DESCRIBTION OF THE SERVICE “Sheltered Housing”

Sheltered Housing is a kind of social service meant to provide support and consultation of people above the age of 18 who are leaving institutions, transition or sheltered homes and are the stage to begin an independent life. It also intends to prevent their placement at a specialized institution.  Services are based on social work at an individual level according to the specific needs of the person.  A concept for providing long-term or short-term services is developed in terms of achieving the goals of the social service.  GOALS
To support unprivileged adolescents trough providing social services related with developing their abilities for overcoming difficulties in terms of their successful reintegration in the community and their professional realization.              
To support the social integration and professional realization of unprivileged adolescents through developing their personal resources and to co-operate for building good relationship between the young people and the local authorities in the community.
To provide the adolescents with circumstances for self-independent living under the supervision and the support of team of professional.

TARGET GROUPS
Adolescents aged 18 to 25 who a leaving the Institutions for Children Deprived of Parental Care;
Adolescents aged 18 to 25 who are at risk in the community, not supported by their families and who are in need of support for their social integration and professional realization in terms to have self-independent life.   

MAIN ACTIVITIES
1. Providing support to the adolescents, placed at the Sheltered Housing (SH) in their transition period to a self-independent life. The provided support includes:
Needs assessment in order to develop skills for independent living;
Developing individual plan for self-independent living.
Finding a personal supervisor (mentor), a team member, for each adolescent.
Mentor’s tasks:
To give pieces of advice and to support the adolescent in relation with all interesting or concerning matters. In order to achieve this, the mentor has the task to secure a supporting social network for the adolescent. The mentor is also considered to be a point of contact in each sphere of the individual plan;
To participate in the needs assessment development and in the discussion of the individual plan for self-independent living;
To initiate and keep contact with the relevant authorities in order to achieve the individual plan;
To co-ordinate the provision of the necessary services for the adolescent and to take further steps in terms of their realization;
To give information for the adolescent’s development and his/her wellbeing at each and every stage of the individual plan realization;  
To keep written record of the meetings with the adolescent.

2. Consultation work:
Psychological consulting in order to:
achieve personal development and confidence building;
complete rationalization of the free time distribution through self-knowing activities development;
developing life planning skills;
developing self-knowing skills and skills for self-assessment.
Social consultation:
Professional consulting:
Examining the professional orientation;
Motivation for appropriate professional choice;
Professional consulting for searching and offering at the labor market;
Developing ‘job applying’ skills;
Individual preparation for performing at a job interview – writing a CV and a motivation letter;
Informing and mediation for different educational trainee’s programs and professional qualification in the country and abroad;   
initiating contacts with regional labor authorities, the Labor Bureau and other departments of the National Employment Agency;  
Initiating and keeping contacts and co-operation with: employers’ organizations, business companies, etc.

3. Informing.
4. Support in widening adolescents’ social network.

HUMAN RESOURCES
There is staff of three people in the sheltered housing.
The manager of the team is on part time.
Social worker – complete working day
Psychologist – complete working day
There are volunteers included in the Supervise Home’s activities. The volunteers are completing an introduction specialized training for work with adolescents leaving the institutions.  

MATERIAL RESOURCES
The capacity of each Sheltered Housing is 4 people. Both of the Sheltered Housing are placed in apartments which consist of two bedrooms for two persons each, living room, kitchen and service room. The apartments are refurbished and equipped in line with the project КЛИП. They correspond to the standards for social services provision in the community as well as all hygiene requirements.

PARTNERS
The placement at a Sheltered Housing is done after a written application form to the Director of the Directorate for Social Assistance (DSA). The following documents should be also attached to the application form:
copy of ID documents;
copy of personal health card, if any;
Copy of Treatment Consulting Commission (TCC), TEMC (Тerritorial Expert Medical Commission), TEMC (Тerritorial Expert Medical Commission) decisions, if any;
declaration  – information about family status and incomes (if relevant).
Other documents might be also required in necessary.
Needs assessment of the adolescent’s social needs is developed based on the information in the application form and the documents attached. This needs assessment is written in a report, which is functioning as a proposal. The director of the DSA issues an order for social services provision according to the report. The proposal and the report are discussed at a gathering of the Admission Committee, formed with an order by the service provider. In this Committee take part representatives of the relevant municipality, DSA, Labor Bureau, HCDPC, NGO, Sheltered Housing’ team and other authorities working with the target group.

FINANCIAL PLAN
According to the respective financial standard defined with Council of Ministers Ordinance each year.