"The GALA project was developed and delivered by a group of 5 European partners, led by Diagrama Foundation UK working closely with Groep Ubuntu Belgium, Asociata ProVita Romania, L'Art et La Maniere France and Fundacion Diagrama Spain. The project was based on empowerment and social inclusion and it created a new participatory teaching and learning arts-based training course, ""Gentle Art, Living Art"" with joint training workshops in each country on Artistic Mentoring using Groep Ubuntu's Gentle Teaching programme as a foundation. There was a travelling art exhibition staged in non-traditional venues.GALA was a project based on social inclusion, mutual respect, human dignity, equal opportunities and empowerment through social enterprise and community action. It was delivered by a diverse partnership of NGOs from 5 different EU member states who use Art and Creative Design as the key to inclusion. The project ran from September 2017 to the end of August 2019.Participant learners include staff in each partner organisation. Clients and volunteers collectively created a travelling art exhibition which they staged in non-traditional galleries in each country alongside the work of professional artists. The theme of the exhibition was ""Inside Out"". Most learner participant (clients) were highly disadvantaged and are in residential care or day care. Their fellow participants are drawn from the staff and volunteer team who act as Mentors to the learner group whilst also undertaking practial training themselves. Together they developed and achieved the Gentle Art, Living Art (GALA) Certificate which was awarded at the end of the project.Social Inclusion and Empowerment was the common theme throughout the project, focussed on skills for overcoming barriers to employability and social inclusion, using art and creative design as the basic toolkit for achieving results. The objectives included:1. Work with partners to raise awareness of and overcome problems faced by participants in overcoming social exclusion and discrimination.2. Share innovation and methodologies to develop staff competences and to raise standards in residential care settings3. Develop an Artistic Mentoring course to raise skills, build confidence in staff working with disadvantaged clients.4. Recognise and celebrate artist talent in client participants and in staff Mentors4. Work with partners to create the GALA Certificate to recognise new skills and empowerment and to build on to the Gentle Teacher programme.5. Create a Network for the promotion of Community Inclusion through Art.Each partner was responsible for one main issues relating to one specific client group and each brought innovation from their local practice to share with all other partners. The partners were led by Diagrama Foundation UK (focus all client groups); working closely with Groep Ubuntu Belgium (focus client group people with disabilities); ProVita Romania (focus client group disadvantaged women); L'Art et la Maniere France (focus client group older people); and Fundacion Diagrama Spain (focus client group young people in the juvenile justice system). Using the Gentle Teaching method of communication and tutoring, staff and volunteers from each organisation took part in initial training in Belgium. This was followed by workshops in each partner country. Each partner specalised in one important aspect of art and design and practical workshops were supervised by experts. Each workshop also followed the Gentle Learning methodology to enhance skills in communication and empowerment as well as art-based learning to create the GALA Artistic Mentoring module. In-between transnational events all partners worked directly with their own clients alongside volunteers and professional artists to continue to learn by on-line training sessions led by each partner . A common theme of arts and craft was followed in each country which resulted in a large-scale art exhibition held in Rochester Cathedral in June 2019 by invitation of the Diocese of Rochester.Results included:- 1 New Methodology (GALA) Artistic Mentoring based on the Gentle Learning framework- 1 new training and learning course for workers in the Care Sector - GALA Certificate to all participants- 35 Europass Mobility Awards achieved by participants - 5 new art exhibitions; Romania, Belgium, France, Spain and Rochester Cathedral, UK with a total 1000+ public viewing- 18 newly trained art tutors were created (existing staff with supplementary training through following the GALA course, receiving the GALA Certificate), - 75 participants were trained- Network for Community Inclusion through Art comprising 55 members."

