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Pentru Voi Foundation

Community services for people with intellectual

disability

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Good Practices in Social Services Delivery for Children and Persons with

Physical and Mental Disabilities

Sofia, Bulgaria

8-12 November 2004

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Who are we?Who are we?is a non-governmental, non-profit organizationis a non-governmental, non-profit organization

Our goal:Our goal:

to increase the quality of life for persons with intellectual to increase the quality of life for persons with intellectual disabilities. disabilities.

Our philosophy:Our philosophy:inclusion, built on the belief that all the people are equal and inclusion, built on the belief that all the people are equal and

should be respected and valued, as an issue of human should be respected and valued, as an issue of human rights.rights.

Main values:Main values:1.1. Dignity and worth of each personDignity and worth of each person

2.2. Self determinationSelf determination

3.3. Equality despite differences Equality despite differences

4.4. The ethic of solidarityThe ethic of solidarity

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Service users:

110 service users, adults with developmental disabilities 110 service users, adults with developmental disabilities and their families.and their families.

Provided services:Provided services:

1.1. Day ServicesDay Services

2.2. Residential servicesResidential services

3.3. Community supportCommunity support

4.4. Advocacy and Self-advocacyAdvocacy and Self-advocacy

5. Specialized training provider and publication editor

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Day services:a)a) Workshops:Workshops:

Copy centreTailoringHandcraft – decorationsGardening / Carpentry Bakery

b)b) Supported employmentSupported employment: job coaching for 15 people who

have a job on the open market; vocational profile, job seeking,

vocational training and social skills training for 30 people

c)c) Day care centreDay care centre: three activity groups for persons with severe

and multi-handicap or challenging behaviour.

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2. Residential services2. Residential services

a)a)          DINADINA – group home for eight persons coming from institutions or disadvantaged familiesb)b)          DINUDINU – group home for ten persons coming from institutions or disadvantaged familiesc)c)            LAURALAURA – independent living facility for three women coming from institutions

3. Community support3. Community support

a)a)          Family support and counsellingFamily support and counselling

b)b)          Social life and leisureSocial life and leisure – annual summer camp, Pentru Voi Club (disco, contests, games, birthday’s anniversaries)c)c)            Social accompanimentSocial accompaniment

4. Advocacy and Self-advocacy4. Advocacy and Self-advocacy

Participations of our self-advocates in national and international conferences and events; summer school on self-advocacy; continuous support through training sessions for 80 self-advocates

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Supported employment:• Vocational profile• Vocational training• Social skills training• Job seeking• Job analyse• Matching• Advocacy• Support in the recruitment process• Job coach: depending on the individual needs

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Bakery•Social enterprise

•Workshop and Training program

•Business

•Challenges for the whole organisation: training with Nesst

•Bread for the centre

•Contract with the social cantina of the Town hall: 300 breads /day

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The day centre Pentru Voi with supported living:

A public-private partnership between Pentru Voi Foundation and Timisoara Town Hall

A community- based service

Financed by the local budget of the city of Timisora

The legal base: a partnership agreement approved by the Local council of Timisoara

Public institution

Coordination methodologically: The National Authority for people with handicap

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Success factors:• Involvement of parents in the leadership of

the foundation – motivation• Permanent support from foreign NGOs:

national (Holland, Sweden) and international: Inclusion Europe, Inclusion international

• Grants from different donors: OSI, CNF, EU, SHIA, MATRA, Rotary international

• The wisdom and receptivity of the Town Hall of Timisoara

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• The permanent cooperation with NAPH, the Delegation of EU, The commission of EU- DG Enlargement

• The involvement in the development of a strong national parents organisation

• Permanent lobby• Strong motivation of leadership and staff

    

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National level:In the last 14 years:• a concerted effort of the Government to end this

treatment especially of children. • considerable investment from the international

community, including the EU Phare assistance programs, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Bank for the development of the European Council and well as many individual European governments and NGOs

• The effect of this support was diminished by the lack of a national strategy in the field of disability

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Elaboration of the national Strategy

• February 2000, we took the incentive of setting up a group of 50 NGOs together with representatives of the State Secretariat for Persons with Handicap, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection

• we have agreed on a draft of a National Strategy on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Handicap at a national conference where keynote speaker was UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, Mr. Bengt Lindqvist.

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Lobby for strategy• Six month after the conference - a follow up

workshop attended by Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne the European Parliament Rapporteur for Romania.

• Finally, the Romanian Government has approved on 31st October 2002, the National Strategy for the Special Protection and Social Integration of Disabled People in Romania

• The adoption of this National Strategy is an example of good practice of public – private partnership between the Government – the State Secretariat for People with handicap - and NGOs.

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Twinning light projects• Finalisation of the Romanian National

Strategy for Disabled Persons and Elaboration of the Action Plan for the period 2001-2005

• Training of specialists and Staff of Central and Local Authorities for the Implementation of the National Strategy

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Some people look at things as they are and ask” why?” I dream at things that never were and ask “why not?”

Bernard Shaw

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• Ersing, R., Loeffler, D. N., Tracy, M. B., & Onu, L. (2007). Pentru Voi Fundatia: Interdisciplinary Community Development, Using Social Enterprise in Romania. Journal of Community Practice, 15 (1-2), 193-215.

• Ersing, R., Loeffler, D. N., Tracy, M. B., & Onu, L. (2007). In A. E. Johnson Butterfield & Y. Korazim-Korosy (eds.). Interdisciplinary Community Development: International Perspectives (pp. 193-215). Haworth Press.