Podpornik

<< Background >>In 2019, Lojtra has been running an Erasmus+ programme, where we work with a local primary school to form a group of 15 young people who we meet regularly between September and March, and then run an international youth exchange with them. After the experience, we involve them in the work of local youth organisations. So there have been regular meetings and trust has been built within the group. Then came the shock of two young people cancelling their participation. We were extremely surprised by this, as we are not used to cancellations. Not at all in our work with teenagers, where we have a lot of meetings and where we are careful to create a safe space for everyone present. The reasons and the way of cancellation were different, but because we wanted to understand them better, we discovered through conversations with each other, with teachers and with the school management that in one case it was a person with an eating disorder, and in the other case it was an extremely difficult home situation. What struck and surprised us the most from the whole experience was the fact that the youth workers did not detect this in advance and consequently did not react to the situations. That is why we decided to apply with this project. << Objectives >>Aim: To develop an organisational approach to empower youth workers to work successfully with young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD).Project Objectives:1. To conduct a survey on the necessary competences for youth workers to work with young people with EBI (in relation to the competences youth workers already have and the situations they face).2. To develop a competency model to empower youth workers to perceive the EBI of young people and to apply possible solutions to different scenarios of deviant behaviour and the youth worker's reactions to them.3. To develop a manual for youth workers that includes a cross-section of key topics in the field.4. Develop a training curriculum for youth workers. Three modules of 6 days each.5. Test the designed modules on 27 youth workers.6. Identify a support network in the local area that can support the youth worker in dealing with young people with EBI.7. To develop organisational guidelines for the development of organisations towards inclusion and sufficient support for young people with EBI, with a particular focus on support for youth workers working with young people with EBI8. Produce a series of 15 podcasts with different mental health professionalls<< Implementation >>The Supporter project has implemented a series of activities aimed at achieving its objectives, in particular improving the competences of youth workers to work with young people with emotional and behavioural problems. Activities included:youth worker competency survey, developing a competency model, development and distribution of the Gentle Curiosity manual, developig curriculum and training for youth workers, pilot testing of the training modules for working with young people with EBI, building a support network, creating 15 podcasts on the topic, dissemination of knowledge and experience.<< Results >>1. Fidnings from the research, competency model, Gentle curiosity handbook, curriculum and training modules, podcast series. 2. Youth workers who participated in the trainings reported significant improvements in their ability to identify and respond to young people's emotional and behavioural problems. They felt more confident and were better equipped to deal effectively with difficult situations.3. The training and other outputs (podcasts, manual) have increased awareness and sensitivity to the complexity of emotional and behavioural problems among young people. This has fostered a more empathetic and supportive environment within youth organisations.4. Stronger support networks. 5. Dissemination of the results engaged a wider community of stakeholders in the field of youth mental health. The collaboration with Gradec Primary School on the multiplier event was particularly successful. In this way, we reached many more people directly and indirectly than we would otherwise have without their cooperation. 6. Increased youth workers' awareness of their own limits when working with young people. The training sessions highlighted how to identify situations that go beyond their competences and when to seek further help.