Introduction of Remote Work Formats at “Partnership for Every Child”
The project is supported by The Vladimir Potanin Foundation as part of the “Common Cause” competition of the “Effective Philanthropy” charitable programme.
The project aims to facilitate introduction of remote technology into two strands of work at “Partnership for Every Child”
1) Application of distance learning approaches to strengthen professional competencies of specialists, who are working with families and children at risk;
2) Development, testing and embedding remote work methods for provision of support to families facing a difficult life situation.
Development of online methods of engagement with families will help maintain the level of assistance, reduce the risk of losing access to services for families at risk and enable the organization to fulfill its obligations. Social services will become more accessible and cost-effective. Another advantage of remote working methods is compliance with current safety requirements.
Transition to distance learning in the training of specialists will enable P4EC to diversify its work, increase the income from paid educational services and to expand contacts with the professional community throughout the country.
Financed by: The Vladimir Potanin Foundation |
A Reliable and Safe family for Every Child
01 August 2020 – 31 July 2021
Task: Provision of targeted assistance to families in difficult life situations through the delivery of effective social services in order to prevent separation of children from their parents in St. Petersburg.
The project will preserve the family environment for 180 children by ensuring sustainability of the Prevention, Protection and Reintegration Service despite the impact of the pandemic. The service implements several effective models of assistance with proven results, which were developed by the organization. “Active Family Support” provides intensive support for families in a crisis situation; “Strengthening of parents’ competencies” is a series of sessions with a parent and a child at home that helps to prevent abuse and neglect of the child’s needs; “Short Breaks Foster Care” offers an opportunity for parents of children with disabilities to receive help of a trained social assistant, whom they entrust with providing care to the child.
The social issue that the project addresses is that for a variety of reasons families are frequently unable to resolve a crisis situation. Parents may lack support of their social network or they may not have previously succeeded in managing a difficult life situation if, for example they are care leavers or have had adverse childhood experience. Others reasons may be linked to the parents’ physical or mental health issues or special needs of the children. The specialists of the Service are focused on solving these problems through provision of a range of relevant social services.
Ensuing safety during the pandemic is a priority. All the services are provided at home or with the use of remote technologies.
Financed by: Charitable Foundation «Absolut-Help» |
Partners: Guardianship authorities of St. Petersburg, Family Support Centres of St. Petersburg, NGOs |
Effective social services for children and parents in Russia
Task:
The project aims to improve the quality and broaden the range of services available to children and families facing a difficult life situation, strengthening professional qualifications of specialists from government and non-government organisations working with these categories in 10 regions of Russia. The anticipated outcome is the reduction in the number of children who have lost parental care, as well as decrease in the levels of domestic violence, neglect and abuse of children in these regions. Particular focus will be given to work through available channels of communication to inform the public about the importance of work done by social work practitioners in order to retain biological family environment for children, their achievements and challenges. The project will directly target parents and children who have gone through the difficult process of restoration of parental rights and are prepared to share their experience of separation.
Organisations and practitioners from the following regions are expected to participate: St Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Moscow and Moscow Oblast, Republic of Karelia, Perm Krai, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk and Tyumen Regions.
Financed by: European Union |
Partners: Government and non-government organisations from 10 regions of Russia |
Active support and development of parents’ competencies for preservation of family for the child.
Task:
A model of comprehensive support of families at risk of loss of parental care by children will be implemented within the framework of the project and will include two elements: assistance in resolving acute social problems and development of parental competencies, to ensure effective support of families and sustainable results. The following categories of parents are targeted by the projects: low-income, with experience of substance abuse, with psychological issues, single parents, care leavers, those under supervision by child protection bodies.
The programme of parenting classes created for this target group consists of three key strands of parental competencies: Safety, Development and Interaction. Individual sessions with parents are conducted in their natural domestic environment; training and skills development are based on familiar settings, which helps to embed them. Each phase of work with families will be documented and analysed in order to further develop the parenting programme and assess its effectiveness. A training manual and guidance for practitioners will be developed by the end of the project.
Financed by: Presidential Grants Foundation |
Partners: Guardianship authorities of St. Petersburg, Family Support Centres of St. Petersburg, NGOs |
“Next to Mum” programme for children to remain in their birth families
Task:
The project’s aim is to work with families in direct risk of loss of parental care by children, as well as those that have already voluntarily placed children in residential care, primarily single mothers without support from their family or social circle and with additional risk factors such as personal experience of loss of parental care, mental health issues, dependencies, domestic violence, poverty and housing issues.
The project’s focus is the child’s welfare and needs, so the efforts are predominantly directed towards building up the parents’ strengths and reducing risk factors to ensure the safety and comprehensive development of the children. The individual programme of assistance to each family includes legal and psychological consultations, practical help with domestic issues, development of parental competences and support during visits to various official bodies and institutions. The services are provided at the family’s home.
The project is implemented in the city of St. Petersburg.
Financed by: Charitable Foundation for children and socially vulnerable adults «Klyuch» |
Partners: Guardianship authorities of St. Petersburg, Family Support Centres of St. Petersburg, NGOs |