The project “Preventing violence against the elderly and people with disabilities”, implemented under the Justice Programme, is financed from Norway Grants. The total project grant amount is € 1,500,000. The aim of the project is to improve the domestic violence prevention system in Poland.
Preventing violence against the elderly and people with disabilities
The elderly and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to various forms of violence and abuse due to factors related to age, health problems, dependence on others and lack of awareness of their rights. Moreover, limited mobility and social isolation hinder their ability to report violence and impede access to support services.
The main objective of the project is to improve the domestic violence prevention system for the elderly and people with disabilities in Poland. The following activities are planned under the project:
1) Diagnosis of violence against the elderly and people with disabilities
The purpose of the study is to gain knowledge on the prevalence of violence against the elderly and people with disabilities in Poland. The study will provide data on:
- characteristics and scale of the problem, including exposure to various types of violence,
- characteristics of perpetrators and families in which violence occurs,
- prevalent beliefs and stereotypes concerning violence against the elderly and people with disabilities,
- assessment of the existing support system for the elderly and people with disabilities experiencing violence.
The findings from the study will provide the basis for the development of the prevention and family support model, as well as awareness raising activities (the nationwide social campaign).
2) Development and evaluation of the prevention and family support model
Elaboration of the model: The project will develop the prevention and family support model that will focus on the situation and needs of the elderly and people with disabilities and their families.
The model will entail measures on two levels: prevention, as well as intervention and support measures. The model will be elaborated based on the diagnosis as well as experiences and innovative measures developed by the projects financed from the Small Grant Scheme by municipalities/communes selected in an open call under the Justice Programme.
Evaluation: The Small Grant Scheme projects will be evaluated and good practices and lessons learned on prevention of violence and support measures will be included in the model. The recommendations for implementation and good practices guide will be developed. The final family support model will be disseminated both in electronic form and in the form of a paper document.
3) Social campaign
A nationwide social campaign aiming at increasing public sensitivity and raising awareness on violence against the elderly and people with disabilities will be implemented under the project. The main goal of the campaign will be increasing knowledge on the rights of the elderly and people with disabilities, informing about available support services and encouraging witnesses to act and report violence against the elderly and people with disabilities. The campaign will involve various media (TV, internet, press) to reach wide audience.
4) Training for professionals
Training courses for front-line staff working in the field of preventing and combating domestic violence will be organised under the project in all voivodships. Approximately 1900 specialists will be trained. The aim is to increase the competences and skills of professionals in supporting victims of violence, especially the elderly and people with disabilities, and to improve multiagency cooperation between various services. The training will thus contribute to the improvement of the quality and effectiveness of the domestic violence prevention and support system.
Expected results of the projects
In the long-term, the project will result in reducing violence and improving the quality of life of the elderly and people with disabilities and adapting the local support services to their needs. Moreover, it will contribute to raising social awareness of the problem of violence and to increasing numbers of professionals with competences in the field of supporting the elderly and people with disabilities who are victims or at risk of domestic violence.
Norway Grants
The Norway Grants and the EEA Grants represent Norway’s contribution towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.
Through the Norway Grants and the EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with beneficiary countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). Together with the other donors, Norway has provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014.
Norway Grants are financed solely by Norway and are available in the countries that joined the EU after 2003. For the period 2014-2021, the Norway Grants amount to €1.25 billion. The priorities for this period are:
#1 Innovation, Research, Education, Competitiveness and Decent Work
#2 Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction
#3 Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy
#4 Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights
#5 Justice and Home Affairs