There are as many as one million young people incarcerated across the world at any one time. Whilst the overall number in Europe are falling, those who do enter the youth justice system and particularly those who receive custodial settings tend to be the most troubled young people in our societies. Even when released back into the community the reoffending rate is high, for example, in the UK, 67% of young people reoffend within one year of release. This is evidence that they are not engaged in education, training or employment. This is not surprising when nine out of ten young people who come into conflict with the law and are incarcerated have dropped out of school in the six months prior. School dropout is used as a proxy for disengagement with education and formal learning.If they are disengaged with education and learning, any attempts to present education and learning opportunities is not going to have much success (as shown in reoffending rates). This has economic implications as well as social. In the UK, it costs over £200,000 to house a young person aged 10-17 years in a secure children’s home and as they are less likely to gain meaningful employment they are not likely to contribute to the economy, but rather, cost it. The social implications of this is the more entrenched they become within the system, making it difficult to instigate change as they get older and enter adulthood with little training or formal qualifications.Time in custodial or other youth justice settings is a vital and unique opportunity to invest in re-engaging the young people with education and learning. Doing this successfully means there is greater chance they will engage in education or training opportunities when released. However, there is research which shows how educators in prisons tend to have less qualifications than teachers in mainstream schools. There is also a higher staff turnover and training, which is specific to addressing the multiple needs of young offenders, is limited. Therefore, the aim of this project was to enhance educators’ capability to re-engage young offenders with education and learning whilst in secure custodial settings in 4 partner countries in the EU. This involved training education staff in secure custodial settings to use ‘authentic inquiry’ as an intervention to enrich educators’ repertoires in learning design. Investing in transformative educator training and professional development can have a powerful impact on their learners. Thus, this project uses the same methodology for educators so that they are in a better place to re-engage, inspire and empower the young people they work with. The methodology used in the Renyo project is focused around authentic inquiry which is an intervention designed to draw on personally relevant knowledge (private) and experience in a bid to connect the learner to a formal curriculum (public). The personally relevant topic is identified by the learner, enabling greater opportunity to connect with the learning process. This is done by taking the learners’ interest through their own narratives and stories (personal) and navigating this towards the production of an ‘artefact’ such as a piece of art, poster or other product that has some external educational value (public). In so doing, there is a connecting of the personal to the public. This intervention has previously been shown to be effective in re-engaging disengaged learners in both the UK and Australia and now Italy, Spain and Germany (albeit to differing extents, due to culture and attitudes).The project had four Intellectual Outputs. The first Output (IO1) was the foundation of the project, developing the resources and training materials, and delivered Master Training. The second Output (IO2) built on this where Master Trainers trained educators on the principles of authentic inquiry, developing a Guidance Document and Report to support educators in their own experience of authentic inquiry. The third Output (IO3) involved the educators directly working with young people in conflict with the law in both custodial and community settings. During this, qualitative and quantitative data were collected for feedback on improving the materials but also as data for Output 4. Output 4 involved the analysis of all data collected and for this to be reported as an academic paper which is submitted to the European Journal of Education. During the life of this Renyo project 112 educators have been trained and 80 young people were directly involved in the authentic inquiry intervention. Over 230 stakeholders were engaged through the project multiplier events and over 5,000 people reached through Facebook. A significant potential of continued impact through the educators, the young people, the partner organisations, the website, the academic paper and subsequent projects is expected.

"Context: The Covid-19 crisis has changed the way we live, especially for those already marginalised by disability, ill-health & social exclusion. It has accentuated isolation & inequality and has resulted in compounding mental health issues & loneliness. It has also shown that the Care Sector must find ways to adapt to keep its clients active, safe & protected. The value of Care Workers has finally been recognised. The crisis has also accentuated skills gaps.The Covid-19 pandemic has accentuated the need to use digital skills in many aspects of people's daily lives, especially to communicate when physical visiting is not possible. People with severe disabilities & others in closed communities have no other way of keeping in touch with their families and support circles. Many do not have the capacity to use digital tools themselves and rely on residential staff to enable virtual contact. Many staff do not have the skills to perform the most basic digital tasks and are consequently frustrated by their own inability to ease the suffering of their clients. The limitations of our current digital preparedness have been revealed. Currently, at least 85% of jobs require some level of digital ability, while only 56% of adults had at least basic digital skills in 2019. In the Care Sector this is much higher.This project is led by Diagrama Foundation UK and brings together partners from Belgium, France, Spain & Italy. The partners create a new training course for workers in the Social Care Sector 'Digital Facilitator of Change' and a Digital Inclusion Toolkit. The Transnational Steering Group meets at regularly & there are 4 mini-seminars. Local Focus groups drive the project at local level.Objectives:1. Create a new professional profile for workers in the Social Care Sector by creating a new needs-driven vocational training course 2.Overcome social exclusion & isolation by opening digital communication pathways3.Influence public perception of Diversity as part of life in all life contexts 4. Foster “Professional Identity” for people with disabilities/other excluded groups, celebrating 