The fourth workshop within the project “Towards European values – persons with disability as equal citizens” was held, in which the Republic center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA took part as project partner.
The implementation of the fourth activity within project “Towards European values – persons with disabilities as equal citizens” within the project “Towards European values – persons with disability as equal citizens” was held from 18 – 20 March in Belgrade, Serbia. The training was attended by professional staff and beneficiaries – persons with disabilities. Besides Serbian Association for Promoting Inclusion-SAPI as project leader, the meeting was attended by representatives from each project partner i.e. 40 participants. The republic center for Support of Persons with Intellectual Disability – PORAKA was represented by four participants, two educators from the day centers PORAKA Skopje and two beneficiaries of the day centers.
The aim of the training was to inform and empower participants to develop and implement peer support service as innovative approach through which people with disabilities can acquire necessary skills and knowledge to strengthen support to their peers and older people in the local community.
The three-day training in the field of peer support and service implementation was held in cooperation of Serbian Association for Promoting Inclusion and Republic Institute for Social Protection, and it consisted of following topics:
– Sustainable social services in the community,
– Need and resources,
– The quality of social services,
– Management of local social services,
– Planning as a development component of social services,
– Staff development – improving the competencies of service providers as a precondition for service quality,
– Monitoring and Evaluation of Services,
– The importance of peer support services for community living,
– From the first contact to the active support – different phases in service provision,
– People with disabilities as members of the support services,
– Challenges at work and how to overcome them.
The work was organized through presentations, exchange of practical experiences and workshops aimed especially towards the beneficiaries in accordance with the topic. The beneficiaries worked in workshops sharing experiences, which were facilitated by trained assistants. During the workshops they were introduced with the experiences of the beneficiaries that are part of the supported living services and are active in the field of peer support.
The beneficiaries, also, had the opportunity to visit Belgrade tourist sights, to visit the ZOO, and to enjoy at a party organized in one of the community living units within SAPI with their new friends. The aim of the party was for the beneficiaries to see how persons with disability live in the community living units with support of professionals.
Within the presentations for the educators special attention was given to sustainability of the peer support services and consideration of resources such as capability, capacity, efficiency, flexibility and planning. At the same time, the quality that this type of services has to have was emphasized, and it refers to the set of minimum quality standards, licensing services and permanent finances. The peer services dynamics primarily depends on identification of beneficiaries and on the support needs (support for gaining independent living skills, support for participating in activities in the community and certainly support for the family members). One of the key objectives in this type of services is including persons with disability as active support givers, then offering motivation, dedication and developing self-respect while supporting other persons with disability.
