European Social Fund in Poland: Best Practices - Europejski ...

» EQUAL promotes international partnerships. “SYNAPSIS entered
into such partnerships with organizations based in Holland, Belgium
and Finland that engage in helping people suffering from autism
and offer assistance to people with dyslexia and non-linguistic learning
problems”, adds the project director.
The project has made it possible to offer help to 39 young people suffering
from autism. 15 of them work in the Cracow-based “Wspólnota
Nadziei” (Community of Hope) establishment, and 24 are employed
at “Pracownia Rzeczy Różnych” SYNAPSIS (SYNAPSIS This and That
Studio) in Wilcza Góra near Warsaw. The latter in fact houses four specialist
studios for woodworking, stained glass, pottery and printing.
The building has been divided into two zones: the blue zone, which is
the work zone and the pink zone reserved for other activities. A system
of communication using pictures has also been developed.
Objects are manufactured in small batches or as unique one-offs. These
products are characterized by their high quality and original design. They
are made by autistic people working under trainers’ supervision. The team
of trainers was recruited by Maria Wroniszewska, who is also leader
of the “Autism-System XXI” programme and who runs the Wilcza Góra
establishment. “The majority of our autistic employees will require regular
care and supervision, but 3 or 4 people are in with a good chance of
succeeding in the open labour market”, Maria Wroniszewska anticipates.
The occupational and social development of the autistic participants is
the direct result of the project. In line with EQUAL objectives, these projects
serve the purpose of developing new solutions for the labour market.
In this case, a comprehensive, efficient and repetitive model has
been designed to enable the employment of autistic people. In addition,
a legal and institutional framework has been created to replicate
companies of the same type. “We have been working on the studio
with the idea that it would be a permanent establishment”, adds Maria
Wroniszewska. At the moment it operates as a Vocational Activity
Centre which makes it eligible to apply for funding from the Mazowieckie
Province Marshal’s Office or from the State Fund for the Rehabilitation
of the Disabled (PFRON).
“Our studio tries to combine commercial operations with social
service. Business considerations are not the most important for us.
Equally important are the benefits derived by the people employed
in our establishment who were unable to find a job before”, stresses
Karolina Cyran-Juraszek. “If earnings reach the level of 10-20% of
the annual cost of maintaining the place (totalling some PLN 1.4 million),
we will be happy. The final result will always be positive for us. ◗
Ania Milewska
(wyrabia naczynia z ceramiki i uczy się masażu):
Dzięki tej pracy poznałam wielu przyjaciół. W pracowni czuję się
jak w domu. Chcę skończyć kurs masażu i w przyszłości
pracować jako masażystka
Ania Milewska
(makes pottery dishes and is training to become a therapeutic masseur):
Thanks to this work I have found lots of friends. Here at the studio
I feel at home. I would like to complete a therapeutic massage course
and work as a masseur in the future
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