Independent Living skills: Learning & Investing in people with disabilities, Co-Operating with families and service providers to support de-institutionalisation Erasmus Project

Project Title

Independent Living skills: Learning & Investing in people with disabilities, Co-Operating with families and service providers to support de-institutionalisation

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: Inclusion – equity; Disabilities – special needs; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The ILLICO project is a direct continuation of the Erasmus + project “Unlocking Freedom through Adult Education: The role of adult education in supporting the de-institutionalization of people with disabilities in the community” (2015 -2018). The project aimed to support the deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities through adult education. The project facilitated the autonomy and social inclusion of people with special needs at different stages of the deinstitutionalization process through the innovative development of new learning and training resources.
The ILLICO project was developed as a logical continuation of the Unlocking Freedom project. The partners of the group were all members of the previous consortium.
The ILLICO project focuses more precisely on the skills needed to access independent living and explores a set of skills needed for people with disabilities to be independent in their daily lives.

As mentioned above, the key objectives of the project are:
– To empower people with disabilities to live independently and achieve their full inclusion and participation in the community;
– To foster the leadership skills of people with intellectual disabilities living in the community and invest in them as experts-by-experience who would become advocates/representatives of independent living;
– To challenge the institutional culture of organizations; to maximise their support to integrate people with intellectual disabilities fully into the community; to involve them in a close relationship with families;
– To empower families with the process of de-institutionnalization and the future of their child; to especially help them understand the role in supporting the transition period from institution to independent living

To achieve these objectives, the consortium has realized 5 Intellectual Outputs:
– IO1 by UPEC: Study on developing the conditions and transferable methods for an effective peer-learning program in the field of independent living skills;
– IO2 by ICSS: Step-by-step videoclips and training for people with disabilites, staff and parents on “How to develop independent living skills”;
– IO3 by Stewarts Care: Peer-mentoring program and network to raise awareness of the role of mentors in supporting independent living;
– IO4 by Centre de la Gabrielle: Study on obstacles, challenges and opportunities faced by family members in the field of intellectual disability in supporting independent living;
– IO5 by KVPS: Toolkit on how organizations/service providers can develop family cooperation.

Moreover, a training event was organized by KVPS around the topic of family cooperation from 24 till 26 may 2021. The learning, teaching and training event is targeted for the developers/experts/frontline staff in disability services who are committed in developing family cooperation and family leadership in their own organisation.

The project mobilized different target groups in Finland, Bulgaria, France and Ireland, namely: people with disabilities, their families and service providers.
A total of 397 participants participated to the activities.

Although the implementation of the project was heavily impacted by the health crisis, the intellectual outputs were still able to instill reflection on independent living.
The consortium organized different multiplier events to disseminate the results, online due to the Covid-19 crisis, namely:

– 30 october 2021: “Families and staff supporting a good life” workshop by KVPS for the family members to discuss on their wishes and dreams on how the service providers can support a good life together with the family members and what kind of skills and competencies frontline is needed to ensure good family co-operation.
– 10 june 2021: “Learning together” seminar by ICSS to present and disseminate the video clips and the common step-by-step approach of learning, cooperation and practicing independent living skills of the key stakeholders – people with disabilities, staff and parents.
– 10 june 2021: “Making mentoring work” workshop by Stewarts Care with presentations and interactive sessions. During this event Service Users and staff will provided training and interactive exchanges about their experience of mentoring and how to make the system work.
– 21 june 2021: Final conference by Centre de la Gabrielle to disseminate and exploit the results of the project. This was an opportunity for the project partners to showcase the outcomes from the activities. People with disabilities who were trained as trainers also were key note speakers.

Project Website

https://illicoproject.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 153974,59 Eur

Project Coordinator

Centre de la Gabrielle et Ateliers du Parc de Claye – MFPass & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Stewarts Care Ltd
• Institute for Community-based Social Services Foundation (ICSS)
• UNIVERSITE PARIS XII VAL DE MARNE
• KEHITYSVAMMAISTEN PALVELUSAATIO