Workshops for social care practitioners in Amur Oblast drew a record number of participants

23 october 2023

October saw Blagoveshchensk host the fourth round of training sessions for social care providers. It featured workshops, roundtable discussions and master classes organized as part of the projects Family as a Place of Strength and Lessons of Kindness and Support. These projects are being run by the Russian Committee of SOS Children's Villages Charity with the support of SIBUR's social investment program The Formula for Good Deeds and of Amur Oblast's Ministry of Social Protection. These initiatives aim to facilitate the transfer of knowledge about new methods of helping families with children in crisis to regional practitioners. Over the course of three days of classes, the instructors led discussions with psychologists and those in helping professions focusing on such topics as boundaries of help, professional and personal points of support, restrictive and remedial measures to be taken in a crisis situation, and issues related to burnout.

Elena Snezhko, Head of the Formula for Good Deeds, SIBUR's social investment program:
“Among other things, the quality of life in the regions where our company operates is related to the level of skills of those who work in the helping professions. That is why we endeavor to support those who provide assistance to vulnerable social groups. Activities carried out within the framework of the Formula for Good Deeds projects are not only a source of self-development for professionals, but also a foundation for preserving one's inner personal resources. I hope that our activities will help these individuals better cope with their duties and provide even better care to those who need it!”.

Olga Lipnitskaya, Head of the Department of Social Orphanhood Prevention and Family Strengthening at the Russian Committee of SOS Children's Villages:
“We are glad that the sessions that we hold for social workers in Blagoveshchensk in the fall have already become a tradition and are being held for the fourth time. It is very important that the main theme of our meetings is self-care and the search for resources and opportunities for change. The work of social workers requires extensive efforts and emotional involvement, which is why it is important to care for one's physical and emotional well-being. I am confident that the practices taught by the experts at the workshops will be useful to our colleagues and will help them take good care of themselves and provide quality support to families who are experiencing the aftereffects of various types of trauma.”

The workshops continued with Lessons of Kindness and Support, held in Blagoveshchensk and Svobodny. The session on Conflicts of a Child's Mind, organized for employees of pre-school establishments in Svobodny, was held there for the first time. It offered its attendees an opportunity to discuss ways of establishing relationships with problem children, explore the correlation between relationships inside one's family and a child's behavior in kindergarten, the types of attachments that children of preschool age form, the ways children respond to stress, children's basic needs and the ways adults can meet them. Overall, the events held in Amur Oblast were attended by more than 120 experts in the field.

Natalia Kisilyova, Amur Oblast's Minister of Social Protection:
“The workshops addressed the topic of job burnout and compassion fatigue, which are very common in social welfare workers. Each day, our specialists have to deal with other people's troubles, sorrows, and even despair at times. It is not uncommon for these practitioners to be in need of professional psychological support for themselves. The knowledge shared with us by these national-caliber experts comes in very handy in practical applications. And we, of course, look forward to continued fruitful cooperation with them.”

Nina Gubarenko, Director of Kindergarten No. 38:
“The theme of the workshop is highly relevant. These days, every preschool establishment has to deal with children who are in need of a psychologist's assistance. I was particularly interested in the piece dedicated to helping care professionals with preventing emotional burnout. I am convinced that workshops of this kind should be held on a regular basis.”