FEAD 2018 Catalogue of case studies

For more information regarding the project, contact Jukka Haapakoski, Executive Director at the Finnish National Organisation of the Unemployed: E-Mail: jukka.haapakoski@tvy.fi Phone: +3580505772580 WHO? The Finnish National Organisation of the Unemployed leads the project (Työttömien Keskusjärjestö ry) with the support of the Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention (Ehkäisevä päihdetyö EHYT ry). They map the social and health needs of FEAD recipients, as well as the services available on a local level. A significant amount of support also comes from staff and volunteers from local NGOs and other social organisations. Involving local staff helps ensure the model is sustainable beyond the end of the project . HOW? The project runs alongside FEAD-funded food distribution and has been able to appoint a nurse thanks to ESF funds. With the help of a social worker, the nurse contacts local employment support associations in the locations where FEAD food aid is distributed. They establish a first contact with end recipients and inform them about their legal rights to benefit from health examinations and other health and social services offered by municipal authorities and NGOs at the local level. Project staff then administer the ‘Abilitator’ to the target group, a voluntary self-assessment questionnaire developed by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. By filling in the questionnaire, FEAD recipients get a better sense of their own work ability, functional capacity and overall needs. Based on this self-assessment, social workers are able to direct individuals towards the most appropriate services. As of April 2018, the project had completed over 100 visits in 73 different localities around Finland and almost 400 people have been referred to appropriate services, based on the ‘Abilitator’ assessment. Within eight months of the first contact, approximately 50% of the target group who received support had booked an appointment for a health examination. In the long term, the project strives to set up a model for partner organisations to continue referring people for health examinations and other social and health services. Such a model includes customisable training course material and a handbook to be created in collaboration with the organisations themselves, to make them suitable for their needs. All unemployed people have the legal right for a free health care checkup in Finland. Let’s give cheers for health!” — Finnish National Organisation of the Unemployed 25 Diverse approaches to supporting Europe’s most deprived: FEAD case studies 2018