The Greek Carers Network EPIONI is a national non-profit organization established in 2016 by a group of citizens who are caregivers or former caregivers. It is governed by its Board of Directors (7members, 2 of them young people aged between 15 and 28) supported by a Scientific Committee and an Audit Committee (3 people). Our aim is to support individuals who work as informal, unpaid carers of family members or friends who are struggling with physical or mental illness, disability or addiction. Our services include providing information about health issues and sharing of good practices, providing carers with practical advice and emotional support, as well as facilitating the development of problem-solving skills. We also strive to help service users identify and utilize available resources from their local communities.
In order to further promote and materialize our vision for carers in Greece, EPIONI is also actively involved in promoting key policy changes through government legislation. With a firm commitment to improving the quality of our services, we strive as an organization to utilize the feedback we receive from our service users and clients. More specifically, quality monitoring and evaluation extend on 3 levels: The quality of our organized national meetings; the quality of collaboration (including overall project quality as perceived by the project partners); The quality of outputs that are subject to a review process and end-users’ evaluation. EPIONI is a member of several European and national networks that can support the dissemination and exploitation of project results. Among these Eurocarers, the European Network of Carers Organizations, Mental Health Europe and EASPD the European Association of Service Providers and the European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness (EUFAMI) EPIONI is also registered in the Hellenic Register of Voluntary Non-Governmental Organizations (09121ΣΥΕ11096Ο68Ν 1438) and the European Transparency register (049767927777-58).
EPIONI has specific expertise in the topic of support to family caregivers (including young or young adults) having been involved in the project aiming to support informal carers of people through education, advocacy, and counseling. Among these: Erasmus+ KA1 projects “Educating Informal Caregivers” and “ Tools & Skills for Emotional Management» and Erasmus+ KA2 project “Learning for Caregivers in Europe”. Peer-support groups for family carers of people with mental health problems in Athens, Greece. Carer Day – since 2016 EPIONI promotes the creation of an annual carer day end of September: seminars, workshops, training, and cultural events to promote and value the role of family carers. Group therapy for family carers. Summer Camp for caregivers in collaboration with the city of Athens and Social Club. Advocacy for caregivers of people with Mental Health Problems in the Ministry of Health. CONSORZIO SGS (SGS), is a consortium made by 34 social cooperatives working in social/health fields. It’s registered in the Abruzzo Regional Record of Social Cooperatives in the section C Det. DM 2/107-2006. SGS borns from the consciousness that Welfare and Health market evolution needs actors which can afford an active role versus Public Boards, Associations and Companies. Thanks Know How and the management capacity improved in so many years of working, SGS promotes interventions to realize complex investments according EU and national laws. Thanks to an innovative tutoring activity, SGS has improved operative models of innovation for its members and its clients.
Through its members, SGS, works in every kind of social and health service with a special expertise about services for home care. Specifically, SGS manages services for disadvantaged people with home care services (health and social), residential and/or daily centers, furthermore, with its cooperative working into social inclusion, it promote the inclusion into the labor market of disadvantaged persons. SGS works with persons with ASD since they are child until adult age and it faces their problems either health or social through their services. Consorzio SGS has also developed, through experience and a close dialogue with public and private institutions, a high-level staff of professionals and a high quality offered about services also for families and caregivers. Consorzio SGS will be able to involve people with mental health problems attending our structures and services during the training in Italy and they will select them after the approval of the project. They will be people wanting to become social operators/ caregivers and/or people who have family members living with mental health problems who need care and support —- Istanbul Gelisim University is a non-profit foundation university which was established in 2008 by the Gelisim Foundation. Our Vocational School was established and started education according to annex 2 of the law 2547 issued by the Council of Ministers on 14/07/2008 on paper 17261 issued on 08/07/2008 by the Ministry of National Education. On the law dated 17/02/2011 and numbered 6114 “Istanbul Gelişim University” was established and continues its educational activities with 3 Faculties, 3 Institutes, 4 Schools and 1 Vocational School. With its 25 thousand local students and 1500 international students, Istanbul Gelisim University creates the conditions for quality education. For ten years the University has been sending off intellectually informed graduates as individuals who are qualified to think for themselves and are able to monitor and analyze developments in the world. The university is proud to be an integrated intellectual community of researching students and teachers who believe in life-long education.
