By implementing the project, we set the following key goals: Increasing team competencies, personal knowledge and skills for adults Encouraging non-formal learning activities for persons and organisations in rural areas Improving the quality of equine assisted therapies for users with fewer opportunities Development of a new educational program for workers and volunteeers in equine-assisted programs Creating a support network for organisations in Republic of Croatia and Republic of Slovenia Encouraging innovative approaches: We introduced new approaches to the work of therapy teams into the project, such as structured educational programs, better work organization, and innovative methods for working with volunteers and users. Sustainability and long-term impact: We adhered to the core values of the Erasmus+ program and contributed to the sustainable development of the competences and quality of work of therapy teams, which ensures long-term benefits for individuals and organizations. With these goals, we not only improved the knowledge and skills of the participants, but also directly contributed to a better quality of therapies and created new opportunities for international cooperation and networking.
We signed up for the project because we recognized the need for a well-designed education program aimed at strengthening the competencies of team cooperation and interpersonal relationships within therapy teams. The key starting point of the project was the recognition of the importance of strong relationships within the therapy team (professional staff and/or volunteers who implement equine assisted therapy for different users) as one of the key elements of successful equine intervention. During the project, we developed a new educational program "Competencies of a good therapy team", which addressed the specific challenges that organizations face in this area. Among the main challenges are unclear division of work tasks, organization of volunteer tasks and effective communication with them, lack of clear communication, disagreements within therapy teams, high turnover of team members, burnout of overburdened individuals, and difficulties in maintaining a high quality of daily work. The program is designed with the aim of strengthening team dynamics, improving cooperation and ensuring a higher quality of work with users.