AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

Laura Hurtado on 27 March 2024

Publications Bank of innovations

AutisMIND, an application to stimulate the social cognition of children with ASD

IDAPP MIND SL

AutisMIND

The tool enhances the ability to empathize with others in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

There are more and more experiences and studies endorsing that technology is a particularly useful resource to support therapeutic and learning processes in children with ASD. Whether through robotics or specialized computer programs, research is showing the benefits of this approach.

AutisMIND is a mobile application that supports families and professionals in working on the development of social thinking and theory of mind in children with ASD, that is, the ability of individuals to be aware of the feelings, desires, and beliefs of others when acting.

The AutisMIND application addresses ten different aspects of socio-cognitive development with six levels of difficulty and a total of over a thousand interactive and playful exercises. Some of the topics it covers include interpreting emotions in context, anticipating actions, physical sensations, and symbolism.

The platform presents learning in a simple and dynamic way. On one hand, it uses sharp images with simple outlines that avoid overstimulating the child. On the other hand, it includes visual reinforcements that enhance the interest, attention, and motivation of the user. The functions are adaptable to the needs of each person, and statistics allow evaluating progress and achieved milestones.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Catalonia

Partners / Funders

IDAPP Center

Genesis

AUTISMIND is a collaborative project among professionals, family members, and individuals with autism, based on their experiences and needs. The idea, driven by clinical psychologist Alex Escolá, arose during his work with users with autism, as technology proved to be a very effective tool in the treatment of children with ASD. In 2017, a first application aimed at young children was created, which was very well received. As a result, work began on new content, aimed in this case at adolescents and adults.

Level of implementation

The first application was downloaded 35,000 times. Currently, the AutisMIND Videos platform is being developed, an interactive video simulator for people with ASD to learn to manage everyday difficult situations and thus improve their autonomy and well-being. In these videos, people appear in everyday contexts, such as a job interview, and the user can choose interactively how they want the different scenarios to be resolved. In this way, people with ASD can anticipate circumstances that may cause them discomfort.

More information

AutisMIND

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BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

Laura Hurtado on 13 March 2024

Publications Bank of innovations

BRUS, accompaniment to young people who live in families with situations of drug addiction

Center for Digital Paedagogik (CfDP)

BRUS

Program that seeks to break the taboo of addictions in families

BRUS is an initiative aimed at young people up to 24 years old who live in families affected by alcohol and drug addiction. The primary objective is to break the taboo surrounding these issues through in-person meetings and an anonymous chat service. Additionally, the program encourages young individuals to focus on their own needs rather than taking responsibility for situations they cannot control.

The online chat provides access to individuals who may initially be hesitant about seeking face-to-face treatment or are unable to physically attend a center. This virtual format allows vulnerable individuals to express their experiences, regardless of their location. Furthermore, the online platform enables safer and more confident self-expression, allowing them to articulate their feelings more effectively.

Users can choose whether they want to maintain continuity with the same therapist across multiple sessions or start anew each time and switch therapists. BRUS also facilitates communication for young people who have completed the therapeutic process but wish to stay connected with the center.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Denmark

Partners / Funders

Genesis

BRUS was born in 2016 under the auspices of the Center for Digital Pedagogy in Denmark. From the outset, it embraced a digital approach, incorporating an email mailbox and an anonymous online chat. However, there is also the option to receive in-person counseling. The goal of employing hybrid solutions to address issues is to more efficiently reach vulnerable young people.

Level of implementation

The pandemic and the resulting inability to find refuge in activities outside the home led many young people in vulnerable families to seek solutions through the Internet. In 2020, BRUS recorded 431 conversations on the platform, more than double the number from 2019.

Currently, the program is present in several localities in Denmark through an intermunicipal collaboration agreement

More information

BRUS Center for Digital Paedagogik CfDP

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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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Barnahus, care service for child victims of sexual abuse

Toni Codina on 21 February 2024

Imatges Posts Web 6 min 1
Publications Bank of innovations

Barnahus, care service for child victims of sexual abuse

Catalan Government, Save The Children

Imatges Posts Web 6 min 1

A pioneering integrated unit in Catalonia and Spain, made up of a specialised multidisciplinary team, whose objective is to avoid the re-victimisation of children and adolescents who are victims of sexual abuse and to provide all the necessary care in a single space.