The Departments have a tradition of studies, using advanced technologies and a multidisciplinary approach to research. The following subjects are included in the study area of our university; expertise in inclusive education policies, theories and practices, design of learning modules and tools, planning and realizing training course, academic research and data analysis, distance learning and e-learning, evaluating and validating of education programs, innovative practices in education, ecologic, economic and social sustainable. The university has also, 80 laboratories, 23 studio (atelier) and 18 research centers and 49 student clubs that allow students to participate in social, cultural, scientific and sporting activities outside the classroom. The objectives of the training policy are: – To increase the number and variety of contributions to society. – Increasing the number of students and academic staff serving the community. – Increase the number of cooperation and partnerships with nearby social actors. – To increase the budget of the community service activities. The Dutch Foundation of Innovation Welfare 2 Work (DFW2W) is an independent, non-profit organisation which supports professionals (e.g. EU partners/institutes, municipalities, councils, provinces, governments, employment agencies, training providers, non-profit organisations) and (young) citizens in the fields of employment, job matching & mobility, traineeship, education, income, social inclusion, equal participation of women and men, social security, social innovation, welfare, entrepreneurship and quality of life. Our goal is to set up partnerships and platforms for innovative good practices in our fields of specialism, developing (digital) information for citizens and professionals about employment strategies, networking, legislation and regulation, the social map of the Netherlands and other countries (e.g. EU, UK, USA, Australia, South Africa, etc.). Social innovation is one of our priorities. DFW2W works on international projects and national projects as well as local assignments with NEETs, young people with special needs, young people with fewer opportunities, LGBTs, young jobseekers, young entrepreneurs, immigrants employers & governmental bodies.
Some of our projects are:
* Research and development, testing new concepts in the fields of education, employment and enterprise, income and care (e.g. Work First e.g. Activity Model, Self-employment, work placements, internships, traineeships, and social media marketing for social and welfare to work services and/or individuals, etc.)
* Transferring mobilities, network and know-how of employment strategies in the European context
* Developing risk analyses in the fields of project management and regarding the re-entering of the jobs market.
* Supervising co-operative efforts, supporting (local) governments and businesses in setting up small-scale business space projects in collaboration with business networks.
* Implementation and operationalization of instruments and tools for quality improvement and internal auditing.
* Accounting for budgets and policy scenarios for activation of job seekers.
* Networking & Setting up the policy regarding (local) labor market policy in relation to gender equality and racial equality
* Networking & Setting up a (policy regarding) business network.
* Providing training and coaching for (international) managers, entrepreneurs, employers, and employees.
* Providing work placements, apprenticeships, traineeships and internships for students, job seekers, young entrepreneurs and NEETs. The social enterprise Wind of Renewal/Anemos Ananeosis was constituted in Greece in 2014 for the promotion of social cooperative and responsible economy, social entrepreneurship, green-circular economy, incorporation of democracy and human rights in financial and social life, as well as eco-social innovation.
For the implementation of its goals, Wind of Renewal is collaborating with Municipalities, institutions (e.g.Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, PFH Fachschule für Sozialpädagogik, Heidehof-Stiftung), EU networks (REVES, CECOP, Housing Europe, Social Economy Europe, etc.), Universities (Hoheschule Darmstand, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, Free University Berlin, University of Cádiz Spain, University of Arizona USA), NGOs (Greek Forum of Refugees, Greek Forum of Migrants etc.) and other organizations aiming on social, environmental, cultural and professional topics.
Fields of activity:
• Consulting services and support of bottom-up initiatives
• Capacity building seminars eg on eco-social sustainability to pubic authorities and social stakeholders in 2015
• Research/Policy: policy paper on Energy Poverty in Greece. Social Innovation Proposals to address the phenomenon (2017), a policy paper on green regional development (2015)
•Raising awareness activities: Social Entrepreneurship Forum 2014,2015, 2016, 2017 in Athens, and other cities. Seminar on Planning Transition to Energy Efficient Cities. Workshop on Energy Cooperatives in Schools
•Networking and share of best practices in local, national and European level
• Providing services for refugees in matters of housing, empowerment, and integration