Project title:
The improvement of professional skills for staff working with elderly people.
Project summary:
Specialists working with old people are directly affected by the negative consequences that are related to their non-sufficient working skills. Therefore specialists working in the sphere of provision of administrative and public services collaborate among themselves insufficiently, and social workers, their assistants as well as social care and health care employees provide services insufficiently oriented towards the needs of clients. The towns of Akmenė and Šiauliai are located far from the social workers’ qualification raising methodical centres. Methodical centres that offer certified programmes for social workers working with elderly people are located in the towns of Vilnius, Alytus, Prienai, Klaipėda and Zarasai (Data taken from the Social Workers’ Training Centre of the year 2007, www.sdrc.lt). With reference to the data of the Social Workers’ Training Centre any programme of social workers’ qualification raising for employees working with elderly people was not certified in 2008. Target group of the project consists of administrative employees, social workers, assistants of social workers, social care employees and health care employees. Indirect benefit receivers – 354 elderly people. Purpose of the project – to develop abilities of the employees working in the sphere of provision of administrative and public services providing them with the knowledge of empirical education and accident management and familiarizing them with employment of innovative methods in social work with elderly people as well as to improve employees’ practical skills of service provision while using them in professional activities. The main activities of the project are the following: theoretical – practical workshops intended for social workers, their assistants, social care and health care employees. Due to the above mentioned trainings specialists will gain fresh knowledge of innovative methods of social work and art therapy as well as familiarize with psychological problems of elderly people. Achievements of the project – professional abilities of 10 administrative employees and 65 employees providing public services will be developed, moreover, their social and professional competence as well as work motivation will be raised. As a result of the above mentioned employees will provide elderly people with more qualitative and purposeful services.
Project partners:
– Šiaulių rajono savivaldybės Socialinių paslaugų centras (Lithuania), (project coordinator);
– Akmenės rajono socialinių paslaugų namai (Lithuania);
– Palangos miesto globos namai (Lithuania);
– VsI Socialiniu inovaciju centras (Lithuania).
Project duration: 2010 March – 2010 October