Barnahus (children’s house in icelandic) is a project to help children and young people –from 0 to 18 years of age– who have suffered sexual abuse and to prevent aggression against minors. It puts the victim of sexual abuse at the centre, working in a single space with all the care services they need and minimising the traumatic experience of reliving the aggression. This avoids victims having to go through courts, police stations, hospitals and children’s services. It is promoted by Save the Children and is supported by five Catalan government departments, mainly the Social Rights department, but in coordination with the Health, Education, Justice and Interior departments.

Barnahus has a welcoming and friendly appearance to provide security, comfort and confidence to children and their families. There are separate rooms to preserve privacy, a kitchen-dining room, offices and a medical examination room. The psychosocial team –consisting of psychologists and social workers with a coordinator– works full time, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and also offers translation services.

Catalonia already has centers in Tarragona, Manresa, and Lleida. In 2024, Intress, a partner entity of the iSocial Foundation, has promoted the opening of a Barnahus facility in Terrassa and in La Seu d’Urgell. On February 27th, the Idea Foundation, also a member of iSocial, will inaugurate a center in Granollers.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Catalonia

Partners / Funders

Catalan Government

Genesis

Barnahus began as a pilot project –a pioneer in Spain– in 2020 in the Tarragona Educational Complex, following the European model -the Barnahus emerged in 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland- and with the aim of extending throughout the country. In addition, a comprehensive strategy has been developed to address sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence in Catalonia, including preventive policies and specific training.

Level of implementation

The Barnahus service, in operation since mid-2020 in Tarragona as a pilot test, has enabled the detection of 803 cases of sexual abuse of minors and adolescents in this period in Catalonia. Thus, it has been postulated as a successful model and for this reason the Department of Social Rights of the Government of Catalonia wants to implement and promote the service in other Catalan towns such as Barcelona, Girona, Tortosa and Vilanova i la Geltrú.

More information

images

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Concilia, a public service to support the reconciliation of work, family and personal life for people with limited resources

Toni Codina on 10 January 2023

Publications Bank of innovations

Concilia, a public service to support the reconciliation of work, family and personal life for people with limited resources

Barcelona City Council

Free municipal babysitting service for single-parent families with few resources, women victims of gender violence and families with no community network, so that they can combine the care and education of children with work, family and personal obligations.



This service is currently extended to 12 neighborhoods in the city of Barcelona, and operates 7 days a week outside school hours. It has teams of educators, who can work with a maximum of 8 children, and are in charge of attending families, as well as programming and dynamizing the activities that are carried out. This public service can be requested from 2 weeks in advance up to 12 hours in advance, with the exception of emergency cases in which it can be requested up to 30 minutes in advance.


The service works with 2 main objectives: on the one hand, it is a support to the work and personal balance of families with difficulties, which facilitates the training of mothers and fathers, their incorporation into the working world, their involvement in the neighborhood, and even being able to enjoy occasional moments of rest. On the other hand, it is also aimed at offering children quality leisure time, with activities and pedagogical dynamics adapted to different ages and needs.

Children between 1 and 12 years old can enjoy the service on an occasional or more regular basis, and basic, ludicosocial and educational attention is guaranteed through values such as participation, environmental and emotional education, interculturality and art.


Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Barcelona

Partners / Funders

Incoop Cooperativa

Genesis

The Concilia project was launched in 2020 within the framework of the Neighborhood Plan of the city of Barcelona. This plan includes a set of actions to address the feminization of poverty and gender inequalities, aggravated by the COVID-19 crisis.

Among the initiatives proposed, the socialization of care is promoted, with meeting spaces, mutual support and accompaniment for women, offering educational work and training to young people and adolescents to ensure greater gender equity, creating programs to professionalize care and offering accompaniment to women workers in the sector to guarantee them decent labor rights.

Level of implementation

During the first year of the program, in 2020, 611 children were served and 7,819 services were provided. 58% of the families are attended for reasons of work conciliation, 11% for training, 10% to have “a moment of rest” and 8% due to an unexpected situation.

As for the families enrolled, the referent person is the mother in the vast majority of cases (93%). Of these families, 52% were already linked to other public services; 58% are single-parent families; 57% are families without a social network; 38% are unemployed; and 33% have a precarious occupation.


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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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La Mesita, a virtual desk for the reading development of children with disabilities

Toni Codina on 20 December 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

La Mesita, a virtual desk for the reading development of children with disabilities

CEDETi UC

Free application that, through play and exploration, facilitates the process of learning to read and write in children with disabilities through technologies based on inclusive education.


The way in which the exploration is proposed, autonomous and without order, is a way of learning that helps in the construction of learning to read, facilitates an enrichment of vocabulary and familiarization with elements of reading awareness.


