Planning and Deploying effective Social Farming Initiatives Section 1.2 Operative Phases Provided by PARS

Objectives This unit presents some indications on the operating methods for organizing social farming initiatives: in particular, the methods for choosing objectives, training activities, the safety and the methods for involving disadvantaged people will be described.

Learning outcomes At the end of this module you will be able to: Understand the steps for effective planning of social farming initiatives by defining their goals and activities Evaluate the elements that guide the choice of social farming activities. Identify the characteristics of training for users involved in social farming activities and how to communicate with them.

1.2 The operative phases The objective The choice of effective activities Planning of activities Safety precaution The initial training Involvement methods Communication methods

The objectives In the planning phase, it is important set objectives to be achieved through social farming projects Objectives can involve: Physical area Skills area Psychic area Relational / behavioral area For further details about horticultural activities and therapeutic objectives refer Righetto C. “ Giardini per rivivere: orticoltura e giardinaggio a fini terapeutici in contesti sanitari”, p. 196- 201

1.2.1 The objectives Physical Area: coordination of movements, development of physical strength, balance control Skill Area: calculation skills, reading, organization skills, programming, following instructions, memory development; Psychological area: anxiety reduction, stress, acceptance of failure, self-control; Relational/behavioral area: socialization, impulse control, mood improvement, establishing new relations communication skills.

1.2.2 The choice of effective activities The characteristics of the activities to be carried out: modularity: designed with modules, reproducible and adaptable to the changing needs of the people involved and of the company. coherent with the personal abilities of the subject. not too simple, but without requiring an effort above the user's possibilities. gradual difficulty to avoid the sense of frustration

1.2.2 The choice of effective activities The characteristics of the activities to be carried out: stimulating by providing commitment and fostering self- confidence. with an established duration (start - end) significant: performing activities perceived as useful increases the sense of satisfaction and appreciation for the results achieved.

1.2.3 Planning activities It is possible to create a program on a weekly / monthly / annual basis with the involvement of all the participants. An effective program should be continuous, lasting and it must provide: - activities that succeed one another - mutually linked projects This facilitates personal growth and avoids the sense of confusion given by randomly managing events.

the involvement and to encourage users to expand themselves 1.2.3 Planning activities The purpose of the program (except in vocational program) is: the involvement and to encourage users to expand themselves avoinding placing too much value on the end product of an activity

(es. planting a terrarium) 1.2.3 Planning activities Short time projects (es. planting a terrarium) Long term projects (sowing in the garden) Projects which can be completed in a short time so that the participants will get immediate reward for their efforts. Long-term projects that can teach partecipants to think in terms of future needs and activities.

1.2.4 Safety precautions The organization and the structure of the activity space must be based on the needs and abilities of those served. This precautions allow the users to access the space and to partecipate to the activities. It's necessary to carry out specific risk assessments: the farm must be ready to host people without any experiences of an agricultural context.

A model of safety precautions in horticulture Haller R.L., Capra .L.C. (2017) Horticultural Therapy Methods: Connecting People and Plants in Health Care,CRC Press, p.33.

1.2.4 Safety precautions The insurance Verify that the current farm insurance fully cover the agricultural entrepreneur for taking on social farming clients. Evaluate the possibility to expand the current farm insurance cover.

Topics for initial training presentation of the farm, the workplace and where take break the activities to be carried out the working hours, breaks and if required the mode of consumption of meals. how to use the tools how to use any personal protective equipment that people will need to use. the hygiene precautions especially before meals. the safety rules

1.2.6 Communications methods Communications with people who have intellectual and learning difficulties may be difficult and require special measures to communicate the message. It is necessary to explain slowly the message to give the people time to understand, think and respond to what is been asked for them. It's important not to put the person in difficulty if the message is not understood properly, to apologize for not being clear and repeat the explanation.

1.2.7 Involvement methods It is important to follow with particular care the start phase of the project and the beginning of daily tasks. It is useful to start gradually with simple and familiar activities to increase the sense of security, facilitate the first approach to work and interactions with others. Later, more complex activities can be organized.

1.2.7 Involvement methods Examples of gradual activities Use watering can of 1 L – 3 L – until 5 L. Low Manual Skill High Manual Skill Medium Manual Skill

1.2.7 Involvement methods Experiment with different activities to identify the most suitable type based on physical commitment The purpose is not only to develop manual and cognitive skills but above all relational skills with the group and the operators, the assumption of responsibility and the spirit of initiative.

Reference link https://tinyurl.com/yc96l56o https://tinyurl.com/ydgy78ld

Bibliography Inea (2012) La valuzione delle azioni innovative di agricoltura sociale http://dspace.crea.gov.it/handle/inea/513 Righetto, Costantina (2015) Giardini per rivivere: orticoltura e giardinaggio a fini terapeutici in contesti sanitari, [Dissertation thesis], Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna. http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/7169/ Kinsella J. (2014), Social Farming Handbook: Guidelines for considering, planning, delivering and using social farming services in Ireland and Northern Ireland, School of Agriculture and Food Science,University College Dublin. Giarè F., Macrì M.C. La valutazione delle azioni innovative di agricoltura sociale, Inea 2012. http://dspace.inea.it/handle/inea/513 Haller R.L., Capra .L.C. (2017) Horticultural Therapy Methods: Connecting People and Plants in Health Care,CRC Press p.33

Thank you for the attention!