Conference Tartu December 7-9, 2005 ”Youth Participation and Quality Management”

EU project ”European Youth involved in Public Care and Youth Justice Systems”

The Idea Exchange of information and best practice Network of researchers and social workers Create an arena for co-operation Platform for future projects

Partnership Lead Partner: University of Edinburgh Partners: Veneto Region Valle d ´Aosta Region City of Uppsala (incl. City of Västerås) City of Helsinki (associated partner)

Project Facts Framework 5 programme 185,000€ 1 year project 1November – 31 October 2003

Project Aims Develop an effective network Identify common themes Improve understanding of different systems Establish an agenda for future collaboration

Objectives Exchange of information on existing and future provision of public child care and youth justice services Compare legal and policy framework Understand Structures, systems and philosophy of child and youth welfare Disseminate ”best practice”

Objectives, cont… Promote quality services based on theory and practice Examine the role of social agencies Establish collaborative research Develop common theoretical frameworks for policy and practice within Europe

Work Content A network of researchers and social workers from four partner countries 3 conferences – to compare systems on promoting social inclusion In Aosta, Uppsala and Edinburgh

Aim of Conferences Provide information …… Presentations of each country: - Legal and Policy Frameworks - Research - Service provision in social work - Strategic policy

We found out that… Child/family poverty and social exclusion was an underlying challenge in all partner countries Welfare and Justice Systems in each country dealt with the young people of the poor

Findings, cont…. Social inequality alongside social disadvantage were common features in all countries In each country the systems for care and justice are set within the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Findings; cont… Policies in each country stress the importance of prevention and early intervention Policies are aimed at maintaining children and young people, as far as possible, at home and in the community

Findings; cont…… Responses to the needs of children and young people as victims of abuse, appear to be resulting in improved child protection measures Measures derived from experience of ”what works” in practice are more often effective than political initiatives

Challenges we identified How to establish effective, non criminal, community-based responses that strenghten the role of families so that they become positive resources for young people How to minimise the use of institutional accomodation

Challenges for social workers Establishing good enough assessment tools Developing standardised or comparative measures of need, risk and outcomes Promoting shared models of effective practice and professional training

Common themes we need to improve Knowledge and experience of the adolescent period Ethnicity and Inclusion Assessment methods, Methods of Intervention – ”what works?” Prevention and Early Intervention Methods

Conclusions: Experience in each partner country reflected…. world wide findings, that children and young people involved in public care and youth justice systems are, generally, children - with multiple difficulties - often living in social difficulty - experiencing poverty and social exclusion

Conclusions; cont…. There is a need for better evaluation to direct the provision of services Methods of prevention and effective early intervention need to be based on theories developed from research

Conclusions; cont… Response systems to excluded youth vary from one country to another Shared policies and practices are required across Europe to improve the effectiveness of better integrated multi- agency provision Increased transnational co-operation improve practice and policy

More information…. Contact Details: Joe Francis – Eva Thorsen –