Activate Yourself! Professional and social activation in Katowice

The Municipal Social Welfare Centre (MOPS) in Katowice has identified the most common problems leading city residents to social exclusion. The MOPS employees undertook a difficult task - the implementation of a project that will support and activate representatives of various social groups, from the homeless, the unemployed, the helpless, the disabled, to teenage mothers. All these people have attempted to "re-activate" themselves into social and professional life.

Project title
Activate Yourself! Program of professional and social activation in Katowice

Beneficiary
The city of Katowice

Priority axis/ Measure/ Sub-measure
Priority axis: IX. Social inclusion
Measure: 9.1. Active integration
Sub-measure: 9.1.6 Programs for the active integration of people and groups at risk of social exclusion - OPS and PCPR projects

Finances
Project value: PLN 4,800,000.00
EU grant value: PLN 4,080,000.00

Why was the project undertaken?

The basis for the project implementation was a diagnosis, which shows that people using the support of the Municipal Social Welfare Centre (MOPS) remain largely inactive, both socially and professionally.

The factors that inhibit social and professional activity are subjective psychological factors and situational and environmental factors. The first include the low level of motivation for activity, learned helplessness, negative family patterns, low level of knowledge, and individual difficulties. The second group of factors include: financial problems and limited access to support. Problems also affect entire local communities - they concern the concentration of negative social phenomena, low social activity and insufficient integration of residents.

Through the implementation of the project "Activate Yourself!", the Municipal Social Welfare Centre set itself the goal of stimulating social and professional activity in excluded persons or people particularly at risk of exclusion.

What has been achieved?

People excluded or at risk of exclusion could benefit from support under:

social contracts (family assistant service, homeless person assistant, street worker, participation in the Activation and Integration Program, Social Integration Club, the Mission: Baby program)
Social and Vocational Integration Program of Disabled People "It's US now!",
Local Activity Programs carried out in the following districts: Giszowiec, Zawodzie, Wełnowiec-Józefowiec and Dąb.

As part of the Mission: Baby program, support was given to residents of Katowice up to the age of 25 expecting their first child. Future parents, including minors, have received the necessary knowledge about the child's birth, care and upbringing through access to individual consultations and participation in group workshops with specialists (including a midwife, dietitian, psychologist, sexologist, physiotherapist).

The renovation and commissioning of the first training flat in Katowice for people with intellectual disabilities is the result of the program "It's US now!", thanks to which people who had been completely dependent could get to know a little independent life. Groups of several people with disabilities moved into the apartment at ul. Chopin, where they lived for the next few weeks learning to run a household.

Who uses/benefits from the effects of the project?

839 residents of Katowice experiencing exclusion or at risk of social exclusion due to unemployment, helplessness, disability, homelessness etc. took part in the project. Project support in the field of social integration also covered the local communities of Zawodzie, Wełnowiec-Józefowiec-Dąb and Giszowiec.

What are the main benefits of the project?

Since May 2015, 670 people have finished participating in the project, achieving their goals. As a result of project tasks: