Ines Bulic, UN OHCHR Consultant for Western Balkans

1. Common European Guidelines and Toolkit on the use of European Union Funds for the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care Ines Bulic, UN OHCHR Consultant for Western Balkans European Expert Group on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care (EEG) 3 May 2013

2. Overview of the presentation • About the European Expert Group • Common European Guidelines on the Transition from Institutional to Community-based Care • Toolkit on the use of European Union funds

3. About EEG Broad coalition gathering stakeholders representing people with care or support needs including children, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health problems, families; as well as service providers, public authorities and intergovernmental organisations.

4. Achievements so far • Report of the Ad Hoc Expert Group (so-called Commissioner Špidla’s Report) (2009) • Advising European Commission (DG EMPL and DG REGIO) on the use of EU SF in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia • Advising the Member States, for example Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia

5. Why the Guidelines? “Though governments increasingly recognise the inevitability of deinstitutionalisation, there is less clarity with regard to the mechanisms that replace institutionalisation and what would constitute a human rights-based response.” COE Human Rights Commissioner, 2012

6. Objectives of the Guidelines • Offer expertise and impartial advice to Member States and EU institutions • Gather and promote practical examples of good practice • Raise awareness about the right to live in the community at EU level • Ensure that EU and national policies and funding mechanisms support DI • Encourage Member States to fully involve user groups

7. Key elements • “Common” means children, people with disabilities, incl. people with mental health problems, and older people • Tailored to Member States at different stages in the process of transition • Guidance on how to ensure actions taken are in line with the CRPD, CRC and the ECHR • Key guidance outlining risks and challenges in the process • Case studies presenting good practice • Emphasis on management, cross-sectoral coordination and user involvement

8. Holistic approach to DI • Development of high-quality, individualised services in the community, including those aimed at preventing institutionalisation and the transfer of resources from institutions to the new services • Planned closure of long-stay residential institutions, including a moratorium on the building of new institutions • Making mainstream services accessible and available to individuals with a variety of support needs

10. Why the Toolkit?

11. Key elements of the Toolkit

12. Potential for change in the next programming period • Supporting structural change in the health and social care systems • Combining investments into infrastructure with workforce development and improving mainstream services • Supporting sustainable reforms • Promoting social innovation • Simplified rules

13. Common Provisions Regulation • Objective on promoting social inclusion and combating poverty • Need to comply with EU and national law (i.e. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) • Prevention of discrimination • Ex ante conditionalities • Thematic – strategy for a shift from residential to community-based care • General – mechanism to ensure effective implementation of UN CRPD

14. Fund specific regulations • “Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty” an investment priority • Explicit reference to transition from institutional to community-based care • Principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination

15. Common Strategic Framework • Transition from institutional to community-based care as one of key ESF and ERDF actions • General implementation principle: the CSF funds may not be used for actions contributing to any form of segregation and discrimination • Other key actions such as education and enhancing institutional capacity

16. www.deinstitutionalisationguide.eu

17. Contact information Ines Bulic coordinator@community-living.info Thank you!