The virtual desk is designed with different activity paths, which are chosen and adapted to the needs of each child. At first, an understanding of the initial level of the different dimensions to be worked on is made, in order to select the most appropriate games and design a personalized program that helps and encourages reading. The activities can be modified according to the child’s evolution.


It is a flexible virtual tool with four dimensions. First, the development of oral comprehension is done through the viewing of videos, reading texts, and activities such as sorting stories as they are narrated. Phonological awareness is worked on through the fragmentation and creation of words, with the support of drawings, the identification of sounds and phonics activities with the microphone. At the semantic level, words of the same categories are grouped and questions are asked about the reason for these differentiations. Finally, vocabulary acquisition is done through description games with adjectives to learn their meaning and their use in other contexts.


Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Chile

Partners / Funders

Universidad Católica de Chile

Genesis

The La Mesita model was born from a study with children with Down Syndrome, and has worked for an understanding of the necessary skills to be acquired by these children to achieve a successful development in reading and writing.

Level of implementation

To develop the application, a study was conducted with 32 children with Down Syndrome who were testing La Mesita for 5 months. From there, CEDETi designed this inclusive tool that has a positive impact on the learning process of children with intellectual disabilities.

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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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Virtea, virtual reality to reduce stress for people with ASD

Toni Codina on 5 October 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

Virtea, virtual reality to reduce stress for people with ASD

Virtea

Virtual reality application that allows the recreation of different scenarios that are part of a specific activity to approach the situations in which people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will find themselves.

Virtea is focused on preparing children with ASD for stressful situations through the recreation of scenarios, which are part of the training that children will have to face different events. Everyday situations such as visiting a doctor, getting a haircut or waiting for the bus can generate a lot of nerves and anxiety. For this reason, virtual reality makes the journey from the waiting room to the doctor’s office, or to the hairdresser’s chair: Virtea makes it possible to work under conditions that in the future will be natural in a completely controlled context.


The recreation has been supervised by specialists, working as realistically as possible, and every detail is recreated, including the sunlight from the window. The recreation tries to be as warm as possible through the lighting, both interior and exterior, to lower the stress levels of the user.


The benefits of this tool are threefold: anticipation, stress reduction and improved quality of life. Firstly, anticipation helps to improve the attitude towards new situations that are out of the usual routine. In these moments of fear or discomfort, Virtea helps to reduce stress and this improves the quality of life of people with ASD and their families. The previous work allows to control anxious situations.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Murcia, Spain

Partners / Funders

ASTRADE, EOEP of Murcia Region

Genesis

Nowadays, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects a large number of people in the world, being a group that needs more attention from Society, Public Administrations and also from companies.

People with ASD are comfortable following routine patterns and tasks. When faced with situations that are not usual for them, they may experience episodes of stress, fear, dread, panic and even trauma. Some of these situations are everyday activities and necessary, such as going to the doctor, getting a haircut, waiting for the bus or going on a journey.

Therefore, Virtea allows you to prepare yourself for difficult situations in order to reduce stress and be able to cope with them more easily.



Level of implementation

Virtea currently has two possible scenarios, and is working on adding a third: waiting for the diver stop.

The app can be downloaded for Android and iOS from 2019.


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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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Primero, a digital platform for the protection of children in migratory contexts

Toni Codina on 7 June 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

Primero, a digital platform for the protection of children in migratory contexts

UNICEF

Open source software platform that helps social services, humanitarian and development workers manage data related to child protection through tools that facilitate case management, incident tracking, migrant child tracing and family reunification.

The platform collects and manages data on children encountered in emergency migration contexts, and combines proven tools, global best practices and the latest open source technology to offer social service and humanitarian protection workers an easy-to-use and scalable solution to their data management challenges.

Primero enables its users to document events and violations to provide protection programs with up-to-date information on risk factors and patterns of violations. At the same time, child victims of violence can be linked to the services they need and prevention measures can be implemented to mitigate future risks. The platform’s powerful analytics and reporting tools ensure that the data is actionable.

Primero offers intuitive digital forms and clear workflows to help document case management processes, from identification and registration, to assessment, case planning, referrals and transfers, and case closure. With robust monitoring capabilities including email notifications for certain processes.

The platform uses sophisticated matching technology to match follow-up requests made by caregivers with the records of children registered as separated or unaccompanied. Matching criteria can be configured to meet the needs of the context. These functions are supported by a comprehensive case management module to ensure that children receive appropriate care.

