BUILDING A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH AN INVOLUNTARY PARENT IN CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Building a collaborative relationship with an involuntary parent is challenging; however, the worker-client relationship is essential to promoting the wellbeing of the child and family. This article describes a small-scale qualitative study conducted with child protective workers in one region of Estonia. Findings indicate that in order to encourage involuntary parents to participate, it was crucial to learn what was provoking their resistance. Recognition was used to establish a collaborative relationship with involuntary parents. To reduce the unequal distribution of power, the parent was recognised as an equal partner and negative feelings were validated and understood as a normal reaction to intervention

Co-Creating Community-Based Solutions through Social Media in Estonia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this study, we aimed to explore and describe the prosocial behaviour of the community during the COVID-19 crisis in Estonia on Facebook, using mixed-method content analysis.This article focuses on the role of social media in co-creation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of Facebook (FB) as a modern communication technology in times of crisis. Our goal was to learn how Facebook as a social media channel can be a tool and accelerator that allows people to find solutions to social problems in communities experiencing crises. The focus of the research is on finding solutions in co-creation for vulnerable target groups, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and other people who need support. This research expands on the role and potential of using FB as a communication platform to enhance co-creation.We used Kaun and Uldam’s (2018) model as a theoretical framework for this study. The study is characterised by a descriptive and exploratory research design. We studied the prosocial behaviour of the community on Facebook through a three-stage mixed method content analysis of existing data, including posts and comments on FB pages, using both quantitative (descriptive statistics) and qualitative (thematic analysis) data analysis methods. Our findings suggest that Facebook as a social media channel could be successfully utilised as a tool for sharing calls to action, activating citizens to co-create solutions, and disseminating results.Keywords: prosocial behaviour; co-creation; community support; Facebook; COVID-19

Foreword

The second part of the 7th International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference “Society. Health. Welfare” Proceedings addresses challenging discussions on urban and rural social development dynamics and welfare internationally from an interdisciplinary perspective. During the editing process of the Proceedings, the novel Coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 was discovered. Due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, which has had a global and multi-layered impact with far-reaching physical and mental health implications, the conference scientific committee decided to include COVID-19 related papers in the proceedings to contribute to responding to the challenges of the pandemic. The Proceedings presents 31 papers from various international authors, including Latvia, Ukraine, Slovakia, Croatia, Lithuania and the Russian Federation

School-Based Intervention in the Context of Armed Conflict: Strengthening Teacher Capacity to Facilitate Psychosocial Support and Well-Being of Children

Abstract The research question posed in this paper, is whether the designed and implemented Psychosocial Support and Crisis Intervention (PSCI

Collaboration of Child Protective Services and Early Childhood Educators: Enhancing the Well-Being of Children in Need

This paper examines the role of interprofessional collaboration in the identification and reporting of a child in need. Such collaboration is especially important in the context of the global pandemic caused by the novel Coronavirus disease of 2019, known as COVID-19. The child protection system must have the capacity and resources to respond to increased demands during this time, and early childhood educators serve as an essential link for child protective services in identifying and reporting a child in need. As an effective system to accomplish these two aims requires a working collaboration among its participants, Bronstein’s interdisciplinary collaboration model was used as a framework to interpret this practice. A small-scale qualitative study was conducted that included principals of nursery schools and child protection workers from one region in Estonia. Findings indicate that effective collaboration was believed to require communication and ongoing systematic relationship building. Collaboration in practice varied, as principals reported a high turnover rate for the child protection workers, which hindered the development of a working relationship and support for the process of noticing and thereby identifying a child in need. In contrast, child protection workers assessed collaboration more positively, recognizing the need to have a supportive system in place for nursery schools. Both groups of collaborators acknowledged the need to train teachers, particularly to conduct joint training exercises to foster a common understanding of the child in need and of the intervention process itself

Lapsesõbraliku õigusemõistmise kontseptsiooni ja selle põhimõtete rakendamine Eesti õigussüsteemis alaeliste õigusrikkujate juhtumite kohtulahendite näitel

