Consorzio Sol.Co. Nuoro - Consorzio Sociale di Solidarietà a r.l.

The Sol.Co. Nuoro Consortium was founded in 1996 and its activities are mainly directed to supporting its associated organizations (cooperatives and an association involved in promotion of social activities). It operates in the Province of Nuoro. Today it is composed by 9 social cooperatives and an association involved in promotion of social activities. It was formed for the purpose of coordinating and carrying out activities and services, promoting the development of social programmes, responding to local needs and establishing collaborations between the government and the private sector. Sol.Co. belongs to the Cooperative Group CGM - Welfare Italia (the largest co-operative group in Italy focused on the development of welfare policies and social inclusion) and related specialist financing companies (“Communità Solidali, Luoghi per Crescere, Mestieri/Accordi”), which are specialised in the development of innovative services and branding policy on the issues of disability, long-term care, early childhood, children and adolescence, active employment policies and opportunities for the social integration of the disabled and less fortunate. Sol.Co. works through a network of other nationwide groups and allows its members to participate in major projects, to work alongside other groups to improve and increase skills.
The services provided are: planning, training, quality systems management, consultation on issues relating to the voluntary sector. Sol.Co. intervenes on behalf of the adolescents, the disadvantaged and other vulnerable groups.
Since 2002 Sol.Co. has had the certification of high quality standards UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 (currently 2008) for the planning of social welfare services and for the organization and implementation of different training services. Since its inception, Sol.Co. has been a member of the Confcooperative and Federsolidarietà representative bodies.
The network of the Sol.Co. Nuoro Consortium has employed about 450 people. The associated organizations provide educative and social welfare services. In addition two of them carry out job placements activities reserved for disadvantaged groups. They will be brought into organizations that are managed by Sol.Co. (e.g. social tourism infrastructures, agricultural and animal husbandry activities, students’ restaurant, profit organizations).
Since 2001 Sol.Co. has gained significant experience in the field of conscientious objection. It has achieved first class accreditation at the National Office for the Civil Service, as it is the seat of Federsolidarietà - Confcooperative. It performs consulting work for the accreditation, planning and monitoring of different projects. It is also responsible for both the training of volunteers for projects which are already underway, and for local workers chosen by the organizers. In regards to civil services, every year the Sol.Co.. Nuoro Consortium provides consulting to 30 different organizations (local bodies, schools and volunteer service groups). Many of the youth who have participated in national civil service projects have found stable work contracts with various collaborators or jobs with employment contracts. Some of them now hold position of higher responsibility and participate as members of the board of directors. From 2001 to 2010 between both Sol.Co. and its cooperatives, 87 volunteers were appointed to different projects, 23 of whom have been employed with stable employee contracts or “project contracts” (26% of the total). In 2011 two new projects have been started for which 9 volunteers have been placed. Between 2009 and 2011, Sol.Co. has employed around 160 volunteers in different related activities.

SINCE NOVEMBER 2011, SOL.CO HAS BEEN ACCREDITED AS A SENDING ORGANIZATION AND CO-ORDINATING ORGANIZATION FOR THE EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY SERVICE.

Sol.Co. ‘s experience in the areas of youth policies is the following:
- building bridges leading to job placements;
- forming professional, scholastic and university oriented paths for students and the unemployed;
- preparation for “skills assessment” for the young unemployed;
- management of a booth providing information, guidance, training, and consulting (both legal and business) for young adults and families;
- creating informational and guidance projects for those at a social disadvantage (unemployed, disabled, women and those seeking employment for the first time);
- the promoting, informing and finalizing of a protocol regarding the establishment of a synergy between those working with active employment policies and those working with social policies.

General objectives
In the immediate future Sol.co aims to strengthen already its existing services and to develop new areas of action:
- new services targeted at disadvantaged groups to combat the phenomenon of growing poverty (social, professional and secretarial services, and legal services offered at reduced rates...);
- new services aimed at adolescents, children and families (housing communities for single mothers with children, day care centres for children and families in economic hardship, management for EVS projects, Active Citizenship projects);
- strengthening the activities related to youth policies, involving young adults in projects related to national civil service, for example, in the promotion of local events and in projects aimed at young adults and children. Accreditation for EVS allows for the expansion of these activities and for the involvement of young men and women in European national civil service projects; the carrying out of different EVS projects, which are open to young adults living in rural areas, opportunities to learn about other cultures and social contexts. Sol.Co. has scheduled to launch new services and events to encourage young participants;
- strengthening and developing services for the elderly and the disabled. For two years Sol.Co. has managed in home care services for the elderly and disabled dependents throughout the Municipality of Oliena (NU), caring for 45-50 people. The local social context is in need of services which are aimed at easing family burden and are carried out by means of day centres, residential care, and throughout the “After us” structure.
- strengthening of the communication network of the consortium (published financial statements to uphold social responsibility, greater media and press relations, website and intranet system);
- the development of health care services for minor health issues offered to all citizens at competitive prices as in regards to the terms and conditions offered by the public health services.