School education and vocational training are connected with barriers and exclusion risks for young people with physical, cognitive and additional psychological impairments. The number of people with psychological problems and behavioural disorders in vocational training is strongly on the increase. This presents challenges for employers, trainers and teachers, who do not have a sufficient interaction repertoire and are lacking appropriate support. The present education and support programmes often do not match the requirements of these persons, as they are universally aligned and orient themselves on blanket disability categories and presumed typical deficiencies. The aim of the project is to develop the personality and the abilities of everyone and enable his participation in society. Until now, aspects of the inclusion have been discussed and tried most intensively in school education, whereas participation in vocational training and work was not in the focus, although this is clearly requested by Article 27 UN-CRPD. The project implements the main constituents of a new and modern approach to vocational training of people with disabilities: Inclusion, participation, self-determination, empowerment, equal opportunity, accessibility, involvement, and thinking and acting in educational networks are taken into account. INDIVERSO connects disabled people, self-help organisations, funding bodies of occupational rehabilitation and firms to analyse the demand and to develop a training concept, enabling the target group to successfully complete a vocational training. The concept consists of the following instruments: 1. Training assisting offers for trainees with psychological impairments 2. Further training for teachers and specialists of schools, training facilities and of work and living areas 3. Coach the coach for assisting coaching during vocational training 4. Assisting coaching during vocational training for people with psychological impairments 5. Supervision and coaching offers for teaching personnel and specialists 6. Guidelines for prevention and crisis intervention 7. Information and training offers for firms 8. Setup of regional networks for ensuring successful vocational training of young people with physical or cognitive and additional psychological impairments. The basis for this concept is a dynamic and interactive model that understands disability as a result of negative feedback of environment and personal factors. Participation is consistently implemented in the project: People with disabilities are at the focus, from the analysis of the necessary support and changed concepts, to the assessment of the effects. For teachers and specialists, the aim is to relay professional handling skills and sensitisation for the individual orientation to the requirements of each trainee. Information and action concepts for successful inclusion of people with psychological impairments will be made available to companies that provide training. Permanent education, consultation and support structures will be created within the project. The education concepts will be anchored within the information and service structures of the project partners, so that the target groups can make use of the new offers and support in everyday life. The creation of regional networks with employers, youth psychiatrists, integration specialists, case managers and job coaches secures the long-term success. Superordinate aims • Make inclusion possible also for this target group • Provide impulses for the creation of an inclusive training and job market and thus the improvement in the employment situation • Bring taboo topics “Psychological impairment, training and employment” to the focus and in doing so, remove stigmatisation, prejudices and misunderstandings • Sharpen the employer’s awareness and through it, improve the employability of the target group and avoid long term unemployment • Develop target group specific basic competences of teachers and other specialists • Implement the political demand for equality and the empowerment approach Central project aims • Europe-wide exchange of experiences regarding vocational training and work by people with psychological impairments • Construct networks • Improvement of the cooperation of company training sites and educational facilities enabling training that is as close to the company aims as possible • Development of a training and consultation concept for the target group specific design of training and work • Furthering of job-relevant competences of people with psychological impairments • Training courses for specialists • Creation of sustainable support for schools, other training facilities and companies • Strengthening of the empowerments attitude • Inclusion of the people involved as “self-made experts”
Better job opportunities for people with mental impairments and challenging behaviours – this goal was pursued by the European project partnership as part of the “INDIVERSO” project. Education and vocational training for young people with mental impairments is linked with barriers and risks of exclusion. In vocational training the number of people with mental impairments has increased considerably. This is challenging for instructors and teachers who, to date, have not had any sufficient repertoire of actions or received tailored support. Previous educational and developmental concepts frequently failed to meet the needs of this target group because they were geared towards general disability categories and assumed typical deficits. Educational, advisory and support offers of vocational training were developed in the project, which satisfied the individual needs of young people with mental impairments and all people involved in this process. In doing so, focus was placed on providing strategies and solutions for the successful, inclusive vocational training of trainees with disabilities and impairments. Eleven project partners from seven European countries (Estonia, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom/Northern Ireland and Germany) analysed the needs and developed and tested the educational concept. The partnership is composed of a self-help association and institutes for vocational training as well as the University of Kassel for scientific back-up. In addition to pupils and trainees with mental impairments, the project is geared towards teachers and other specialists that are involved in the educational process and the professional integration of the target group. We look at the individual educational needs and learning conditions of each individual and do not refer to a specific disability or impairment. The educational offers can be used by all pupils and trainees as well as teachers and specialists and training organisations. The educational concept that was developed includes seven instruments that are subdivided into 17 modules due to their complexity and can be flexibly used: 1. Support Services for trainees with mental impairments Module 1: Person driven planning Module 2: Psycho-motor approach Module 3: Creative situations to develop the communication / social skills Module 4: Peer support 2. Information and further training opportunities for pedagogical staff Module 1: Enabling pedagogical staff Module 2: Guidelines with practical aids for school, training and work Module 3: Developing the self-evaluation competences of staff 3. Coaching - A coaching approach focused on preparing young people with mental impairments for the labour market 4. Supervision and Intervision Module 1: Supervision Module 2: Intervision (peer group case advice in inclusive professional training) - A practical guideline for introduction and implementation Module 3: Moderator training for intervision 5. Guidelines for prevention and crisis intervention Module 1: Prevention Module 2: Recognising the singn of crises Module 3: Coping strategies 6. Information and training offers for firms Module 1: Training day for employers Module 2: Counseling and support for the employers 7. Networking The manuals on the instruments with guidelines, practices and recommendations are available online free of charge. In doing so, we are providing teachers and specialists of vocational training, self-help associations and people with mental impairments with material on educational guidance or vocational training. However, these offers cannot and are not intended to replace any medical or therapeutic treatments and therapies. This creates permanent educational, advisory and support structures. The project partners have anchored the educational concept into the information and service structures so that the target groups can use the offers and support in their everyday lives. The concept expands the job-related competences of the individuals with mental impairments. For teachers and other specialists, this helps achieve the sensitisation for an individual orientation towards the needs of the individual trainees as well as the mediation of professional competence. Training organisations receive information and concepts for the successful inclusions of people with mental impairments. The multi-professional collaboration of the different specialists and institutions in a regional network is of great importance for the INDIVERSO concept. It will ensure long-term success.