Supporting Young People Leaving Care

Development Leaving-care Services in Kyiv oblast ProjectSummary Report for April – December 2008

EveryChild Ukraine, 2009

Contents

BackgroundCreating a StrategyImproving the preparation for leaving careTailoring individual support for care-leaversAccessing training, education and employmentReconstruction of premisesPR and media outreachFinancial Report

Background

The initiative is aimed at setting up the pioneering extended innovative services for care leavers of Tarashchanskyy rayon (Kyiv oblast) aimed at reducing the negative impact of the risk factors affecting the child once leaving the care system. It aims explicitly to make a visible impact on a specific area of Kyiv oblast and to provide a gateway to more permanent support services.

In total, annually there are at least 35-40 children in three residential care institutions of Tarashcha, who are forced as young as 16 to leave care and fend for themselves.

With the Soviet break-up, these orphanages were left in a vacuum.

The children from these institutions are often underdeveloped intellectually and socially, and are left with little hope of advancement of private sector employment after they leave.

It is all too easy for them to fall prey to a circle of crime, drugs, prostitution and prison. The hopelessness faced by the graduates of children’s institutions

promises a vicious circle for the future of crime, drugs, alcohol, HIV and yet more orphans.

Alarming statistic of Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports shows that after leaving care 20% of care leavers from institutions in Ukraine are unable to find a job, or obtain a profession, 41% of care-leavers have no perspective in solving of housing problems, 28 % of care-leavers are engaged in criminal activities.

The Project which is implemented by EveryChild Ukraine with the support from the British Embassy and Kyiv Lions Club helped these children to develop life skills and employability, raising their chances to have successful lives.

During the reporting period different types of activities have been implemented: trainings for social workers in delivery specified services; trainings and master-classes for care leavers on life skills (budgeting, negotiating with officials, employers, practical skills, self care, domestic skills (cooking, laundry, cleaning), vocational guidance, preparation of pathway plans for care-leavers; introduction of mentoring system for 20 children; preparation of individual care plans for children from Nadia internat; and establishment of School of Social Adaptation. The main result of this project would be that 50-70 children will be fully prepared for independent life in their communities after leaving residential care.

This project is very important nowadays, when a high number of child orphans are educated in state specialized institutions on an insufficient level of budgetary financing. School of Social Adaptation in Tarashcha is a specific example of how we are developing the method of social adaptation for orphans and children without parental care in order to create a model of basic adaptation and rehabilitation for similar institutions in Ukraine.

Tarashcha care leavers parents to be© Simon Crofts/EveryChild Ukraine

School of Social Adaptation

Developing a series of training courses for orphans and children deprived of parental care was one of the key objectives of the project. The training programme for School of Social Adaptation included the following courses:

• Course on social adaptation aimed at overcoming the orphan’s antisocial tendencies, formed by the circumstances of their birth, the situation in their family during the early years of childhood and by living at the children’s home from an early age;

• Course on social adaptation aimed at overcoming the psychological consequences of the child living for a long time at the orphanage-school;

• Course on providing quality competitive education by creating a system of regular study-groups and seminars, which enable the orphanage graduates' professional self-determination;

• Course on finding employment for orphans and children without employment;

• Course which will enable the rise in the hygienic education and practices of the teenagers and will serve as a reliable and permanent source of information about modern hygienic products and their use.

Creating a strategy

One of the integral parts of the project itself was preparation and planning. The agreement between Tarashcha rayon state administration and EveryChild Ukraine was signed on introduction of leaving care services. Moreover, we decided to create an additional pilot site for leaving care services in the city of Pereyaslav-Khmel’nitsky, where care-leavers there are several institutions on oblast level. According to these agreements two social workers specialized in leaving-care services were introduced into the existing social services system.

EveryChild Ukraine signed an agreement with Kyiv oblast Institute of post-graduate studies for scientific and methodological expertise of the project. This agreement will also ensure further promotion of project results in Kyiv oblast.

After a series of research, analysis and adaptation∗, which was complete during July-September, EveryChild staff and experts developed a methodology of preparation of individual care plans and mentoring. The methodology was based on needs assessment of children leaving care, so-called ”social passport”, developed with the help of Service for Children of Kyiv Oblast. If successfully implemented, this allows us to have information database on care leavers of Tarashcha residential institutions. “Social passport” provides all the necessary information about reasons of institutionalization, place and time of being in care, development of a child, his or her rights (for instance on housing), contacts with biological relatives and etc.

