Social Inclusion Programme |
Group Home Project: Casa Catalina
One of the difficulties facing County Councils is the lack of non-institutional accommodation for young disabled people who on reaching the age of 18 are no longer eligible for child services. These vulnerable young people are sent from child placement centres housing up to 60 children, to large adult neuro-psychiatric institutions. Whilst child placement centres are not ideal; moving young people into large adult institutions where the ratio of staff to young person is far less than that of a placement centre, is traumatic and puts the child’s physical and emotional wellbeing at risk.
It was for this reason a group of Irish volunteer builders and a UK charity ‘Project Mustard Seed’ in partnership with HAO Romania/HAO built Casa Catalina.
In a good example of sustainable development, HAO Romania in partnership with Galati Social Services Department, provide a home for 8 young people with disability. Galati SSD provide the management and running costs of Casa Catalina while HAO Romania provide staff training in the Social Model of Disability and a full time therapist/trainer to provide on-going support to the staff and residents of the home.
Project for Supported Independent Living Apartments
Egreta apartment: HAO Romania support 4 young people with disability to live in an apartment in Constanta. We help these young people gain independent living skills, get jobs and deal with the day to day challenges they face living in the community and being part of the workforce. We are actively working with these young people so that they will develop their skills and gain the confidence they will need to move into their own apartments.
Lirei apartment: In partnership with Constanta Social Services Department (DGASPC) HAO Romania support 5 young people from institutional care in an apartment where they will gain the skills they need to live independently. We will also help them to find employment and manage the challenges they may face living and working in the community. This is a 3 year project; the goal is for these young people to gain employment and to move to their own apartments.
Safety Net Project
HAO Romania provide a safety net of support to young people with disability who have moved into their own apartment. The level of support varies according to the needs of the young person; from being at the end of the telephone to hear about their latest purchase, to helping them manage their finances so they can pay their bills. We help and encourage the young people to develop their own network of support from the friends, work colleagues and other contacts they have made in the community.
We see this project as the final phase of HAO Romania’s Social Inclusion Programme.
|
