Independently (not oneself)

Country: Poland

Wellbeing of Farmers:  Physical Wellbeing, Mental Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing

Key Challenges: Lack of basic services, Lack or difficulties in accessing health services, Lack of specialist mental healthcare services, Low farm income (market vulnerability), Pressure from society/negative perceptions

Key Target Groups: Young farmers, Female farmers, Older farmers

Farm Size: Small/Family, Medium

Find Out More

Key contact: SNS Tuchola

Email: snstuchola@wp.pl

Organization: County Family Support Center in Tuchola

Relevant Links:

Website

Summary

Adults with intellectual disabilities spend time in the friendly environment of the farm while learning skills useful in everyday life. The project is implementing and testing a model of empowerment for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Due to the limited number of facilities, many of them are not supported in learning a profession/skills useful on the job market after leaving school. Also, often everything is done for them in their families, which is not a helpful approach in the long run.

In the project, support is offered close to their place of residence, on the basis of family farms. Therapeutic activities are tailored to their individual needs and at the same time they learn to function in a group and in the wider community.

Objective

Developing a ready-to-use model of supporting adults with intellectual disabilities, through practical testing of the developed model. Most of the activities are based on farms, whose owners/household members diversify their income thanks to work, while contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of local community members who are at risk of exclusion.

Activities 

Provision of care and therapeutic activities on the basis of 3 Open Integration Points, 1 Training Apartment and 1 Supported Apartment. The Open Integration Points and the Training Flat are based on farms where the owners are personally involved in care.

The project leader, the District Family Assistance Center in Tuchola, recruits the participants. Together with other partners they are supervising the implementation and supporting the farms.

Meetings of hosts are also initiated in order to exchange information and observations related to the model.

Main Outcome of the activity

Functioning of therapy and care facilities, adults with intellectual disability benefiting from therapy and increasing their independence, families / relatives of participants who benefited from the support. 22 individuals and their families are participating in the project at the same time.

Main Practical Recommendations

(activity in progress)


Key Stakeholders Involved
  • Adults with intellectual disabilities and their families / immediate environment
  • employees of social welfare institutions (leader, Occupational Therapy Workshops, Social Welfare Centers)
  • members of associations working for people with intellectual disabilities
  • employees of institutions related to the development of rural areas and agriculture
  • specialists conducting therapy: psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, speech therapists, sexologists, career counselors, etc., lawyer [providing advice to participants], special schools

Leader – County Family Support Center in Tuchola,
Partners – Kujawsko-Pomorski Agricultural Advisory Centre in Minikowo, Association of Parents of Children with Special Needs in Tuchola, Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disability Club/Council in Chojnice


Most Innovative Aspects of the Solution

Implementation of therapeutic activities (making participants independent) on the basis of farms, using agricultural resources (contact with animals, gardening, etc.).

Increasing the availability of therapy for inhabitants of rural areas by creating support places located close to them.