Agnese Igaune Sarmīte Grope 09.10.2017. , Riga

1. Riga City Council WelfareDepartment,Riga Social service, Riga Municipal Children and Youth Center. Agnese Igaune Sarmīte Grope 09.10.2017. , Riga

2. From the year 2000, Support departments for families with children give consultations from social workers, offer and organize social services for families with children and also for children left without parental care, who need social and psychological support. Since 2003, in medical institutions were created staff positions for social workers. Regional social service department worker participation in different projects. As the result of a reorganization of six municipal institutions, that offered social help, offered and organized social services to residents of the Riga municipality, as well as performed coordinative, informative and consultation work, a unified Riga Social servicewas created.

3. Social work in the Municipality of Riga Social work is done in 11 regional/municipal centers: 1)Social workers work with families and children; 2)Social workers work with children and families, that have children with functional impairments; 3) Social workers work withchildren left without parental care (orphans) that are over the age of 18; 4) From 2014, working with social cases in Riga municipality is also entrusted to the «SOS Children's Villages Association’s «Family Support Center»».

4. The number of people, who have received social work services (families with children RSS, SOS) 2016 For example, in 2003, in Riga there were 15 referrals that assigned for persons/children who have suffered from illegal actions to receive social rehabilitation. In 2016, RSS – 205 persons, who were identified to have suffered from physical violence, were provided different kinds of services (nationally financed rehabilitation, Crisis centers, local authority financed psychological help).

5. Cooperation between institutions In 2016 – 542 meetings between professionals Since 2008, the municipality of Riga has formed an cooperation agreement with the Welfare Department, the Education, Culture and Sports Department, the Riga Orphan’s and Custody court and the Municipality police, for cooperation in cases where there is suspicion or evidence about violation of children’s rights. In RSS line of work with families and children, about 80% of the clients are the so called «mandated or involuntary clients», meaning, that the information about the necessity to protect children interests and give support to the family to overcome difficulties, is received from health care institutions, education institutions, the police, etc., as well as from individuals, for example, neighbors. * The State Inspectorate For Protection Of Children's Rights

6. Welfare Department Riga Social service: 11 territorial centers, 486 workers Social rehabilitation services at home Social rehabilitation services at an institution Social care and social rehabilitation services at home Social care and social rehabilitation services at an institution Long-term social care and rehabilitation for children (12 service providers, 19 services) Home care (5 service providers) Crisis center (4 service providers, 4 crisis centers) Crisis intervention services (3 service providers) State provided assistant services Short-term housing (2 service providers, 2 residences) Support – educational group (2 agreement organizations) Short-term social care and rehabilitation for children ( 2 service providers, 2 services) Crisis hotline (1 agreement organizations,1 center) Day care center For 10 DCC children Social support and consultation program for foster families, adopters and guardians (1 service provider, 1 program) 2014-2016, cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages Association «Introducing an early warning system in kindergartens» Family assistant service (5 service providers) Day center (1 service provider, 4 day centers for children) Support [family]and trusted person service Social rehabilitation programs for children with functional imparities or behavioralproblems (7 service providers, 57 programs)

7. Social services implemented in 2017 • Social rehabilitation programs for children with behavior problems; • Project «The SOS Resource and competence center’s practice of implementing a children oriented [child centered] approach in Latvia» social service for children and families with children that are in social risk situations: 1.Children and young people, to whom applies the Section 58 of the “Law on the Protection of the Children’s Rights’’ – the developing of a program for social correction of behavior for each child; 2. mothers with newborns, that need support; 3. children, who have lost a close family member; 4. children in out-of-home care. • Individual rehabilitation programs for mothers with mental disabilities, usage of the assessment instrument ASIS*. * Audit Support Information System

8. Health promoting events For children and teenagers - Discussions, interactive lessons; Behavior, relationships, conflict solving, resisting pressure, etc.… Aggression, emotions, experience, types of emotional reaction… The influence of stress on health, overexertion, regime, realizing stress…. Lessons-discussions about strengthening family values ( for 7-9th graders and 10-12th graders) Parents: Lessons about the psycho-emotional development of children and facilitating the creation of a safe, supportive environment for child development. (Child's Emotional Education) Lessons about the father’s role in the family. Lectures and lessons about themes of addiction prevention. (Models of communication) Parent gatherings “How to help the developing of children with concentration problems”. Trainings for teachers and other specialists: «Aggression intervention program for young people» Principles of cognitive behavior psychology, facilitating the understanding about aggression, the causes of aggression by learning other types of emotional reactions. «The development of social-emotional life skills» Themes: taking responsibility, creating relationships, effective communication, critical thinking, making decisions, being confident in oneself, problem solving , resisting pressure, stress and anxiety management, setting goals.

9. RMCYC unites 7 departments «Ziemeļi» «Apīte» 72 children27 youths «Imanta»«Ezermala» 65 children 12 youths «Vita» «Pārdaugava» 30 children Crisis center 30 children and youths 24youths Riga Municipal Children and Youth Center.

10. Course of action in case of violence against a child The actions of workers of the Riga Municipal Children and Youth Center are regulated by internal rules, accepted on the 15th of October, 2015 «The procedure, that is followed by the workers of RMCYC, when giving information about possible case of violence against a child or youth and when solving cases of violence»

11. Algorithm on[the reporting about] violence A worker immediately informs the senior social worker/ manager of the department If the information is received from the child verbally, any of the senior social workers must be immediately informed The manager of the department informs RMCYC’s Director about any suspicions or facts The Director gives the information in written form to the RSS [Rigasocialservice], RFC* and the police A psychologist or a senior social worker prepares a statement about the child in question All plannedsocial rehabilitation arrangements are included in the statement The child is being provided with all necessary social services, that are available at the national or regional institutions *Riga Orphan’s and Custody court

12. Thank you for your attention!