In total 2 Ukrainian model projects were analyzed and statistical data for care leavers in Ukraine, 1 British project, 2 Russian projects and Bulgarian Care Leavers Integration Programme - a joint project of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Tarashcha care-leavers on vocational training in internat

©Simon Crofts/EveryChild Ukraine

The methodology itself was presented to agencies, partners during special session held in Kyiv Oblast Sate Administration. With the help of inter-agency approach we broke the stereotype that support for care leavers was still seen as a social services issue. Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky City Council adopted a special strategy for development of leaving care services and support for children leaving care.

Improving preparation for leaving care

Trainings EveryChild Ukraine developed training modules for on social work, inter-agency cooperation and mentoring.

Trainings for social workers and professionals of institutions on individual care plans and mentoring system were held on the 27-28 November “Development of individual care plans in order to socialize care leavers”, and on the 11-12 December “Training on socialization and adaptation of care leavers for personnel of residential institutions”.

All trainings on looked-after children and care leavers were organized on a multi-agency basis to spread knowledge and support networking.

Inter-agency co-operationIn the framework of the project EveryChild Ukraine invited a range of partners to attend the seminars, which resulted in an open and interesting exchange of views and experiences. Across all of the seminars, participants highlighted a range of barriers and challenges to working together effectively to improve outcomes for care leavers, and identified potential ways to overcome these.

In September EveryChild Ukraine organized a special training on inter-agency cooperation and joint work of social agencies in Pereyaslav-Khmel’nitsky. A multi agency meeting brought together local authorities, social services providers, educational institutions to establish effective mechanism of future project development.

Some of the issues raised included: beginning preparation for independence training as early as possible; mentoring system introduction; training care leavers to help with the training of workers; developing work-experience opportunities for care leavers; training facilities for social workers were reviewed. Awareness of assessment and pathway planning by social workers and staff in partner agencies was reviewed; key champions for care leavers in relevant agencies in project sites with social services responsibilities were identified.

Joint training allowed us to promote a common set of values by all professionals working with care leavers.

As a result a multi-agency working group was set up from residential institutions’ representatives, local authorities and social workers including labour center, medical and educational institutions for the preparation of School of Social Adaptation in Tarashcha.

Round table on inter-agency cooperation, ©EveryChildUkraine

Training on socialization and adaptation of care leavers for personnel of residential institutions ©EveryChild, Ukraine

The same group operates in Pereyaslav-Khmel’nitsky for children leaving care, who study in lyceum and local institute. This leaving-care “corporate parents group” includes social workers, psychologists, specialists from labour center, teachers, representatives of administration and health sector.

On the 2nd of December EveryChild Ukraine held a round-table with key stakeholders in Tarashcha on the problem of care-leavers in this district. Key officials and decision makers from Kyiv Oblast State Administration participated in the meeting.

Tailoring individual support for care leavers

School of Social Adaptation

The vision of the School of Social Adaptation originated from care leavers’ feeling that they didn’t have a voice in the leaving-care services provided to them.

Therefore, EveryChild Ukraine after adaptation of methodology for School of Social Adaptation and functioning of Leaving Care Services on the basis of Centres of Social Services decided to organize a focus group from care-leavers and to hear their voice about the School of Social adaptation.

We came to the conclusion that School of Social Adaptation is a club not only for care-leavers, but for those who would like to be independent in adult life, thus to avoid positive discrimination.

An appropriate venue was found and renovated and, working in partnership with agencies including education, labour, and health agencies wide range of trainings is run in the School. These include education, employment advice, life skills – cooking, budgeting, accommodation, health education. The School works from 2nd of December effectively, because it is a one-stop shop,

accessible and young-person-led, offers a range of advice and support, ensures young people’s involvement, places young people at the centre, focuses on the young people’s agenda, helps develop friendships and peer support.

EveryChild Ukraine developed a training pack for young people∗. The training pack shows the impact that support can have on care leavers’ results, focusing on education, training and employment. Training modules for care leavers present a clear pathway plan for independent life and include such areas as money/budgeting, cooking, communication skills, job search opportunities and etc. The complete list of trainings was agreed with our partners.

Mentor’s SystemThe other innovative and quite new for Ukraine component of the project was development of mentoring system which could ensure individual support to children and building relationships.

We started an introduction of mentoring system for care-leavers. A group of mentors was selected and trained on a meeting “Introducing the mentoring system’ in December in Tarashcha. The scheme – still in development – is a partnership between EveryChild Ukraine, Tarashcha Centre of Social Services for Family, Children and Youth, Tarashcha residential institutions.

