The CPA "World without Borders" continues to develop the service of accompanied residing for the residents of house-boarding institutions for disabled children with psychophysical developmental disorders. The organization has been active in this field for six years. In their previous projects, implemented with the support of the Swedish charitable organization "ERIKS Development Partner", the CPA "WWB" created and implemented a model of social adaptation in the practice of work of residential social institutions aimed at preparing residents of house-boarding institutions for independent living. These projects were pilot projects for the Republic of Belarus in the field of accompanied living practices. Since 2013, the legislation of the Republic of Belarus provides for the possibility for disabled persons to obtain accompanied residing service, both in institutional conditions of social care institutions (house-boarding institutions), and on the basis of the territorial centres of social services. For three years after the adoption of this document there were normative and legal regulations governing some aspects of the provision of such services.
In 2013, the project had the first graduates — three young people, residents of Bogushevsk house-boarding institution, were reinstated in their legal capacity, obtained the right to choose and a chance to be independent.
Now, the departments of accompanied residing are functioning in 9 out of 10 house-boarding institutions for disabled children with psychophysical developmental disorders, in all regions of Belarus, 66 young men and women at the age of 14 and up to 28 are living there. During four years of work, 18 young people from the departments entered the independent life, 15 of whom successfully went through a complex judicial procedure for restoring their legal capacity. All graduates are employed or receive professional education. One of the young people created a family. Our graduates call the way out of the institution their second birthday, the main chance in their lives, and highly appreciate the opportunities that are in front of them.
Comparing the above observations with results of the previously implemented projects, we came to a conclusion that it was necessary to create mechanisms of social support and professional training of residents and graduates of departments of accompanied residing. We believe that it is this component that is missing today in the system of alternative living arrangement, which will be one of the most important steps towards deinstitutionalization and enable residents of house-boarding institutions to return to a normal life and avoid the re-institutionalization.
In 2017-18 within the framework of the Project "Chance for Everyone" we plan to create a social hostel in Belarus for graduates of house-boarding institutions with trained staff and a programme of activities that includes components for career guidance, employment and living arrangements that will become a prototype for further development of alternative forms of living arrangements for people with disabilities. This will accelerate the process of de-institutionalization and prevent the marginalization of graduates. The social hostel should perform two functions. Firstly, it will become the base where graduates of house-boarding institutions will be able to live and work in case they need some time to receive social housing. Thus, after restoring their legal capacity, residents of departments of accompanied residing, will be able to immediately leave the house-boarding institution and adapt to normal life, to gain labour experience, they will also be provided with necessary support. Secondly, social hostels will become the platform where internships for residents of departments of accompanied residing will be organized.
On September 7, a working meeting was held at the Territorial Centre of Social Services of Polotsk district with participation of the Chairman of the CPA "World without Borders" Tatiana Poevskaya, Leading Specialist Olga Dominikevich, Head of the Department of Social Support for the Population and Residential Institutions of the Committee for Labour, Employment and Social Protection of Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Vera Astapenko, Deputy Head of Polotsk District Executive Committee for Social Affairs Petr Petkevich, Head of the Department for Labour, Employment and Social Protection of Polotsk District Executive Committee Svetlana Kasyanova, staff of the Territorial Centre of Social Services of Polotsk District. The participants of the meeting agreed on the opening of the first social hostel in our country for the graduates of the departments of accompanied residing of house-boarding institutions on the basis of the of the Territorial Centre of Social Services of Polotsk district.