Family Futures

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overty

egy or overall plan of action. The progress of the families

participating in the Ethical Family Income is then studied

and the final results are evaluated.

The Social Support Programme provides mentoring and

professional counselling to persons participating in the Ethical

Family Income. Its aim is to strengthen and develop resources

and capacities that enable people to make better use of oppor-

tunities, and thus to improve the quality of life. For example,

needs are identified and targets set to facilitate social inte-

gration and personal development, with the goal of enabling

families to make better use of public service networks. Help

is given with varied tasks such as obtaining an identity card

or participating in self-esteem workshops, depending on the

specific needs of each family group.

This intervention involves mentoring, in which a rela-

tionship is established between a professional or an expert

and families or individuals who have limited capacities and

resources to overcome their situation of extreme poverty and

vulnerability. In this process, people are treated as active

participants, who possess resources and skills that are used

to guide change and promote personal and family develop-

ment and integration in their surroundings.

The Social Support Programme has four specific goals:

• promote the enhancement and development of the

resources, skills and capacities of individuals and families,

so as to improve their living conditions

• promote and support the definition and fulfilment of

family targets through a plan for family development

(Family Plan)

• promote the use of personal and family resources, skills

and capacities to meet the family targets

• establish a link between family and personal resources,

skills and capacities and the family targets.

The Social Support Programme lasts for 12 or 24months, depend-

ing on the initial diagnosis, with a maximum of 19 sessions

conducted at the family’s home by a professional or expert.

The Labour Support Programme is designed to enhance

users’ ability to improve their income generation strategy

independently. This is done by means of specialized mentor-

ing to make people more employable and able to function

independently in the labour market, and to maintain their

income generation strategy over time. It is based on the

recognition of people as active participants who can work to

develop their capacities and promote their personal develop-

ment and integration in their surroundings. Specifically, it

provides counselling on a work plan and training geared to

people’s aptitudes and interests, facilitating their access to the

world of work. In other words, the focus is on areas in which

adult family members already have work experience or on

finding alternatives of interest to them.

The job training also assists with preparedness. This covers

such varied topics as how to apply for a job, how to behave at

a job interview and how to prepare a CV, and includes advice

on appearance, with dental treatments when necessary.

This tailor-made plan provides guidance for people to

enhance the abilities needed to achieve their family hopes and

dreams, and a way to move forward under their own steam

but always with strong support on which they can rely. The

specific goals of the Labour Support Programme are to:

• help remove barriers that create unemployment or

precarious labour insertion

• expand and guide user participation in human capital

development programmes and services, technical training

and entrepreneurship

• enhance and support participants’ efforts to work on their

own account.

Two families receiving the School Attendance Bonus, a payment that encourages actions to overcome poverty in a structured and permanent way

Images: Ministry of Social Development