The European Social Services Awards are organised by the European Social Network and aim at acknowledging outstanding achievements in social services. The theme of this year’s awards is “Promoting Inclusive Communities,” and the Together project is nominated within the category of “Collaborative Practice.” This category honours the co-creation of collaborative approaches that ensure all relevant stakeholders in the community are represented and included in decision-making processes in the development and delivery of social programmes.
Through the Together project, SOS Children’s Villages aims to contribute to promoting inclusive communities by embedding children’s rights in public decision-making across the EU, specifically prioritising the participation of vulnerable children and young people. This is done by empowering children and young people supported by social services and in alternative care to participate meaningfully in decisions and solutions at local, regional, and national level on all matters affecting them, including in times of emergency.
The two-year project has been implemented by SOS Children’s Villages in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Spain, and is co-funded by the by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union.
Collaborating with children and young people
The meaningful participation of children and young people from vulnerable backgrounds has been included throughout the project. Each national project team formed Child and Youth Advisory Boards composed of children aged 10-24, who have supported with the development and implementation of project activities at a national level. At inter-national level, 8 young people aged 20-27 have been involved as Mentors who supported with the training of children and young people and who have shaped the training methodology and materials.
One of the key project activities has been the development and roll-out of peer-led workshops for children aged 13-17. Within the workshops, children learn more about their right to participate in public decision-making and are given the tools to meaningfully participate in such processes. These workshops are delivered by pairs of young people aged 15-24 who are trained as Peer Trainers. Each workshop also includes a session in which the children meet directly with public decision-makers and other professionals who can support their participation, such as teachers and social workers, to share their messages and practice what they have learned.
For public decision-makers and professionals who work for and with children to better support the participation of children and young people, a short awareness-raising e-learning course on “Meaningful Child and Youth Participation in Public Decision-Making” has been developed. Other awareness-raising and advocacy actions have included the development and dissemination of videos for children by children on their right to participate, including the “Let our voices be heard!” online campaign, the organisation of information webinars for adults, as well as national policy recommendations developed together with children and young people.
Public voting is now open!
The winners of the awards will be decided based on an online public vote, which will be open from 1 – 21 October 2024. The results will be announced at the ceremony in Lisbon on 4 November 2024, where the project will be represented by one of the young Mentors.
As shared by Florence Treyvaud Nemtzov, the Senior Project Manager for the Together project at SOS Children’s Villages International: “Having been shortlisted is a tremendous honor for the entire team, including an exceptional group of children and young people. It recognizes SOS Children’s Villages’ commitment to empowering vulnerable children and youth in demanding that their right to participate in public decision-making is meaningfully realised.”
If you would like to vote for the Together project, please access the online voting page.
The Together project is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed within this article are however those of SOS Children’s Villages only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.