Social Inclusion through Employment

EU pre-accession programme IPA 2009: Building Capacities of CSOs for Implementing Innovative Social Service Delivery Programmes in the Areas of Special State Concern

Social Inclusion through Employment

This project financed by the Europian union

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Project implemented by the Center for social inclusion Ĺ ibenik

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This booklet has been produced as the part of the project: “Social Inclusion through Employment”, financed through IPA 2009: Building Capacities of CSOs for Implementing Innovative Social Service Delivery Programmes in the Areas of Special State Concern. The contractor is Central Finance and Contracting Agency (CFCA).

Project Summary: The goal of the project is to expand the network of innovative social services regarding work in the areas of special state concern – the city of Knin in the Šibenik-Knin county and the city of Zadar. The project will contribute to increasing the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, raising awareness, and generally improving the situation of persons with disabilities regarding the work. Activities performed with our partner, the Association for Persons with Disabilities “Saint Bartholomew” and associates in Primary School Vostarnica – Zadar in Zadar are focused on establishing the service in Knin and Zadar that provide services for people with intellectual disabilities; employing beneficiaries in regular working conditions; work activities in the work center; facilitating access to employment; providing information on employment of people with disabilities. Expected results are: employing 5-10 people with intellectual disabilities in Knin, Zadar and Drnis in the open labor market, participation of 10-20 people with intellectual disabilities in in the working activities of the Knin work center, the Sibenik-Knin county public informed and sensitized for the employment problems of people with disabilities and ways to overcome these difficulties.

Partner: Association for Persons with Disabilities “Saint Bartholomew”, Knin Associate: Primary School Vostarnica – Zadar, Zadar

Center for Social Inclusion Šibenik Stjepana Radića 46 22000 Šibenik Croatia tel./fax.: 00385 22 31 21 71 e-mail: inkluzija.sibenik@si.t-com.hr web: www.inkluzija-sibenik.hr Contact: Daniela Marinov

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EU pre-accession programme IPA 2009: Building Capacities of CSOs for Implementing Innovative Social Service Delivery Programmes in the Areas of Special State Concern

Social Inclusion through Employment

Project implemented by The Center for social inclusion Šibenik, Stjepana Radića 46, Šibenik

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Partner: Association of disabled persons “Saint Bartholomew”, 4. gardijske brigade 3, Knin

Project financed by the European union

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Supported employment Supported employment is paid work done by people with intellectual disabilities in the regular working environment with continuous monitoring and support. Supported is provided by job coaches, and later by colleagues.

Job coach is a trained and qualified person who prepares the beneficiary for work, providing direct support at social integration and at learning and performing their tasks, if necessary.

The work environment becomes increasingly important area of life quality for the people with intellectual disabilities, as well as the housing, social and personal life. Work becomes very important for these people not only because of the time spent on the job and some kind of occupation, but because it has a significant impact and role in their lives Supported employment provides: • • • • • •

financial independence achieving positive valued social roles, the exercise of basic human rights, choice, opportunities to learn and develop new skills, social integration.

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Supported employment beneficiaries • People with intellectual disabilities who have their legal capacity and who are qualified for a profession or unemployed people – they sign a work contract • People with disabilities deprived of their legal capacity – they sign work activities contract or participate in a productive and cooperative activities of the work center.

Basic supported employment features are: • Integration: people with disabilities are employed full time and working together with people without disabilities • Salary and other benefits: an employee with disabilities receives a salary for his/ her work and other benefits such as sick leave, vacation, education, etc.

• accommodation to the work environment: the first step is placing a person in the work environment, and only after that he/she is provided with training for a specific job • no rejection: everyone has the right to be included in the supported employment program, regardless to the scope of problems • flexible support: all aspects of supported employment are adjusted to the needs and abilities of the specific person • Continued support: support employment services for provide on-going assistance to people with disabilities in order to enable them to retain the job, or find a new one.

• Choice: People with disabilities can choose where and under what conditions they want to work.

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Supported employment means an individual approach (focused through personal support programs) in finding employment and occupational activities for people with intellectual disabilities, and includes the following elements: • a general assessment, ie, determining the user’s interests and needs, as well as the ability to perform certain types of work; • contacting potential employers, finding a suitable job and prepare the employer; • analysis and adjustment of the workplace – workplace adapts to the person who is hired • implementing the personally directed support programs; • providing direct support at the workplace in training and practicing the work tasks • supporting the beneficiary in acquiring and supporting social competence and social relationships in the workplace • supporting the user in situations indirectly related to employment, in self-protection and seeking help or protection of his/her rights; • continuous monitoring of beneficiary’s work performance and the life after her/ his independence is achieved (visits and communication with the beneficiary and the employer providing additional support where necessary, intervene in possible issue or crisis situations); • evaluation of work efficiency and quality of work life.

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Models of supported employment that we provide:

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1. Individual model of supported employment This model is designed for a specific person with disability and includes finding the job that suits her/his needs and abilities.

Learning the tasks and skills related to communication and orientation in the workplace is carried out at a particular workplace. When the beneficiary acquires the skills and gains the confidence and trust in the work of the associates, the job coach support, if agreed with the beneficiary and the employer, is reduced or completely abandoned. Supported employment service keeps monitoring the beneficiary and is available to employers and co-workers in the workplace.