Reconstruction of premisesWith help of additional funding from Kyiv Lions Club we decided to make a reconstruction of the premises (the centre will have comfortable sofas, kitchen, and tables to learn and spend free time). A soon as secure funding was received, the tender was held for reconstruction. A contract was signed with local company which completed the renovation.

EveryChild Ukraine reviewed r international and national experience in care leaving services (individual pathway plans, mentoring methodology, methodology for School of Social Adaptation).for training pack for care leavers 3 Ukrainian pocket books and 3 international pocket books were analyzed

Tarashcha care-leavers on reconstruction of premises

©Simon Crofts/EveryChild Ukraine

Opening School of Social Adaptation, ©EveryChild, Ukraine

Renovation and equipment of premises was completed. Two rooms, corridors, toilet and kitchen were renovated. Now the Centre has an equipped training room for studying and just to spend free time and a comfortable “home-styled’ room for regular meetings between mentors and care-leavers.

We changed water communications and made a kitchen on the first floor of the Centre of Social Services. We changed the windows, so now it is much warmer and comfortable to spend time there.

The sitting room was excellently refurbished. We bought furniture for kitchen and plan to buy all the necessary things to start classes in cooking, sewing courses, self support groups for care leavers, leisure activities

The care leavers no longer have to spend their free time on the streets, but can sit comfortably on the sofas. They have been also actively involved in the reconstruction works.

On the photos placed below you may see how it looked before and now it looks completely different now.

PR/Fundraising and media outreach

British photographer Simon Crofts filmed care leavers for future exhibition for raising funds for the project activities.

All project activities are updated at EveryChild Ukraine website and newsletter.

Need for further support

EveryChild Ukraine continues to implement the project and we would be glad for the further possible support.

The possible type of support could be as following:

pro bono services for design and printing of publications in the framework of the project

job opportunities for children leaving care

volunteers for mentoring stationery (flip-charts, pens,

notebooks, paper etc.) furniture for the School of Social

Adaptation (tables, shelves)

Feedback from partners and project participants“Young people leaving care are particularly vulnerable to exclusion which is why I am committed to making sure public services meet their needs. I believe that our club can become an organisation of integrity and experience. Interesting training curricula, materials friendly “home-like” atmosphere make children become more open, communicative and self-confident”, - Tarashcha social center for family, children and youth, social worker, Olga, coordinates activities in club “How to become successful”;

“I am grateful to the Club “How to become successful” for their great work supporting young people who are making the transition from care to independent living. During our classes I learned a lot of useful and interesting information. But most importantly, now I know how to set up goal and to reach it successfully”, - Vika, 17, care leaver from Tarashcha internat, visits Club “How to become successful” regularly;

“I don’t feel like the only care leaver anymore! “All the activities were great fun and I would love the chance to do it again. You all helped me to overcome my fears and learn things which I had not experienced before.I wish to keep the gained knowledge well and to avoid mistakes in my life in the future”, Vitaliy, 16 – care-leaver from Tarashcha internat feedback after training;

Tarashcha care-leavers on a vocational training in internat

©Simon Crofts/EveryChild Ukraine

“I liked everything we discussed during the classes. I understood how to start my job search, how to communicate with people more confidently and effectively” – Marina, 15, care-leaver from Tarashcha internat, after training on career management and job search;

“I am grateful to people who helped our leaving-care services system to get organised and become empowered. Their words inspired all of us to make a positive and enduring difference to the children and young people in our care. Our community realized that preparation and support for life after care is particularly important for care leavers, and it’s everybody’s business. The renovated social center now attracts more and more young people, I think, it’s a good start.”, -Tarashcha social center for family, children and youth, Director Mrs. Tetyana Yakubovska

Financial Report

Project duration: April 1, 2008 - September 30, 2009 (18 months)

Report period: April 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008 (9 months)

Funders Total Contribution, USD

Reporting Period Expenses, USD

British Embassy 6000 1355

Kyiv Lions Club 9268 9268

Ukrainian businesses 8298 8298

Local government 1080 1054

EveryChild 8880 5651

Total 34526 25625

A number of Ukrainian companies have also supported the Project by in-kind contributions including computers, office equipment (tables).

Thank You!EveryChild is grateful to the support we received from individuals, business and community organisations, British Embassy and Kyiv lions Club, who share our commitment in striving to provide the quality care and services to the care-leavers.

Without these donations much of the innovative work carried out in social care, education and activities; and the opportunities provided for young people would not be possible.

We are looking forward for further co-operation with you to gain more mutual and socially beneficial experience.

EveryChild Ukraine team