conference tartu december 7-9, 2005 ”youth participation and quality management”
TRANSCRIPT
Conference Tartu December 7-9, 2005
”Youth Participation
and
Quality Management”
EU project
”European Youth involved in Public Care and Youth Justice Systems”
The Idea
Exchange of information and best practice
Network of researchers and social workers
Create an arena for co-operation Platform for future projects
Partnership
Lead Partner: University of Edinburgh Partners: Veneto Region Valle d ´Aosta Region City of Uppsala (incl. City of Västerås) City of Helsinki (associated partner)
Project Facts
Framework 5 programme 185,000€ 1 year project 1November – 31 October 2003
Project Aims
Develop an effective network Identify common themes Improve understanding of different
systems Establish an agenda for future
collaboration
Objectives
Exchange of information on existing and future provision of public child care and youth justice services
Compare legal and policy framework Understand Structures, systems and
philosophy of child and youth welfare Disseminate ”best practice”
Objectives, cont…
Promote quality services based on theory and practice
Examine the role of social agencies Establish collaborative research Develop common theoretical
frameworks for policy and practice within Europe
Work Content
A network of researchers and social workers from four partner countries
3 conferences – to compare systems on promoting social inclusion
In Aosta, Uppsala and Edinburgh
Aim of Conferences
Provide information …… Presentations of each country:
- Legal and Policy Frameworks - Research - Service provision in social work
- Strategic policy
We found out that…
Child/family poverty and social exclusion was an underlying challenge in all partner countries
Welfare and Justice Systems in each country dealt with the young people of the poor
Findings, cont….
Social inequality alongside social disadvantage were common features in all countries
In each country the systems for care and justice are set within the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Findings; cont…
Policies in each country stress the importance of prevention and early intervention
Policies are aimed at maintaining children and young people, as far as possible, at home and in the community
Findings; cont……
Responses to the needs of children and young people as victims of abuse, appear to be resulting in improved child protection measures
Measures derived from experience of ”what works” in practice are more often effective than political initiatives
Challenges we identified
How to establish effective, non criminal, community-based responses that strenghten the role of families so that they become positive resources for young people
How to minimise the use of institutional accomodation
Challenges for social workers
Establishing good enough assessment tools
Developing standardised or comparative measures of need, risk and outcomes
Promoting shared models of effective practice and professional training
Common themes we need to improve
Knowledge and experience of the adolescent period
Ethnicity and Inclusion Assessment methods, Methods of
Intervention – ”what works?” Prevention and Early Intervention
Methods
Conclusions: Experience in each partner country reflected….
world wide findings, that children and young people involved in public care and youth justice systems are, generally, children - with multiple difficulties - often living in social difficulty - experiencing poverty and social exclusion
Conclusions; cont….
There is a need for better evaluation to direct the provision of services
Methods of prevention and effective early intervention need to be based on theories developed from research
Conclusions; cont…
Response systems to excluded youth vary from one country to another
Shared policies and practices are required across Europe to improve the effectiveness of better integrated multi-agency provision
Increased transnational co-operation improve practice and policy
More information….
www.ensa-youth.cjsw.ac.uk
Contact Details:
Joe Francis – [email protected]
Eva Thorsen – [email protected]
