1. Individual support of the client
Individual support of the client
EDUKOS
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
February, 23. – , Dolný Kubín, Slovakia

2. Forms of realisation of individual support for the convicts/clients:
Forms of realisation of individual support for the convicts/clients:
1. Outside of prisons ( after release or in the form of alternative punishments)
2. In prisons (either in the framework in the cooperation with the prison staff in the so-call preparation for release departments or on the request of the client – mainly in writing)

3.
1. Individual support of the client by the organisation EDUKOS outside prison:
It is based on the individual needs of the client:
Development of social skills
Counselling
Educational activities
Individual guidance – help with procuring various documents, application, social charges, job search
Cooperation with social guardians of the Office of labour, work , social affairs and family (UPSVaR) or probation and mediation service (PMS), if the court orders probational supervision;
Provision of service: social worker, psychologist, external laywer, volunteers

4. Counselling: social-legal counselling; psychological counselling;
Counselling:
social-legal counselling;
psychological counselling;
counselling in the area of debt management
counselling in the area of prevention of sociopathological phenomena and post- penitentiary care in young offenders;
counselling for the unemployed in the process of job search in the form of written and electronic communication with potential employers, carrier counselling;

5. Development of skills:
Development of skills:
The development and excercise of social skills – communication, assertivity, job interview, personal interview, management of critical situations;
The development and excercise of writing and phoning skills – advertisements, formulation of written job applications for potencial employers, applying for a job on the phone;
The development and excercise of electronic communication – basic PC literacy, digital literacy;

6. Educational activities:
Educational activities:
The area of financial literacy and the prevention of indebtedness
Objective: to teach clients to plan their own personal finances and effectively manage their personal budget, explain ways of avoiding indebtedness, find means of solutions, mapping of debts, effective ways of communication with creditors and the legal framework of executions;
Two main topics:
Household economics – life securities and money, scale of values ( health, family, living) income and work, payment transactions and the financial market;
Indebtedness and couselling - healthy and unhealthy indebtedness, causes of indebtedness, forms of commitmets, the ability to discern creditors, types of debts, consequences of non-payment of debts;

7.
Cooperation with the social guardians of the Office of labour, work, social affairs and family and probation and mediation service
The social guardians and probation and mediation officers from the region:
They inform the clients abou the possibility to get help in EDUKOS, it is up to the client to use this opportunity or not;
they request the cooperation in case of problematic clients ( help with the procuring of basic documentation, solving of problems with accommodation, family, etc.)

8. 2. The support of the clients during their imprisonment sentence
2. The support of the clients during their imprisonment sentence
According to the legislation on the imprisonment sentence from the year 2014 the so-called preparation for release departments were established in all prisons in Slovakia – preparation for release in cooperation with other (NGOs,...)
EDUKOS has agreements on cooperation with especially the regional prisons ( Banská Bystrica, Žilina, Ružomberok,..)
group activities (trainings and education)
individual counselling– according to individual needs

9. The support of the clients during their imprisonment sentence
The support of the clients during their imprisonment sentence
In the year 2012 the project „Steps to a successful return“ was implemented. Its purpose was to map the reasons of failure and problems of clients;
Its outcome was a brosure/manual – how to act responsibly and prepare for future release – ps were distributed to all the prisons in Slovakia;
The consequence of this distribution was an increased interest on the part of the convicts in almost from all the prisons in Slovakia;
forms: in writing, by means of the relatives or acquaintances;

10. Steps to a successful return
Steps to a successful return
Its content is divided into 3 parts:
Entering the imprisonment sentence – basic information and warnigs on what to keep in mind and not to forget so that the problems will not get worse; e.g. suspension of trade, dealing with various duties: alimony, debts, etc.
Preparation for release – important documents, accommodation, employment, travel and clothing;
First steps after release – authorities, health service, community, employment, accommodation;
Important contact information

11. Obstacles in providing individual support for the client:
Obstacles in providing individual support for the client:
An insufficient system of care for this target group:
the responsible profession: social guardians ( and in a limited way the PMO, but only if the court orders so) – insuficient number, bureaucracy – they are not capable to manage everything;
A lack of finances:
a weak support on the part of the state in working with this target group – only the youth, and even that insufficiently;
The possiblity to apply for grants and dotations – unsystematic work

12. Involvement of volunteers
Involvement of volunteers
Volunteers:
students of humanistic fields, especially social work ( but also others – andragogy, sociology, psychology );
registered unemployed with adequate education
Their preparation before the beginning of work with the (ex)convicts is very important. This preparation is provided by the course MENTOR ( in 40 hours).

13. Courses for volunteers
Courses for volunteers
Students – Mentor (40 hours – work under the supervision of a social worker);
Adults – Tutor ( 100 hours – independent work);
Focus: to get to know the system and specificities of social work with (ex)convicts; learn to use the methods and techniques of work with (ex)convicts;
Content:
1. Penal law and the context of the work of an assistant of a social worker in penal justice
2. Tutor/mentor as a guide of the client
3. The description of the community from the demographic and social perspective
4. Problematic client and skills for working with them

14. Supportive courses for people who work with (ex)convicts:
Supportive courses for people who work with (ex)convicts:
An accredited course - working with convicts
Created on the basis of experience and outputs of a transnational project – the European model of education of experts working with at risk clients
The purpose of the course:
1. The partnership of helping professions in the framework of working with the convicts
2. Integrated approach to at risk clients
3. Administrative tasks in working with the clients and project activities

15. Thank you for your attention
Thank you for your attention