Intellectual Output 1
Definition of the European gang context, professionals working in it and their profiles

check FINAL REPORT

Description: The aim of this is to produce an initial desk research report which can be used immediately from early within the project to raise awareness of the gap in training in this field within VET, in trainer training programmes alongside need. The final report will be used to target decision and policy makers in local/regional/national government, and those responsible for delivering training in the public services (police, probation, justice, etc).

Activities: 
A1.1 Set the research methodology in finding data about what are the gang contexts in Portugal, Romania, Lithuania and Italy:

• The definition of “gangs” in own country and at European level
• Portrait of communities afflicted by gang phenomenon and the professionals working in those communities
• Identify professional profiles based on a common structure

A1.2 Deliver desk research activities based on national legislation, community realities and existing professions that deal with the issue of violence in the community, previous projects and interventions and European networks. This desk research will be delivered in EN, under the form of a report, to the Output Leader.

A1.3 Deliver field research activities, based on the results of the desk research, by running a series of 2 DACUM workshops in each country (E1) and a number of 5 semi structured interviews, with selected professionals identified in the research. From the existing professions that deal with the issue of violence in the community identified in the research, each country will select 3 professions to analyses in respect to gang related interventions: 2 professions will be analyzed during the E1 and one by the interviews. The field research activities will deliver a country report on profile that shows the duties and tasks performed in the occupation. The profile also lists necessary worker traits and attitudes, general skills and knowledge, and the tools and equipment the worker uses, all in the context of working with gang afflicted communities. This field research will be delivered in EN, under the form of a report, to the Output Leader. Each DACUM workshop (detailed in E1) focused on one profession that works in community and has interaction with possible gang related crimes, or results of youngsters being involved in gang activities. The purpose is to identify a competency profile in the area of gang intervention: what the selected profession should know, do and understand in able to be efficient in helping to community to counteract the gang phenomenon.

A1.4 All reports, profiles and interviews processed are collected and integrated into a common structure, with a recommendation paper for re-thinking training in community jobs, on the perspective of gang phenomenon becoming more present.

Leader:  CPIP

Intellectual Output 2
Development of an European Competency Framework for Community Professionals working in gang related environments

Description: The activities in developing this output will start with a Staff training of 5 days for 2 participants / partner in Kaunas. Here the output leader will present the working methodology to all partners; all participants will go to the previous output results and run exercises on competency identification and detailing.

A2.1 Developing a common list at partnership level, of competence areas. Based on the above output, we will list all professions identified by partners as relevant when thinking about community work and gangs. Than we will identify common areas of activities when working in communities and interacting with gang issues. We plan to identify around 4 to 5 common competence areas, like: Planning, Prevention, Outreach, Case management, Direct Interventions.

A2.2 Listing of reference competencies for each identified area, with attached proficiency levels related to EQF. For example for Prevention area we will list all relevant competencies different professionals form community need to have in order to run prevention activities targeted at the gang environment.  We expect to identify an average of 4 to 10 competencies for each area. Each competence will have a definition, proficiency levels (related to EQF) and explanations of what they mean, knowledge examples and skills examples. We will also consider learning outcomes as descriptors for the competences and look into:

• understanding national policy relating to gangs and the local frameworks in which they are applied;
• providing the learner with a toolkit for effective intervention and communication in a gang related environment;
• equipping the learner with the knowledge and understanding to work safely in a gang related environment;
• providing an understanding of the social contexts, factors and forces that create, sustain and promote gangs and gang membership;
• understanding and applying relevant perspectives from social psychology in order to facilitate improved practice in working with gangs;

A2.3 Developing the common centralized framework for all the contributions of partners, in EN language

Leader:  Viesoji istaiga Psichologines paramos ir konsultavimo centras

Intellectual Output 3
Development of an online platform to support the structure and content of the previous outputs

A3.1Following the model of the European e-Competence Framework, the output leader will set up the space and structure of the profile tool;

A3.2 Partners will provide the content of the previous two outputs to be uploaded onto the Platform;

A3.3 The output leader will finalize the online space and prepare it for deployment. There will be prepares USB Access cards to explain the usage, link to the platform and hold the reports form the outputs.  In each country there will be one multiplier event to showcase the on-line platform to key stakeholders. The activities will finalise with a training activity – each partner country will send 4 relevant key stakeholders to a 5 days training on European Competency Framework for Community Professionals working in gang related environments: national qualifications authorities, social workers’ colleges, professional associations, professionals with a key impact at national level, employment agencies, security agencies, etc.

Leader: IPS_Innovative Prison Systems

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