A flexible, multidisciplinary and transnational VET model for the PROBATION services and practitioners

PROBATIONET project background derived from the Probation itself as a penal procedure globally applied and its complex context of case management in which Governmental Institutions and NGOs with t...

PROBATIONET in this framework aimed to develop an innovative training model able to respond to the education and training needs of officers and workers involved in the probation process with a flexible and multidisciplinary approach as requested by each national Probation case management system. Particular attention was given to reconciliation and victim-offender mediation issues. Against the inhomogeneity of application at national level all European probation caseworks can be fitted into one of these 4 “domains” 1: Pre-Trial Provisions; 2: Non-Custodial Options; 3: Immediate Custody and 4: Early Release/Supervised Release. The PROBATIONET integrated training model applied to a common casework has given particular attention to the low-skilled professionals by increasing quality, supply and accessibility of continuing VET, validation of non-formal and informal learning, and promoting work-place learning. The PROBATIONET training model promoted the SENTITIVITY GROUP as a particularly effective psychosocial training methodology to treat groups with strong emotional involvement. Moreover, PROBATIONET represented a scheme for developing partnerships between SME VET providers, HEIs and Probation Justice Departments.

PROBATIONET’s three main activities were grouped as follows: 1: preparation of Training model design for 'setting goals”; 2: implementation of blended training courses at European and national level (3 cycles of dynamic events + face-to-face and e-learning modules in Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Bulgaria); 3: validation and dissemination. The work plan was conceived taking care of the whole PROBATIONET design and methodology applied and maximizing the mobility resources available: 4 Project Meetings (PM) were planned to account what has been realized during the previous phase and to confirm what will be done in the next step: PM Kick Off - Greece online and physical in Italy; Short term joint staff - Training of Trainers (ToT) in Bulgaria C4 (online), Pilot Training PM (milestone for the launch of testing phase of national pilot trainings), concurrently with C1 (first Dynamic Event Italy), mid-term PM (milestone for monitoring and midterm evaluation of project and national pilot trainings), concurrently with C2 (second Dynamic Event Greece), R. validation PM (milestone for validating the intellectual outcomes / project results), concurrently with C3 (third Dynamic Event - Portugal) The PROBATIONET implementation strategy and its work packages organization were as follows: 1. Define a probation framework at European level case management, select best practices from test countries (Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Bulgaria). R.1 Design an innovative curricula PROBATIONET “design and development”, development of R.2 to enable Country Partners to customize the PROBATIONET Curricula for the testing phase at national level. 2. Prepare key persons involved in the training activity and prepare the national teams (C4) Training the Trainers, experts, coaches, other professional profiles dedicated etc. 3. Beside the PROB-T e-learning platform (R.3) has been structured to support the training pathways. 4. The training Activities operated as 3 pivotal dynamic events (C1, C2, C3) during the national implementation project work and in-service phase. Trainees attending the dynamic events were a blend composition: Staff trainers/Coaches and representative of VET learners’ teams chosen for acting as group leaders and applying coaching themselves in the sensitivity training at national level. 5. Implementation and testing the planned Rs: The E-course on Restorative Justice and recidivism (PR.4) and Probation Case Management Practitioners training Curricula (PR.5) as first validated Courses of PROBATIONET model using the PR.2 “design and development” validating itself as well. 6. Validate all Rs at the end of testing phase and promote them at National level (Multiplier Events) for deploying the local National training courses. 7. Disseminate at European Level through VET Providers and HEIs networks starting from the Final conference in Athens, Greece.

PROBATIONET expected main results and outcomes were as follows: - Innovative training model “design and development curricula” to enable VET providers and Organization to implement curricula course in favour of all professionals (VET learners of the project) involved in the Probation process: probation officers, staff of government departments, social workers, psychologies/mediators, prison staff (according the ESCO occupation identified and linked with the Probation case management); - Innovative tools through mutual learning in the field of Probation based on techniques of reconciliation with the victim. - Early Release/Supervised Release casework approach based on the analysis of the basic skills to renter in the labour market and on orientation towards any other educational sectors and / or employment opportunities. A PROBATIONET outcome expected was the implementation of a professional dialog platform of practitioners about a European Area of criminal procedure and victimology cooperation in favour of both the offenders and victims’ rights. PROBATIONET results were also the activities implemented during the project (24 month duration) during the phases of the project in Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria and Greece with the support of their Ministries of Justice: - Project management and coordination; - Technical support and collaborative working system, as well as training technology support; - Follow-up and internal assessment (Quality Plan, QPLN); - The Communication-Dissemination (CDAP) and the Valorisation-Exploitation of results (VEAP). The 10 results (R) according the three phases structure were as follows: - Ph1: Build the project environment and conceive the model: 1. Updating-completing info related to specificities and existing (e.g., info about training systems that could support the project training phases; - Updating - completing the elements related to job environment 2. Update of the Case Management map in Probation System at European and National level (R.1). 3. Short-term joint staff C.4 (Partner’s trainers, coaches, and experts) to design and develop new training modules for Probation Officers and professionals including the psychosocial aspects and the theme of burnout and resilience both for the workers and the offenders. 4 Five multiplier events in Italy, Portugal, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey to disseminate the training pilot course at National levels (in order to involve the Organizations of potential VET learners). 5 Conceiving the PROBATIONET “design and development training Curricula” (R.2) - Ph 2: testing and validation phase 6. On the basis of R.2 methodology Partners responsible customized and implemented the 4 training blended courses (face-to-face and E-learning modality). During the 12-month duration of training the VET learners from partner organisations worked together through the PRO-T platform both with ICT tools, such as social media, video conferencing, live streaming provided carrying out individual project work and face-to-face classroom by applying PROBATIONET training approach (3 Dynamic events at international level organised as C1, C2, and C3). 7. PROB-T Web platform for e-learning and webinar modules assured to the VET learners in-service training during the 1-year course and follow up to face-to-face training activity (R.3). 8. Testing the e- learning curricula Restorative Justice and Recidivism through the PROB-T (R.4) 9 Testing the curricula training scheme for Practitioners in Probation case management during the implementation of individual project work (R.5). - Ph 3: Validation and Dissemination phase 6. 10. Validation of all Intellectual out puts releasing the final version through the R.6 Repository toolkit for the Final conference EU level event in Athens, Greece to disseminate as much as possible the results at European Level.