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BCIF :: News :: 2011 Archives :: The Second Study Visit to Holland within CSO's – Strong Partners in Social Welfare System Reform project
News
01-03-2011.
The Second Study Visit to Holland within CSO's – Strong Partners in Social Welfare System Reform project
From February 7th to 10th 2011 Balkan Community Initiatives Fund (BCIF), in cooperation with its partner the SCAN Foundation from Holland, organized a second study visit to Holland, this time intended for the representatives of institutions and other relevant actors whose activities aim at improving the quality of life and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in Serbia, within CSO's – Strong Partners in Social Welfare System Reform project. The project is being financed by The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia through Strengthening Serbia-EU Civil Society Dialogue project. The goal of this visit was for the representatives of institutions to get a picture of the Dutch social welfare system, to visit the relevant Ministry and civil society organizations which provide services, and to visit some of living and employment with support programs etc. Twelve representatives from the following institutions from Serbia participated:
- Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
- Sector for People with Disabilities at Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
- Ministry of Health
- Team for Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction at Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for European Integration
- Ministry of Education, »Dils« project
- The Republic Institute for Social Protection
- Provincial Institute for Social Protection
- Home for People with Intellectual Disabilities »Srce u Jabuci«
- Home for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Stamnica
- Eurobank EFG
- »Blic« newspaper
This three-day visit was designed in such a manner as to provide the participants with an insight into the Dutch work praxis with people with intellectual disabilities, especially pointing out the role of civil society organizations as the providers of services, as well as the legal framework which enables and supports the Dutch social welfare system. The visit, therefore, presented the organizations and the examples of good work praxis with beneficiaries from three main domains:
• Independent living and living with support,
• Day care centers and organizing free time and
• Legal framework which has been presented by the representatives from Ministry of Health and Welfare
Independent living and living with support
Within the first segment of the visit, the representatives of the study visit had a chance to visit De Oliberg location, where people with intellectual disabilities live on their own, with occasional support when needed. Their apartments are in the same building as the apartments of other people, and there is a large common room on the ground floor which they use for many purposes: for cooking in the spacious kitchen, hanging out, afternoon activities, social games, meetings and many creative workshops. That space is important because it is a place of gathering for the entire neighborhood. Both children and pupils who live nearby come to hang out and participate in activities.
During the second day of the visit, the representatives visited Huis de Lande, a living block where solely people with intellectual disabilities live, along with the entire support team. The entire building was especially designed to be available and easy to use for the people with intellectual disabilities, especially for people in wheelchairs (adjusted apartments, bathrooms, elevators, entrances etc.) Within the building there is a central kitchen where the food may be prepared for the people who want it. The people with intellectual disabilities here receive support related to everyday activities (bathing, putting on clothes, feeding etc.), while they go every day to some of the day care centers where they work (those who are employed), or engage in work.
Educating people with intellectual disabilities and organizing their free time
During the second segment of the visit, the representatives had a chance to visit Dorrepall Center for Work and Daytime Activities for people with intellectual disabilities. With warm welcome, Director Steven Peters presented the activities at this center. 150 clients from the age of 18 to 55 work and engage in work within an old aristocratic villa, which is under the state protection, and is rented to Daycare center under special conditions. Their activities are implemented from 9 to 5 every work day. About 50% of their clients live independently (or with support), while 50% of them still live within their primary family, while regularly coming to Dorrepall Center where they work or engage in work. It is important to point out that their clients do not live off of what they earn, but off of social welfare. They engage in work every day and, given time, they acquire even more and more skills, in order to prepare for work on the open market. A personal portfolio is made for every client for that purpose, where everything a client knows or is capable of doing is described, along with the skills the client has acquired. For every new skill they learn they receive a diploma of some sort, which is valid later when they star looking for a lob. For some of the clients, work here is a direct preparation for the work on the open market, while for some others it is important in order for them to get used to team work and every day duties, and to acquire necessary life skills.
Especially impressive was the visit to Steinmetz de Compaan, which is a civil society organization which provides services and support for some 2500 clients, and has about 2500 employees. They work at 250 locations on the area from The Hague to Rotterdam. The clients themselves speak in the best manner about their work, and we had an opportunity to watch them in the documentary »See and Be Seen«, where they sincerely talk about how they lived before and after using services of this company. One of Steinmatz's clients, Mike, was our guide through another location where people with intellectual disabilities live – Ministar Alberselan. What is different here from the rest we have seen during the visit is that more people with various disabilities live together here and function as a family. Each one of them has his/her own bedroom, while they share spacious living room, bathroom, laundry room, kitchen and terrace.
The visit to Dutch Ministry of Health and Welfare
During the last day of the visit, the participants visited Dutch Ministry of Health and Welfare, where several presentations were presented to them: introduction to Dutch welfare system, the role of inspection, inclusion in Holland, the role of parents' societies in care about people with intellectual disabilities in Holland, and Hans van der Vries's lecture »Quality of Life – Shalok's domains«. Some of these presentations were at the same time presented as Power Point presentations, which were later translated and which we also present to you in full length.
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