Astangu VRC Equass Progress Report 2021

EQUASS Progress Report 1 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be Introductory Notes: 1. The two Progress Report must be sent by the Certified Service Provider, one 12 months after receiving Certification and the EQUASS Audit Report, and the second Progress Report, 24 months after the EQUASS Certification by EQUASS 2. The Progress Reports must address issues, documented by the EQUASS Auditor in the EQUASS Audit Report implemented by the Certified Service Provider. 3. The EQUASS Progress Reports may have max 6 pages in total (including information provided by the EQUASS Certified Organisation and the feedback of the Auditor). 4. The Social Service Provider completes the Section 1, in national language, with a brief description of Actions / Activities that have been carried out by the Service Provider in the last 12 months to improve the performance on the EQUASS Principles and Criteria. ( Max 4 A4 - font size 10 Pt interspaced (1.0)) 5. The Progress Reports should be sent to the local EQUASS LLH / ENR, or the EQUASS Secretariat in Brussels in case there is no local LLH / ENR operating in the country. 6. The EQUASS Auditor completes the Section 2, in national and English language, with a brief feedback, comment and/or recommendations regarding the improved Actions /results. (Max 2 A4 - font size 10 Pt interspaced (1.0)) The numbering of the format for the Auditor, corresponds with the numbering of the format for the EQUASS Certified Organisation in Section 1. 7. Please read the “Guidelines for Writing the Progress Reports” document to a better knowledge of the progress reports process and how to be filling in. 2 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be Section 1 Name of the Organisation: Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre Date: 15.12.2021 3 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be  Have the outcomes of the To which Is this addressed in Has the issue been What have you done, in the last year, to improve your performance Criterion / the Audit Report? assessed internally? Internal Assessment been documented? Criteria is it against the EQUASS Principles and Criteria? linked? YES NO YES NO YES NO 1 Astangu VRC’s strategy ended with 2020 and for the new period of 2021– 1, 3, 4, √ √ √ 2024 Astangu VRC decided to align its planning with governments 10, 42, planning process. Thus, Astangu VRC has a new vision for 2035 and a 43, 48 new strategy for the period of 2021–2024 and a work plan for each and every year. For each new four year period, Astangu VRC will decide what objectives and key results to set to move closer to the vision for 2035, which makes the four year strategy more of a compass than a map, and can be flexible adapted according to changing external or internal conditions. Astangu VRC also uses the OKR method throughout its planning process and hopes to improve OKR’s use also from throughout the organisation (not just for work plan, but for weekly planning etc.). Part of the new strategy is an analysis of the target group for Astangu VRC, how the target group has changed over the years, where the people are that can benefit from Astangu VRC’s vocational rehabilitation service, but also analysis of Astangu VRC’s challenges in the changing external and internal environment and what are our needs to be able to respond better to those challenges. Astangu VRC also has a new approach to annual work plan by identifying focus themes (for 2022 altogether 13 focus themes were identified). Focus themes will help in better establishing teams for reaching goals in those focus themes. Also, focus themes will help employees in better understanding their role. Input to the focus themes’ goals come also from different regular satisfaction surveys that Astangu VRC carries out, which is the core of the cyclic manner for improvements carried out at Astangu VRC. With the creation of Development Unit under the Administrative and Development Department, there is also a single owner for the process. 4 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be 2 COVID-19 has been the main issue that needs constant attention and 8, 15, 16, √ √ √ flexibility from the organisation and staff alike. Astangu VRC has set 31, 32 specific guidelines and rules regarding COVID-19 in the beginning of the school year, and has been reviewing them constantly in order to comply with either state regulation or with the changing environment at the centre (e.g. spread of the virus, contact tracing, organising distance learning in cases of self-isolation etc.). Since distance learning and digital skills has been put in the forefront in the pandemic, Astangu VRC has realised that more attention needs to be given to understanding better digitals skills of students and teachers (also an objective way to measure those skills, since mostly the level of digital skills is measured through subjective answers, but self-assessment is very reliant on the complexity of the digital environment in any given country etc.), how to better digitalise teaching materials, what environment is best suited to each group of students, and how to match students with teaching environment and topic at hand. Astangu VRC has managed to find funding and hire an educational technologist (as of April 2021) to further digital skills among staff and students of Astangu VRC. The aim is to facilitate distance learning methods and find suitable digital environments and methods to use with students with special needs. 