Sustainability Evaluation Workshop

More than 50 representatives of residential and health institutions as well as civil society organizations and local governments which were awarded for grants on the Оpen Call for Proposals “Support for de-institutionalization and social inclusion of persons with mental disability and mental illness” as part of activities of the OPEN ARMS project, attended the workshop on sustainability of projects carried out in these institutions and organization.
The workshop was held in Belgrade, on October 27th 2014 aiming to define key factors for sustainability of services, identification of examples of good practices, the most common problems faced by the projects as well as steps to be taken for creation of action plans for sustainability.
Participants were welcomed by Aleksandra Čalošević, Mihaela Janša and Brankica Jeremić, OPEN ARMS project experts.
Biljana Zekavica, Head of Inspection department of Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Issues of Republic of Serbia held a presentation on process of licensing of social care services. She presented requirements needed for obtaining license and pointed out that until May 2016 all providers of social care services have to have license. The license will be issued for period of six years.
Presentation was followed by discussion of the legal requirements and existing standards relating to the provision of social services, which are directly related to licensure.
Michael Janša, an expert on the project, presented the conditions that affect institutional and financial sustainability of the projects and sustainability of community services for people with mental and intellectual disabilities. An example of an action plan for the sustainability of social and health care services was also presented.
Following the workshop, current situation and next steps were analyzed in order to effectively influence the policy makers to initiate change and improvement of the provision of social and health care services in Serbia.
The workshop was attended by the OPEN ARMS project team, the representatives of the EU Delegation in Serbia and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Issues.
For successful deinstitutionalization is necessary that, as participants concluded:

•  The principle of “money follows users’ work in practice,
•  Stronger support of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Issues and the Ministry of Health to service providers that will be developed through projects,
•  Better cooperation with relevant institutions such as centres for social work in the provision of social services,
•  The Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Issues should deliver a written decision / confirmation that residential institution is in the process of transformation,
• The Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Issues assist in structuring of cost of services since in existing Regulations are not sufficiently clear instructions about the prices of services (keeping in mind four levels of support),
•  To solve the problem about hiring new people,
•  Local governments take over the financing of activities related to the provision of services (such as work centres for mental health).
The workshop launched an initiative to re-forming a network of providers in order to enhance the connectivity providers and to influence the policy makers through making proposals for amendments to existing legislation.