BACKGROUND:

"Beschützende Werkstätte" is a decentralized institution in the region Hohenlohe-Franken with seven workshops (carpentry, textile, metall-fabrication) and six flats, situated into the social structure of Schwäbisch Hall. The "Beschützende Werkstätte" ist connected to the "Diakonie". We offer places for 27 mentally-handicapped people. Aim of our work is to re-integrate the mentally-ill people into a professional and a socially fulfilling life.

Our clients are taken to the workshops in the morning and picked up again in the afternoon. In the workshops they are from 7:30 am till 3:00 pm, some come back later. With our work we want to widen the social competencies of our inhabitants. Whatever we do is determined by the idea of mediating to them "you are useful". We want them to find new possibilities and lead a life of self-determination and independence. Wherever and whenever possible, our clients are integrated into the "normal" working life.

We offer:

- therapeutical sessions

- painting therapy

- remedial riding; role plays (learn how to cope with problems and conflicts)

- "Gestaltherapie"

- physiotherapy.

We also offer places for short-time care. In order to keep up a high standard we introduced "QIBS", a quality standard where the results of our acitivities are controlled.

SURROUNDING:

Schwäbisch Hall has around 35,000 inhabitants. It is situated between Nürnberg and Stuttgart near the motorway A6. The economic structure is dominated by agriculture, trade and banking (a big building society). The town can offer a wide range of cultural events, e. g. the open-air theatre in town.

EXPERIENCE:

We have participated in the EVS since 2000 and have mostly had positive experience.

MOTIVATION:

We are a team of young people with a lot of positive experience in working together with young people (pupils, trainees, persons doing community service, apprentices). It has always been interesting for us working together with these kinds of people. We are also a place of training for "Heil- und Erziehungspfleger".

LEARN- AND WORK EXPERIENCE FOR VOLUNTEERS:

- How does work with handicapped people differ from the work with "normal" people?

- What kind of differerent mental handicaps exist?

- What are the legal regulations in Germany? (maybe: contrast to home country)

- How should the clients be treated and approached?

- Where are their - and where are my limits as a volunteer?

ACTIVITIES FOR THE VOUNTEER:

The volunteer should assist and support the team in their daily work. He should accompany the handicapped people to courses at the adult education centre, organize with them their leisure time, help them in using public transportation, etc. We work in two shifts in the houses. The morning shift starts at 6:00 am with helping the handicapped people to get ready for the day (wake them up, help them with getting dressed, prepare and have breakfast with them, etc.). The inhabitants go/are taken to their working places at 7:30 am. The volunteer starts again at 3:00 pm when the first come home. Some have to be picked up. The most important "work" now is just being there, listening to them, talking with them, going for a walk, and any other sort of leisure time activity

At 6:00 pm the volunteer has dinner with the handicapped people. They'll be taken to bed at 10:00 pm.

On Saturday and Sunday we often go on excursions. This is a good possiblity to get in closer contact with the clients. For a volunteer interested in working in a workshop we can also arrange this. Here the working hours are from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. The main task will be individual support of clients under supervision of a trained teacher in the workshops.

Thus, the volunteer supports the main staff in everyday life with our clients and also has the possibility to initiate and conduct own projects. We once had a volunteer who organized a journey to an institution for handicapped people in Hungary.

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_form_en.cfm?EID=6000650378