ANTALYA (16 April 2018) - "The Training Programme in the Project of Support for Social Service Centres as Part of Protective and Preventive Services’’ has begun. The programme is organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies in a cooperative initiative and financially supported by the unit of the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO). The project that will be performed in 20 Social Service Centres (SSC) and three mobile SSCs in 19 provinces with predominantly Syrian populations aims to support the harmonious co-existence of local people with Syrians, to empower individuals and facilitate the access to services of vulnerable groups having difficulties in this sense. The project aims to reach 150.000 individuals out of the Syrian population including adults, children, disabled and elderly people.
With the series of training developed for the personnel of Social Service Centres who will serve in the project, it is intended to train 300 professionals serving in SSCs, and another group of 75 professionals working in the same centres will be provided training in form of trainer training. The first session of the series will be held in Antalya between 16 and 20 April 2018 with the participation of 60 professionals. In this session, the participants will be informed about the services provided to Syrians by public institutions and organizations (e.g. the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of Health, Directorate General of Migration Management) as well as those provided by the Ministry of Family and Social Policies.
In his opening remarks, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Turkey Representative Karl Kulessa said “Today over 60 million people around the world have been forced from their homes by wars and conflicts. Of these 22.5 million are refugees. Hosting the world’s largest refugee population - over 3.5 million- I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Turkey for its generosity. I recognize the enormous investment your country has made. It is, and this cannot be repeated enough, a model for all the world to see.” Kulessa added, “Under the Project of Support for Social Service Centres as Part of Protective and Preventive Services it is aimed to provide additional supportive services to Social Services Centers and also expand service delivery via additional human resources, equipment and mobile units. The mobile units would be the first of their kind by making it possible to reach the most remote areas when needed. Apart from that, the service mediators who would be hired among refugee communities are another innovative part of this action that would constitute a bridge between the refugee community and the centers to reach the most vulnerable. The access to protection services shall rise empowering refugees to fulfil their potential and rights to health and protection. Please let me take this opportunity to specifically thank our partner Ministry of Family and Social Policies for their hard work and dedication. Allow me also to extend special thanks and appreciation to all trainers and specifically the trainees whose great efforts are already helping people in need. Also, I would like to thank our donor European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) for their trust in our work and their readiness to support such efforts.”
Mr. Mehmet Mustafa Nuri Nuruan, General Director of the Department of Family and Community Services of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, who held one of the opening speeches in the event, said: “As the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, we are striving to ensure that the Syrians with specific needs do benefit from all the service models provided by the Ministry, with particular focus on protective and preventive services. One of the steps we have taken in this respect is the strengthening of the Social Service Centres which serve as the first place of contact between Syrians and us. In this sense, today we are launching, together with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with which we cooperate to this end, the Project of Support for Social Service Centres as part of protective and preventive services. This project will be executed in 20 Social Service Centres (SSC) and three mobile service centres in 19 provinces with predominantly Syrian populations, we aim to support the harmonious co-existence of local people with the Syrians, to empower individuals and to facilitate access to services of vulnerable groups that experience difficulties in accessing services. In this framework, it is our aim to reach 150.000 Syrians consisting of adults, children, people with disabilities and elderly people. In training programmes within the project, we also intend to support the personnel delivering services to Syrians in Social Service Centres, enhancing their professional knowledge and skills. Today is the first day of the first session of the training programme where we will provide theoretical and practical training to 60 employees working in the Social Service Centres in the said 19 provinces. The representatives of public institutions and organizations delivering services to Syrians under temporary protection status will also inform the participants with respect to the services they provide to Syrians. The programme will continue with theoretical and practical trainings to be given by academicians from Bilgi University specialized in the field of psychosocial support”.
In the training to be held in Antalya between 16 and 20 April 2018, training sessions will be held covering several topics such as the General Framework of National and International Laws on Refugees, the Legal Framework of Temporary Protection in Turkey and the Ordinance on Temporary Protection and the related Registration Procedure, Access of Syrians under Temporary Protection Status to Services Relating to Education, Labour Market and Healthcare, Maternal and Child Health, the Scope of Psychosocial Support Services Delivered to Syrians under Temporary Protection Status, Services Delivered to Children, Women, Disabled and Elderly People under Temporary Protection Status, Social Aid Provided to Syrians under Temporary Protection Status, the Services of NGOs intended for Syrians under Temporary Protection Status, Social Life, Family Structure and Marriage Procedure in Syria.
The training programme within the Project of Support for Social Service Centres as Part of Protective and Preventive Services will proceed with a set of theoretical and practical trainings to be given by academicians from Bilgi University specialized in the field of psychosocial support.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established in 1969 as the biggest aid source with international funding in the area of population operating around the world. UNFPA operates in more than 150 countries for creating policies and strategies that support sustainable development. Having started its activities on a project basis, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working on reproductive health, encouraging social-gender equality, and collecting, using and distributing data about development and humanitarian aid in Turkey since 1971. Within this framework, the first Country Program lasted from 1988 to 1992 and now the Sixth Country Program (2016-2020) is being executed.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. To this end, UNFPA focuses especially 5 on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
- SDG 3: Good health and well-being,
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals
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