ESC: Voluntary Service in social work (daily group)

Verbund sozialer Dienste gGmbH is working in the field of child and youth welfare in the surrounding of Bad Essen near Osnabrück. In the daily group up to eight children and adolescents are cared for and supported at the age of 6 years and over. Criteria are (amongst other things): delay of child development, behavioral and emotional problems. The daily group often is the most suitable offer for support to avoid accomodation in a children's home if the educational need can no longer be covered by outpatient therapy (for instance social-educational family help). Conceptually, the daily group is located between social group work and home education. The pedagogic care time begins with the end of school Monday to Friday from at the earliest 11.30 o'clock and ends at six o'clock pm. The main focuses are: support in learning performance (accompaniment of school support), social learning in and by the group as well as work with the parents/family. The child continues to live in the family, their center of life is preserved. The group is staffed by four allocated employees (educators, education researchers, child care workers and social workers among others). A specialised psychology service as well as work related counselling and art therapy are provided to all groups under the care of Dialog gGmbH. Dialog gGmbH is a non-profit organization that runs decentralized in-patient residential and daily groups of the German child and youth service system housed in attractive buildings where children live in small groups (at least 4 from 6 years onwards) in and around the town of Bad Essen at the foot of the mountains of the Wiehengebirge near Osnabrück. This traditional spa town is a local recreational area in the vicinity of Osnabrück with many attractions. Based on more than 30 years of experience Dialog gGmbH has specialised in the therapy of and dealing with attachment disorders and traumatisation. In our groups with intense pedagogical and therapeutically support we admit children according to § 34 of the German Social Security Code (SGB VIII) as well as part of integration assistance according to § 35a SGB VIII. Offering a long-term partnership with professional expertise and responsive support of our clientele, we work resource-based and appreciative with continuous reference education, an ombudsman system, an established procedure for complaints and regular psychological care while involving the child in the best possible way (participation). We work in cooperation with Kinderhaus Wittlagerland gGmbH considering social infrastructure with special regard to pedagogical support at schools, work in youth welfare (TriO Bad Essen) and run a non-profit family holiday centre (Haus Sonnenwinkel), where the parents of our clients get free accommodation once a month.