Primero is a progressive web application (PWA) and leverages the latest technology to combine the best of web and mobile apps. The web app works across all browsers, regardless of operating system and on any device (mobile, tablet, laptop). It requires no previous user experience and can also be used offline, so that social workers can manage their work from anywhere, wherever they are. At the same time it offers the security and efficiency of digital case management in low connectivity configurations.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Guatemala

Partners / Funders

Governs de Suècia i dels EE.UU.

Genesis

The Primero project began in 2013 as a result of many years of inter-agency collaboration. Its goal was to bring more consistent, cost-effective and user-friendly information management tools.

In 2020, immigrant returns from the United States and Mexico increased 225 percent compared to 2019. Restrictive measures in both countries also led to returns of children, many of whom were left without asylum, despite being victims of family, gender or sexual violence.

UNICEF Guatemala has been working with these children for years and, thanks to its collaboration with Guatemalan institutions, launched the Primero program to ensure the protection and reunification of Guatemalan children at risk.

Guatemala is a country with high levels of migration, both due to its geographic location, as well as poverty and violence rates. Since 2018, the “caravan” phenomenon has taken place, with thousands of people leaving the country with the goal of entering the United States. In 2019, more than 200,000 children were apprehended at the country’s border, and more than 19,000 were returned in Guatemala. Therefore, Primero was born out of the need to respond to the needs and emergency situations in which these children find themselves in a migratory context.

Level of implementation

Guatemala is the first country in Latin America in which the Primero program was implemented, and since it became operational in 2020, more than 13,000 cases have been followed up.

It has now been rolled out through UNICEF in addition to 40 countries around the world, and more than 250,000 cases have been registered internationally.

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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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Youth and Family Office, community-based model for raising vulnerable children.

Toni Codina on 24 May 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

Youth and Family Office, community-based model for raising vulnerable children.

Youth and Familiy Office

Community model of care for vulnerable children and teenagers in the Austrian municipality of Graz, which seeks to strengthen resources for families, and to identify and resolve their specific needs. It is designed so that the child or teenager and the family are at the center, with an approach that takes into account the domestic and social context in which they live.

The initiative has been developed in four districts of the city, and focuses mainly on avoiding the institutionalization of the most vulnerable children. The program’s approach is preventive, offering families who are expecting a child to receive information free of charge and to participate in a wide range of activities to prepare them for future parenting. Some of the activities offered are home visits by professionals, as well as free lectures and courses. Attendance at these courses provides a booklet with stamps that provide an economic incentive exchangeable for other services in the city, such as visits to parental counseling centers.

Once the children are born, parents receive counseling, and if special needs are identified, they can be transitioned to specialized services. The program is also aimed at older ages, including adolescence, with services such as nursery schools or youth centers, as well as leisure activities and digital support.

Graz’s model promotes flexible assistance tailored to the needs of each family, which is always involved in the research and identification of solutions.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Graz, Austria

Partners / Funders

Graz City Council

Genesis

Despite its drawbacks, institutionalization of children from vulnerable families is widely used in many European countries. Graz is promoting this pioneering program to reduce institutionalization during childhood and promote a more community-based, child- and family-centered parenting model.

Level of implementation

The initiative has had very positive and effective results during the pandemic, during which many of the activities were digitized or transformed into a hybrid format, maintaining contact with families and protecting their well-being in the midst of the health alert. During the pandemic, the number of families served even increased, thanks to the adaptability and flexibility of the program coordinators and staff.

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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

Mapathon UPC is an open web platform that allows for the collection of geolocated points on a map collaboratively.

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Emantik, a service for the detection and care of child and adolescent discomfort

admin on 17 March 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

Emantik, a service for the detection and care of child and adolescent discomfort

Andoain Town Hall

Programme for the early detection and care of situations of vulnerability, discomfort or violence towards children and adolescents.

Emantik is based on an application (Kanjo) that systematically records the emotional state of the pupils of the three schools that have implemented the programme (Aita Larramendi Ikastola, La Salle-Berrozpe Ikastetxea and Ondarreta Ikastetxea) through a tablet and an algorithm that subsequently analyses the emotional patterns in order to detect cases of risk early on. The main function and objective of the programme is to help children and adolescents to learn emotional management, as well as to prevent cases of risk and vulnerability, or a possible situation of violence or suffering of the child or adolescent.

It is a system whereby three times a day (when arriving to school, after playground time and at the end of the school day) children and adolescents have to indicate in the tablet the emotion that best reflects their mood from among calm, contentment, anger, fear, disgust and sadness. In this way, boys and girls learn to identify their emotions, and on the other hand, the analysis of the data makes it possible to detect their emotional states as well as their evolution, in order to prevent situations of isolation, bullying, or other types of situations of discomfort or vulnerability.

