VAASI

Main targets

VAASI – Developing Professional Competencies for Demanding Residential Care for Children and Youth is a project implemented by five universities in cooperation. Its main target group is multi-professional staff working in child protection in foster and substitute care, heterogeneous in terms of educational background and competence profile, whose current skills need to be updated or whose retention in substitute care duties need to be secured. Other target groups are residential care service providers and work communities.

The first measure of the VAASI project is a preliminary survey of the competence needs of residential care. The pre-survey will clarify the needs for support and expertise of the different actors of the residential care by region, as well as the wishes/needs for strengthening the expertise. Data collection takes place through electronic questionnaires and separately organized webinars, as well as through visits to residential care facilities for reflective discussions for formulating the learning objectives and the content of the future training courses.

The project partners compile the digital learning material on a digital learning platform, where they are openly available after the project. Parts of the learning material are piloted as agreed in the residential care facilities. The working life relevance and the usability of the learning material are evaluated together with personnel and service providers. The evaluated and finalized learning material is opened in an open learning environment. The learning materials will also become part of the open university of applied sciences’ course selection.