Lapsesõbralik õigusemõistmine on uudne, laste õigusliku staatuse muutumisega seotud kontseptsioon, mis hõlmab endas laste õigussüsteemiga kokkupuutumisega seonduvat ennetust, koolitust, sekkumist ning tõhusaid abivahendeid, lähtudes esmajoones lapse parimatest huvidest. Eestis on (õigus)süsteemi lapsesõbralikkuse tagamisega seotud eelkõige lastekaitsesüsteem ning seda reguleeriv alates 01.01.2016 kehtiv uuendatud Lastekaitseseadus. Artiklis kajastatud uuringu eesmärgiks oli lapsesõbraliku õigusemõistmise raamistikku kasutades analüüsida Eesti õigusliku süsteemi ning alaealiste kriminaalasjade menetlemise lapsesõbralikkust. Kvalitatiivses uuringus analüüsiti dokumendianalüüsi raames Eesti õigusliku raamistiku lapsesõbralikkust ning lisaks alaealiste asjade menetlemise lapsesõbralikkust alaealiste õigusrikkujate kohtulahendite (n=11) näitel. Laste poolt sooritatud õigusrikkumiste menetlemisega seotud õigusaktide analüüs näitas, et lapsesõbralikku õigusemõistmist toetav seadusandlus on Eestis küll nõuetekohaselt väljatöötatud ja rakendatud, kuid arenguruumi on spetsialistide valdkondadeülese koolituse, sekkumismeetmete turvalisuse ning lapse huvide tagamise osas. Juhtumite analüüs tõi välja kitsaskohad laiemas tugisüsteemis – õigusrikkujat alaealist ehk abivajavat last toetav tugi- ja sekkumissüsteem õigusemõistmise eel ja järel ei ole piisavalt lapsesõbralik. Kumuleerunud komplekssed probleemid seotult pere, kooli, suhete ja tervisega on jäänud analüüsitud juhtumite puhul õigeaegselt vajaliku sekkumiseta ning on viinud õigusrikkumiste korduva ning üha tõsisemate tegude sooritamiseni. Lapsesõbraliku õigusemõistmise põhimõtete tõhusamaks rakendamiseks on vajalik kuulata ära ja õigusemõistmisel arvestada lapse arvamust ning tegeleda spetsialistide koolitamise ning ennetus- ja sekkumismeetmete arendamise, kättesaadavuse tagamisega.Võtmesõnad: lapsesõbralik õigusemõistmine, alaealine õigusrikkuja, õigussüsteem, kohtulahendi

Effectiveness of a universal classroom-based preventive intervention (PAX GBG): A research protocol for a matched-pair cluster-randomized controlled trial

Introduction: The PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX GBG) is a universal classroom-based program that promotes children's mental health. In Estonia, the intervention is delivered to first grade students (aged seven to eight) within the regular school curriculum. The current work describes a protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the PAX GBG conducted in Estonia. Design and methods: This is an ongoing, pragmatic, two-year, matched-pair, cluster-RCT conducted in Estonian elementary schools. Schools were matched to pairs based on their geographical location and number of students per classroom. One school in each pair was randomly selected to receive the intervention and the other placed on a wait-list as a control. 42 schools provided baseline data during the autumn of 2016. Data is collected at two more points in time – seven months and 19 months post-baseline. Outcomes of children's mental health and behavior are measured by the teacher- and parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, parent-rated Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham – IV Questionnaire and the Go/No-Go task completed by children. Teachers also rate their self-efficacy and overall classroom behavior. Discussion: This study aims to test the effectiveness of the intervention in Estonian classrooms with a newer version of the rigorously tested GBG program. To our knowledge, this study is the first to measure the effects of the intervention on children's inhibitory control, which has been associated with externalizing problems in the literature. The results from this trial will provide further understanding into how the program influences children's well-being and self-control. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT02865603)

Estonian Vunimano I Hackathon collected interviews 05.-07.10.2018

This project CoSIE (Co-creation of Service Innovation in Europe) has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 770492.Estonian Vunkimano I Hackathon interviews collected 05-07.10.2018: interviews with hackathon teams, mentors and policy maker