Strengthening Youth Workers Supporting Children and Young People Affected by Parental Loss, Separation and Family Vulnerability

SAFE ACCOMPANIMENT is an Erasmus+ KA153-YOU training course designed to strengthen youth workers and volunteers who support children, adolescents and young people affected by parental loss, parental separation, long-term parental absence or other forms of family vulnerability.

Many organisations working with vulnerable children provide valuable financial, material or educational support. However, sustainable support also requires trained youth workers who can build safe relationships, understand professional boundaries, recognise possible risks, protect personal data, communicate appropriately with children and families, cooperate with specialists and know when professional referral is necessary.

The project will bring together youth workers from Türkiye and 4 different EU countries for an 8-day / 7-night international training course in Istanbul. We are particularly looking for partner organisations that actively work with children, families, adolescents, young people, volunteers or vulnerable groups.

The programme will combine non-formal education, peer learning, practical case studies and academic expertise. Planned topics include child and adolescent development, parental loss and separation, trauma-informed youth work, grief and loss awareness, child safeguarding, ethical principles, professional boundaries, communication with children and families, GDPR/KVKK and protection of sensitive personal data, referral mechanisms, multidisciplinary cooperation and sustainable volunteer management.

The Istanbul University Child Protection Application and Research Center will contribute as a local cooperation partner. Academic inputs will be combined with the field experience of Kardeş Payı volunteers and the practical experience of European youth workers. The activity will include icebreakers, team-building exercises, role plays, case simulations, ethical dilemma workshops, data protection exercises, peer-learning sessions, cultural evenings and Youthpass reflection.

The project does not aim to turn youth workers into psychologists, therapists or social workers. Its purpose is to help them understand their role and limits, provide safer and more informed support, identify situations requiring specialist intervention and cooperate effectively within multidisciplinary support systems.

A particular focus will be placed on moving from one-time assistance towards long-term accompaniment. Participants will exchange both successful practices and real challenges from their organisations and will jointly contribute to the development of practical tools for safer, more ethical and more sustainable youth work.

The applicant organisation, Kardeş Payı Yardımlaşma Derneği, is an Istanbul-based civil society organisation working with children and families experiencing parental loss and different forms of social and family vulnerability. The organisation provides regular support, family visits, educational and social activities and volunteer-based accompaniment.

We are looking for 4 motivated partner organisations from 4 EU countries with real experience in child, family or youth work and an interest in actively contributing to the preparation, implementation, peer-learning process and follow-up of the project.