'ability' and using cornerstones of Empowerment, Real Work & Quality5.Build & mainstream a Digital inclusion Toolkit with potential to transfer to other sectorsMethodology:Learner Participants are Social Care Workers, working directly with highly disadvantaged client groups, are trained to become Digital Facilitators of Change. After initial local digital preparedness sessions participants undergo specialist transnational training modules in Belgium to cultivate deeper digital knowledge and also studies ways in which the public's perception must be changed to endorse clients' ""ability"" rather than recognise disability using Professional Identity. At Salerno University further digital knowledge is built and the course promotes the inclusive improvement of people with disabilities in working contexts in particular addressing disability in the context of diversity. Training is concluded in the UK by pooling innovation and participative learning creates the Digital Facilitator Toolkit. The partners pilot the concept of ""Micro-credentials"" (New EU Skills Agenda) issuing units for each module of training completed, led by University of Salerno. Learner Participants use their learning to facilitate digital communication channels for clients and their family networks & support circles. Working alongside occupational tutors they also promote clients' work and employment opportunities through highlighting creativity and artistic talents. This includes virtual tutor sessions and online workshops with the public invited to interact or observe. Digital tools provide virtual shops, marketing products created by talented crafts-people further aiding clients' professional recognition & pathways to work. Impact includes Social Inclusion - new digital tools for promoting communication & well-being & access to work.Results include:1 new training course, 'Digital Facilitator of Change' piloting 3 Micro-credential units preparing the course for mainstreaming to impact on other communities. 1 new European Digital Inclusion Toolkit 42 Care/Social Workers trained as Digital Facilitators of Change & Euro-Pass Certificates. Impact includes qualified, confident, empowered workers creating happier, healthier work environment20 local creative workshops are held resulting in high quality arts & crafts used & exhibited to promote clients' Professional Identity20 disadvantaged creative clients progress towards work, impact includes high levels of self esteem, empowerment and vision of new horizons, impacting on potential to find/sell work. 4 Transnational Steering Group meetings & mini-seminars promote societal change & drive diversity awareness & digital readiness initiatives.1 new Network to promote digital social inclusion 1 Evaluation Report led by Salerno University The project starts on 01.03.2021 and runs until 28.02.23"

<< Background >>Despite the significant developments made in the Criminal Justice System field (CJS), namely investing in offenders' social reintegration programmes during detention or community measures, little attention has been paid to prisoners' families and their needs during the re-entry process. The incarceration experience represents economic, social and psychological impacts for the families of the prisoners. The prisoners’ families are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged populations in society, experiencing multidimensional and intersectional forms of inequality (Western and Pettit, 2010). Given that, many of the consequences on prisoners’ families can be alleviated by some moderators. Two of these moderators are the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), i.e., the support from civil society and the welfare policies and social services (Condry & Smith, 2018). These NGOs, enterprises and social services have a diverse range of goods and services that are provided to families that are crucial for the family support and wellbeing. The problem is that most of the time CJS' families lack awareness on where and how to look for the right support.One strategy to decrease the impacts of incarceration on offenders’ families is to create new ways to support the prisoners’ families coping with incarceration. Civil society organisations that offer services to families with incarcerated individuals and during the re-entry process - must obviously be part of any comprehensive crime prevention strategy.<< Objectives >>UpFamilies’ aims are to provide to prisoners’ families a compendium of existing services available (from local to national) that can support them cope with imprisonment impacts. The services’ up-to-date information will be made available using a mobile application. At the same time, we intend to create awareness on the importance of capacity building of the organisations that daily work with these families so they can be better prepared for their unique needs. Our main focus is to build social capital by reinforcing the role community organisations play in the social inclusion of both these specific families and prisoners upon release and training them for excellence.To do that, several objectives were created, such as:Obj1: By September 2022, to develop a roadmap on existing programs/services that better meet the needs of prisoners’ familiesObj2: By May 2024, to make available a mobile platform with existing services/programs available for prisoners’ families, to be validated through 5 pilots, involving at least 100 prisoners’ families. Obj3: By October 2024, to increase the number of prisoners’ families that use the mobile application , fighting against info-exclusion, downloading on average 100 times the mobile platform. Obj4: By July 2022, to create a network of institutions/professionals that work with prisoners’ families, promoting alliances and cooperation between allObj5: By October 2022, to create promotion of good practices regarding the already available services to provide support to prisoners’ families, organizing 5 stakeholders consultation that should involve 30 CJS professionalsObj 6: By August 2023, to improve the services provided to prisoners’ families, conducting 5 pilots with 40 community organizationsObj7: By November 2023, to create society awareness and citizenship on the needs of CJS’ families, making available a training manual to mobilize community capacity to provide informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families<< Implementation >>For 3 years, partners expect to perform the following main activities/ involve the following number of participants in the project:Create a Resource guide framework to conduct the mappingCreate a Network of institutions/professionals to support prisoners’ familiesDevelop a roadmap on existing programs/services that better meet the needs of prisoners’ familiesDevelop the UpFamilies APP (ENG, SP, PT, RO, GR, GE), that will be piloted with 100 prisoners’ familiesInvolve 30 stakeholders in the consultation for the training course on