3 Due to COVID-19 and the impact pandemic has been reported to have on 8 √ √ √ mental health, Astangu VRC has elaborated a tool to measure the well- being of mental health of its employees. The methodology is based on COPSOQ and Astangu VRC has conducted the measurement twice in 2021. For 2022 mental health is one of focus themes in the work plan and Astangu VRC has a specific action plan how to better the mental health of its employees. For students mental health modules have been introduced into curriculum and Astangu VRC has been training other vocational schools on the importance of mental health among students. Additionally, Astangu VRC put together a risk analysis of biological risk factors to submit to the Labour Inspectorate. 5 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be 4 Students enrolled in Astangu VRC’s own training courses (not vocational 34, 37 √ √ √ education curriculum) don’t have the same rights in respect of receiving benefits and grants compared to those students that are enrolled in vocational education curriculum. Also, Astangu VRC’s teachers and support staff are not considered to be the same as teaching and support staff at schools (whatever the level), which leaves them without certain grants etc. And Astangu VRC, not being an educational institution, is left out of many grant possibilities of European Union structural funds and other funding opportunities, which also has an impact of Astangu VRC’s staff. Astangu VRC has been cooperating with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Ministry of Education and Science to solve these issues. Thus far Astangu VRC work has resulted in the Amendments of the Social Welfare Act and other respective acts, which enlarged the possibilities of Astangu VRC’s students to apply for different family benefits (went into effect 01.04.2021). 5 In the context of drawing up a new strategy, we’ve defined the vocational 31, 42, 43 √ √ √ rehabilitation service and its components that students receive at our centre. We’ve set a vision for 2035 that 10x more students in vocation education receive vocational rehabilitation service (that is approximately 1000 students in vocational schools across Estonia). In order for that vision to become reality, we’ve applied for EU funding (from the Ministry of Social Affairs) and received the funds to design a vocational rehabilitation service for Estonia on the example of the service at Astangu VRC. Astangu VRC has hired a project manager and through the process of public procurement have found a partner in service design. Currently analysis has been conducted on the support services available and used in vocational schools in Estonia. Then the design of the service will start. The pilot of actually providing students with special needs in selected schools (schools that were interested in participating in the project) according to their needs with vocational rehabilitation services will start for the school year of 2022/2023. The results of the project and suggestions for the improvement of the service will be available in the second half of 2023. 6 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be 6 Astangu VRC is also trying to expand the target group of people with 31, 42, 43 √ √ √ special needs that can receive vocational rehabilitation service. For that, Astangu VRC has applied for EU funding (from the Ministry of Social Affairs) and received necessary funds to develop a suitable curriculum (content and language integrated learning) for Russian speaking people with special needs. Astangu VRC has hired a project manager who has conducted an analysis of the target group, established through interviews contacts with basic schools that have Russian speaking students with special needs. Through the project Astangu VRC can hire additional personnel to support the group that will start studying at Astangu VRC. The piloting of the curriculum will start for the school year of 2022/2023. The results of the project and suggestions for the improvement of the curriculum will be available in the second half of 2023. 7 Since its strategy for 2018–2020 Astangu VRC has been more set on 24 √ √ √ nudging vocational schools through counselling (process or case based), training (on the basis of mapping the needs of the school) and organising network events where all support specialists and teachers (including Astangu VRC’s) from vocational schools can exchange their best practices and listen to others to take back and look at what they can change within their school. This is all done in order to reduce the number of students with special needs in vocational schools that drop out of studies. To further our understanding how our activities impact the schools, we’re devising an index to measure the impact of our interventions. 7 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be 8 Thus far Astangu VRC has used EQUAL to measure a person’s quality of 16, 24, 32 √ √ √ life and how the interventions by specialists at Astangu VRC have improved person’s quality of life. This is a very important part of our services – to improve people’s quality of life and only the person can assess if the interventions have done that. As an organisation that is always looking for ways to improve our services and grow though that, we want to be able to better understand also the objective impact of our interventions on a person. In order to have that data that we can use to improve effectiveness of our interventions, but also to compare that data throughout years, we are currently trying to develop blocks of key abilities and how to measure them in the beginning, middle (coincides with the review of students’ individual action plans for the year), and end of the school year. Once the tool has been developed, it can be shared also to other vocational schools, and together with the vocational rehabilitation service that is being also currently developed, can make a real impact in aiding students with special needs in vocational schools to finish their studies and enter employment market, and decrease their dropout rate. 9 In last year’s progress report we reported that for the Annual Work Plan of 42 √ √ √ 2020 Astangu VRC set specific max drop-out rates for its own courses, which hadn’t been done before. Building on top of that we’ve also foreseen in the strategy a development of a dropout reduction strategy, which would aid in better contextualization and more targeted way of reducing the dropout rate at Astangu VRC. Also, that way we can also share our best practices and learning curves with vocational schools who are obligated to have such strategies in place, but either don’t or have them only on paper. 