrative support. Refugees also need reliable information about their prospects and available asylum services. As more and more refugees are relocated from camps to towns and cities, there is a need to make sure that they can meet their basic needs, are protected from exploitation and violence, and can build a better future for their families. Also, there is a need to cooperate with local partners to ensure that refugees are integrated into their new communities. Also, there is inadequacy or experienced personnel to manage health and administrative problems of refugees. Especially in second locations of refugees, all categories of personnel are not experienced, and their education will help in better approach of refugees and migrants.
OBJECTIVES: was to increase the skills of local professionals (health and administrative personnel) possibly working with the refugees in each area except the areas of first entrance. As the refugee problem is a European problem, the education process for the professional dealing with this issue in different countries had been evaluated and compared between the countries facing the refugee problem.
PARTNERSHIP: Three VET institutions; one public (SOSU Oestjylland – previous name: SOSU Aarhus) and two private (Centro San Viator & FORMA.Azione), one public University (University of Patras – Department of Public Health, Medical School), an organization for refugees (Arci Perugia), a private company in the field of research, consultancy, IT development and training (p-consulting) and a SME working in the field of specialized architecture – including work related to improving life for disadvantaged group of people, with big experience in Quality Management and Evaluation in Erasmus+ projects (Errotu). The partners represented four countries: Greece, Denmark, Spain and Italy. All partners are working in the field of education, training and/or care of people who are in vulnerable position, including refugees and/or migrants and the variety of types of organization ensures the best possible framework for different approaches, exchange of good ideas and best practices
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES: Research into the needs of refugees living in local communities and the needs and lack of skills of community and health workers working with refugees. Co-creation (part of Living Lab); curriculum, competences, learning outcomes for modular courses; experience of training community and health workers working with refugees. Create training course for teachers/trainers, Implementation and Evaluation – Learning Recourses and Learning Outcomes “How to work with refugees” – Design, development and testing of workshop and e-learning. Implementation and evaluation of community and health workers training – Practice with refugees for trained community and health workers
METHODOLOGY TO BE USED: Each Intellectual Output had a lead partner who took responsibility for the timeliness, suitability and quality of the output. The partners who had less experience were assisted and mentored by the experienced partners. this had two benefits – ensuring this project works well and delivers the promised results and also allows the inexperienced partners to gain the skills necessary to pursue their own projects in the futures. Peer and other evaluations (Errotu led) will ensure any lessons learned are captured and shared; continuous improvement.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE RESULTS: A multilingual guide that contained good practices and strategies of European countries on improving the skills of professionals working with refugees was prepared. The design and implementation of training needs in each participating country to provide necessary information for educational deficits, skills and attitudes required to have the training for the implementation of the project objectives. The training of a significant number of professionals per participating country refugee issues, optimal handling, workarounds, cooperation with relevant bodies was organized.
POTENTIAL LONGER-TERM BENEFITS
The partners through collaboration, synergies and the actions outlined above will bring the various levels and their areas of expertise on the subject, will be able to learn from each other and share their knowledge with the public benefit. They can create a common intervention program at European level to tackle the lack of skills. The results will contribute to establishing a single European policy.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 216521 Eur

Project Coordinator

PANEPISTIMIO PATRON & Country: EL

Project Partners

• FORMA.AZIONE SRL
• C.M. SKOULIDI & SIA E.E.
• Errotu Taldea S.L.P
• ARCI APS Comitato territoriale Perugia
• SOSU OSTJYLLAND
• Centro San Viator