The Kanjo system does not have access to the personal data of the boys and girls at any stage of the process, and only the schools have the capacity to link the anonymised IDs of the algorithm with the data of their pupils.

Characteristics of innovation

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Localization

Spain (Andoain, Basque Country)

Partners

Ajuntament d’Andoain, HZ Gizekimenak, Educo

Genesis

The municipality of Andoain has for decades ensured cooperation between educational and social agents in order to guarantee the welfare of children in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, art. 19, and its general comment no. 13). Children’s rights and the community approach to upholding them are the main foundations underpinning the Emantik program. An essential element to be able to maintain this well-being is the early detection of situations of vulnerability and risk, in order to be able to mitigate the consequences and improve the results of social interventions, as well as being more effective and economical than a late intervention.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, the system was tested in 14 schools in collaboration with Educo and Child Fund.

Level of implementation

The program has been implemented in the three educational centers of the municipality of Andoain (Aita Larramendi Ikastola, La Salle-Berrozpe Ikastetxea and Ondarreta Ikastetxea) and 700 students are currently benefiting from it. Among these students, 78 have been detected and attended during the 2020-2021 academic year, that is, 11% of the total.

In order to provide adequate and personalized attention to children and adolescents in educational centers, the Emantik program has two psychologists specialized in child protection who advise educational professionals on how to deal with the cases detected.

Further information

Emantik

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Mapathon UPC, a web platform that gathers geolocated points on a map

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P.I.P.P.I., intensive care programme for vulnerable families with young children

admin on 4 March 2022

Publications Bank of innovations

P.I.P.P.I., intensive care programme for vulnerable families with young children

Laboratory for Research and Intervention in Family Education of the University of Padova, Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies

Girls playing.

Intensive and multidisciplinary intervention programme in vulnerable families to reduce the risk of children being removed from their nuclear family, articulating a set of combined actions in relation to children’s needs: intensive home care, group activities with other parents, accompaniment by volunteer families, and joint work with teachers and social workers from schools and social services.

In line with the aim of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to develop measures to ensure the best interests of the child, the Italian Ministry of Social Welfare, in partnership with the University of Padua, designed and implemented from 2011 this intensive care programme for vulnerable families called the Intervention Programme for the Prevention of Institutionalization. Its abbreviation, P.I.P.P.P.I. is at the same time inspired by the fictional character Pippi Långstrump, a creative and surprisingly resilient girl known all over the world.

As its name suggests, P.I.P.P.P.I. aims to prevent out-of-home care and respond to problems related to child neglect, taking into account the right of all children to quality care. When parental neglect is involved, and there is a subsequent removal of the child, the removal itself expropriates the competence of the parents. This practice does not seem to be the most desirable intervention, so P.I.P.P.Y. experiences a social response that attempts to put the developmental needs of children first.

P.I.P.P.P.Y. represents a co-ordinated and co-operative work between different institutions, professions and disciplines of social services, psychology and pedagogy to act together in order to achieve a reduction in the number of children removed from their families. At the same time, P.I.P.P.P.I. has developed its own tool for the assessment and evaluation of cases based on models from Scotland and Quebec.

P.I.P.P.P.Y. is now widespread throughout Italy, and several academic studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this intervention model. The evaluation report of the seventh edition of the programme 2018-2020 provides evidence of the bonus results achieved.

Characteristics of innovation

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Location

Italy

Partners/Funders

Italian Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Laboratory for Research and Intervention in Family Education of the University of Padua.

Genesis

The P.I.P.P.P.I. Programme was launched at the end of 2011 as a result of the collaboration between the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Laboratory of Research and Intervention in Family Education of the University of Padua, involving 206 professionals (social workers, psychologists, home workers, pedagogues…) from 10 child protection services located in 10 cities: Bari, Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Palermo, Calabria Region, Turin and Venice.

Level of implementation

In the academic years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 the Italian Ministry of Welfare launched the first and second phase of P.I.P.P.P.I. implementation involving 82 new cities and about 1,000 children.

In December 2014, the EU Commission for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion submitted P.I.P.P.I. to a Peer Review to open debate and mutual learning among member countries on innovative practices in child protection.

The 2019 P.I.P.P.P.I. won first prize in the Method and Tools section of the European Social Services Awards. The project was recognized for “European excellence in its ability to combine education, action and research through the introduction of scientifically sound instruments”.

Further information

Centro Nazionale di documentazione e analisi per l'infanzia e l'adolescenza

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