Well-being and LIFE SKILLS are at least as important as other 21st century skills. To this scope, FOCUS foresees the implementation of an innovative model to train LIFE SKILLS competences, based on scientific findings and relevant self-assessment tools. Thanks to this project we intend to equip social workers with the skills to meet the new and perennial challenges to achieving empowering practice with carers and people who use services. Case studies and reflective exercises will be used throughout to explore these issues and help link theory to practice. The Partnership proposing the FOCUS project is made by 4 partners: 3 NGOs and one training organization specialized in LIFE SKILLS education. During 26 months of project, the Partnership will be engaged in the production of three Intellectual Outputs, totally addressed to the spread of LIFE SKILLS among social workers, but also to measures necessary to allow that they will be able to exploit the possibility to manage themselves the LISS model proposed, carrying out not only the training session but also the assessment of the training dispensed and/or received (according to the target group considered). Three Multiplier event will be organized in order to wider disseminate the guidelines as well as the Assessment Platform envisaged, while at the same time a Plan for Dissemination and Communication will guarantee a good media coverage able to properly achieve beneficiary and stakeholders of other countries, and not directly involved in the project.
Strengthening life skills to achieve a higher level of well-being is one of the fundamental elements for achieving better results in the professional field, but also personal especially for those who spend their profession helping others and making the relationship the cornerstone of their intervention. As part of the project FOCUS - FOstering the Capability of social workers delivering edUcation on life Skills we have chosen to turn to social sector operators and in particular to social workers, educators, community leaders, psychologists, staff all employed in the centeres managed by the organization partner, with the possibility of extending the target group to all educational agencies . For this purpose, FOCUS has provided for the implementation of an innovative model for the training of LIFE SKILLS and emotional Intelligence, based on the results of the needs analysis made on the target group. Thanks to this project, it was intended to equip operators in the third sector and in particular those who work in the three partner organizations of the project, with the skills to face the working context in a more functional way and by making sure transfer their acquired skills to guest users in order to promote a real change in the attitude with which they face daily challenges. The project involved 3 European countries, Italy, Portugal and Romania with associations that have diversified experience in the third sector, thanks to which we were able to achieve the realization of the three intellectual outputs. Those are Cooperativa 3P from Palermo, AMS from Palermo, Desinccop from Guimaraes, Filantropia from Bucharest. Specifically, we carried out a "Literature review of scientific findings on the impact of life skills in social workers in daily work and in field of learning needs"; Guidelines for managing training sessions on life skills addressed to social workers; Interactive online platform for the exchange of methods and interventions between social operators who have implemented the FOCUS model in order to be transferred also to those who want to approach it. At the same time there were three transnational meetings, one for each partner country that allowed to agree on shared tools and strategies for the implementation of the individual activities and three multiplier events, also one for each country, for the dissemination of the results. Transversal to all this were the activities of management and monitoring of the activities but also a dissemination and communication plan that guaranteed good media coverage able to correctly reach the beneficiary and interested parties from other countries, and not directly involved in the project. A website with an attached online platform has been activated at www.project-focus.eu, a Facebook page and an Instagram profile, a mailing list for sending newsletters. For each event, each partner organization has disseminated it through its channels, websites and social media where present.