providing informal support and assistance to prisoners’ familiesCreate a Multimedia Training course on providing informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families5 Training courses on providing informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (available in ENG, SP, PT, RO, GR, GE), that will be piloted with 40 Community OrganisationsCreate a Training Manual to mobilize community capacity to provide informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (ENG, SP, PT, RO, GR, GE)<< Results >>The following results are expect during and on the completion of UpFamilies project: (1) During the projectA - TANGIBLE INDICATORS_6 bilateral agreements_1 project' gantt chart_3 Action Plan (for each Project Result strategic implementation)_project presentation (PPT) (ENG version + SP; RO; PT; GR; GE)_ 1 Resource guide framework to conduct the mapping_1 Roadmap on existing programs/services that better meet the needs of families with incarcerated members (ENG version + SP; RO; PT; GR; GE)_1 Network of institutions/professionals to support prisoners’ families_APP Architecture and blueprint: technical document for a mobile application (ENG)Training Manual to mobilize community capacity to provide informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families_1 APP “UpFamilies” (available in ENG; SP; RO; PT; GR; GE)_1 Report on the APP’ piloting experience (ENG)_ 1 Guidelines on stakeholders’ consultation_ 1 Multimedia Training course on providing informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (ENG + SP; RO; PT; GR; GE)_ 1 Training Manual to mobilize community capacity to provide informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (ENG + SP; RO; PT; GR; GE)_ 5 pilots + 5 pilot reports (ENG)_3 project meetings + 3 project meeting minutes_7 Multiplier Events + 7 reports (ENG)_1 Learning/Teaching/Training Activities _1 project website_1 Implementation Plan_1 Quality and Evaluation Plan_1 Communication and Dissemination Plan_1 online Leaflet - ENG + translated in 5 languages _1 logo_1 interim report_1 final reportB - INTANGIBLE INDICATORS_internal communication_exchange of practices between project partners _organisational, professional and personal development_families' satisfaction & increased capacity to cope_ community organisations satisfaction & increased capacity to support offenders families _increased IT literacy_project quality _Timing (lead time; product development time; waiting time;…)_Reputation of the project during the project implementation(2) On its completionA - TANGIBLE INDICATORS_1 Roadmap on existing programs/services that better meet the needs of families with incarcerated members (ENG version + RO; PT; GR; GE; SP)_1 Network of institutions/professionals to support prisoners’ families_1 mobile application “UpFamilies” available in 6 languages: ENG; RO; PT; GR; GE; SP)_ 1 Multimedia Training course on providing informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (ENG + RO; PT; GR; GE; SP)_ 1 Training Manual to mobilize community capacity to provide informal support and assistance to prisoners’ families (ENG + RO; PT; GR; GE; SP)B - INTANGIBLE INDICATORS_promotion of innovative programs for social inclusion of disadvantaged families _promotion of a common understanding among researchers, managers, users of the project results, stakeholders and policy makers on the needs’ of families with incarcerated members and on available resources; _ create society awareness and citizenship on the needs of CJS’ families;_minimization of the effects of imprisonment for the family members;_families perception of usefulness and added value of the Application to improve their quality of life_families' knowledge about the available services that can support them, and help them to cope (including children and (ex) offenders)_families' decrease on feeling of not being supported by the CJS agencies, NGOs and the State; _families' decrease on feeling of vulnerability _increased families' access to opportunities for lifelong learning_increased NG0’s, welfare services, schools and state capacity to address the needs of prisoners’ families_increased schools and local community organisations capacity to provide informal support to prisoners’ families

In line with Actions supported under Key Action 2 and the needs of this project to be carried out, the expected results of this project is to develop and to transfer implementation of innovative practices at organisational, local, regional, national or European levels and which are expected to bring positive and long-lasting effects on policy systems in which such Actions are framed, on the participating organizations as well as on the organizations and persons directly or indirectly involved in the organized activities.The uppermost purpose of this project is to strive to increase the implementation of alternative measures to prison for juveniles and young offenders in order to increase the positive impacts which implementation of such measures would bring back into the society. This is expected to be achieved through the main activities which include training of professionals working within the juvenile justice systems in order to enhance their knowledge and skills in their work. Furthermore, we strive to strengthen the involvement of the civil society through awareness raising concerning the benefits of implementation of alternative sanctions and measures. Through the involvement of public bodies in the project we strive to a more active dialogue with the policymakers in order to achieve permanent changes in the prevailing practices and policies. The methodology that is used in this project is based on the so called “Results-based management” (RBM) which is a broad management approach with a core focus is achieving results. The RBM methodology can be defined as a “management strategy by which processes, outputs and services contribute to the achievement of clearly stated expected accomplishments and objectives. It is focused on achieving results, improving performance, integrating lessons learned into management decisions and monitoring and reporting on performance”.It is expected that approx. 400 people will have direct benefits from this project’s trainings and good practice manual namely professionals who already work within the juvenile justice systems as well as members of the civil society who wish to contribute through volunteering. Indirect beneficiaries who will benefit through the dissemination of the project are municipalities and NGOs providing community based services and of course juveniles and youth who carry the sanction/measure of community service as a consequence of a judicial decision.The partnership, which geographically covers a large part of the EU territory, consists of organizations relevant to the project’s objective and with significant experience and expertise with key persons possessing high standard scientific knowledge of the framework.