10 Astangu VRC has long used and disseminated in Estonia the Jobpics 34 √ √ √ methodology. Now that Astangu VRC has secured a license agreement for developing further the methodology for the Estonian market, we’ve received funding to update the occupation cards and develop digital tool for use. Astangu VRC is doing this in cooperation with the Estonian Unemployment Fund through whom we’ve secured the funding for this project. Currently a contract has been signed for the project management service as a result of public procurement process. 8 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be 11 Study regulations have proven to be not adequate compared with student 13, 14 √ √ √ behaviour, so as of September 2021 Astangu VRC has updated the study regulation, setting clear behavioural expectations to students and listed different methods for sanctioning behaviour that is against the rules. The rules have been introduced to students at the beginning of the school year, not just passively, but also via active participation of students themselves in ranking rights and obligations by their importance. Since the same rules are linked also with bullying behaviour, the student council went over establishing, via an active participation exercise in December, what that actually is. 12 Astangu VRC is finalizing the renewal of the directive for processing of 23 √ √ √ personal data. The renewal of the directive has taken longer time than expected, since additional avenues have been added where Astangu VRC processes different kinds of personal data. Assessment showed that since the main principles were adequate and people’s rights whose personal data is processed at Astangu VRC were secured. 13 Astangu VRC is looking into signing a contract (expected beginning of 7, 10 √ √ √ 2022) for auditing the organisational structure and whether it supports best quality of services provided by Astangu VRC and reaching goals established by the strategy and long-term vision. Open field / Observations 9 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be Section 2 Name of the EQUASS Auditor: …………….. Date: ……. Is the issue relevant for improving the performance on Additional comments and recommendations from the EQUASS Auditor EQUASS Criteria? YES NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 General Comment: 10 Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels, Belgium - [email protected] – www.equass.be Saatja: Veronika Kaska <[email protected]> Saatmisaeg: pühapäev, 19. detsember 2021 19:34 Adressaat: Benedetta Pesce <[email protected]> Koopia: [email protected]; Helen Sinilaid <[email protected]> Teema: Vs: Astangu VRC Equass Progress Report 2021 Dear Benedetta, Please find attached progress report on the updated template. Kind regards, Veronika Kaska Deputy Director/ Lawyer Creating better life together Tel +372 687 7233 Mob +372 505 5381 [email protected] Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre Astangu 27, Tallinn 13519 Saatja: Benedetta Pesce <[email protected]> Saatmisaeg: kolmapäev, 15. detsember 2021 12:49 Adressaat: Veronika Kaska <[email protected]> Koopia: [email protected]; Helen Sinilaid <[email protected]> Teema: Re: Astangu VRC Equass Progress Report 2021 Sure! Sorry I forgot :) -- Benedetta Pesce Administration and Project Assistant [email protected] ~ [email protected] European Platform for Rehabilitation - EQUASS www.epr.eu Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels On Wed, 15 Dec 2021 at 11:46, Veronika Kaska <[email protected]> wrote: Hi, Benedetta, Please attach the file :) Best, Veronika Saatja: Benedetta Pesce <[email protected]> Saatmisaeg: kolmapäev, 15. detsember 2021 12:39 Adressaat: Veronika Kaska <[email protected]> Koopia: [email protected]; Helen Sinilaid <[email protected]> Teema: Re: Astangu VRC Equass Progress Report 2021 Dear Veronika, thank you for the document. This report is in the old format. I would kindly ask you to adapt it to the new template that you find in the attachment. I circulated the model last year. If you were not in the mail I sent, it is probably my mistake and I apologise. The differences in the new template are very small. So, I am sure it will not steal too much time. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you very much for your collaboration. Kind regards, -- Benedetta Pesce Administration and Project Assistant [email protected] ~ [email protected] European Platform for Rehabilitation - EQUASS www.epr.eu Avenue des Arts 8, 1210 Brussels On Wed, 15 Dec 2021 at 11:20, Veronika Kaska <[email protected]> wrote: Hello, Please find attached Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre’s Progress Report for 2021. Kind regards, Veronika Kaska Deputy Director/ Lawyer Together we can create a better life every day, with every thought and action Tel +372 687 7233 Mob +372 505 5381 [email protected] Astangu Vocational Rehabilitation Centre Astangu 27, Tallinn 13519