2. Model of mobile groups Small groups of people with disabilities work as a separate unit and offer a variety of services in the community. Supported employment service arranges and organizes activities at various locations in the community, mostly cleaning office buildings. Users have the job coach support.

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Services we provide: 1. Supported employment through work contracts and contracts of work activities in regular working conditions: • Choosing and preparing beneficiaries for inclusion to the regular work environment, assessing skills, interests and needs of the beneficiaries (through interviews, application scale evaluation and observation skills relevant to employment) • Looking for potential jobs in a regular work environment based on an assessment in accordance with the skills and interests • Analysis and adaptation of jobs, and preparing the work environment • Development of individual training programs for work and monitoring of the direct and indirect actions related to beneficiary’s job • Introducing beneficiaries to jobs, training them for work, providing individualized support in the workplace. This support is gradually reduced, but remains present until the person is completely independent. Support is also provided for establishing appropriate relations with colleagues in order to gain natural support in the workplace.

• Continuous evaluation of the support quality 2. Providing psychosocial support to customers Individual talks with the coordinator (rehabilitator expert, psychologist, occupational therapist) – psychosocial support users get a more realistic picture of themselves and their social environment, and improve their communication skills, which ultimately has a positive impact on the development of their self-esteem, and thus the overall life quality.

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3. Communication workshops Encouraging the initiation, development and completion of the conversation, asking colleagues for help, establishing proper relationship with the employer, raising awareness of self-image, understanding one’s own strengths and weaknesses, raising awareness of their own needs, desires and capabilities. We want to allow beneficiaries to socialize through workshops, sharing experiences, empower them to actively participate in the local community to ask for their rights

4. Computer Workshops Familiarizing beneficiaries with the basic functions of a personal computer, navigate through icons and windows desktop, writing in Word and text processing, managing and organizing files, basic Web browsing and using the basic search engines, sending and receiving e-mails.

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5. The production of useful and decorative items in a work center Work activities in the work center are preparing people for work in normal working conditions. It is also the only possible work engagement available for the beneficiaries who are estimated to have extreme difficulties in finding a job in regular working conditions.

• Defining and designing products • Making products – creative activity of making souvenirs, decorative and useful items • Product marketing – negotiating cooperative works with other businesses

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Benefits for the beneficiaries

Benefits for employers

• Income – persons who are employed with the support get appropriate salary for their work, they can participate in paying their life costs or they can create conditions for independent living.

• Social integration and interaction – people who are employed with support get engaged in significant interactions with their co-workers, increasing the level of integration between the beneficiaries and their colleagues.

• Satisfaction with the life quality – a subjective feeling of satisfaction is important aspect of life quality. Beneficiaries are satisfied with the degree of integration in the workplace, their own activities at work, new skills they have acquired, as well as new contacts and friendships.

• The viewpoint of employers and colleagues in the workplace – employers and workers change their negative attitudes and show satisfaction with the model of employment, the role of job coach and work with supported employees.

• Cost efficiency – the costs of supported employment are significant, but they eventually pay off. They diminish the claims for benefits from social welfare system, they are cheaper than costly and unproductive daily programs and “protected enterprises.”

• People are more accepted in the community and achieve better life quality in other areas.

• Highly motivated workers who are rarely absent from work • Low turnover of staff, and if there is a change in the workplace, the service proposes and educates new worker • additional training by the professional staff • less accidents in the workplace • continuous monitoring by supported employment service • Incentives Fund for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities and the Croatian Employment Service

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The employer has the right to: • Regular incentives • Special incentives Regular incentives are: 1. Monetary incentive – fee in the amount of the contribution for the basic health insurance and employment contribution 2. Benefits of reduced performance difference 3. Co-financing the costs of job coach (helper in the work) Special incentives are: 1. Immediate tangible benefits – education for people with disabilities 2. Means for adapting the workplace – architectural adaptation 3. Means to adjust the working conditions – technical adjustment 4. Loans with favorable conditions intended for purchasing machinery, equipment, tools or supplies required for the employment of people with disabilities 5. Co-financing the costs of occupational therapist

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For more information: Center for Social Inclusion Šibenik Stjepana Radića 46 22000 Šibenik Croatia tel./fax.: 00385 22 31 21 71 e-mail: inkluzija.sibenik@si.t-com.hr web: www.inkluzija-sibenik.hr Contact: Daniela Marinov Delegation of the European union Trg Žrtava fašizma 6, 10 000 Zagreb Tel. 01 / 450 01 10 euinfocentar@euic.hr www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu/hr

Project implemented by The Center for social inclusion Šibenik, Stjepana Radića 46, Šibenik

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Partner: Association of disabled persons “Saint Bartholomew”, 4. gardijske brigade 3, Knin

Project financed by the European union

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This publication has been made with the financial help of the European union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Center for Social Inclusion Sibenik and should not in any way be considered to reflect the views of the European union.

European union consists of 27 member states who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.

This project financed by the Europian union

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Project implemented by the Center for social inclusion Ĺ ibenik

3.12.2012. 10:53