Range of services
We offer research, continuing education, and consulting for successful child and youth development.
We provide effective, sustainable and practical solutions for our various stakeholder groups in child protection in official and voluntary settings and services for youth and family programming in the following areas:
Research
Our interdisciplinary team has a wide spectrum of methodological and subject-specific skills. We share expertise with national and international networks of researchers, experts, and stakeholder groups. Our specific focus is on transgenerational themes and actively involving stakeholder groups in projects related to these themes. This produces viable and sustainable results, contributing to the successful development of children and youth.
Our applied research portfolio ranges from tailored contract research to long-term academic research projects. Most of our clients and cooperation partners work in the following fields:
- Welfare services for children, youth, and families in domestic and institutional contexts
- Government departments (cantonal and municipal) in the field of children, youth and families
- Child and adult protection services
- Assessment and mandated services in child and adult protection
- Federal offices
- Communities, cities and cantons
- Employers in private businesses and public administration
- Foundations and organizations that fund research
- Academic universities and universities of applied sciences
Consulting
Our consulting services are informed by applied research and thus oriented towards pragmatic solutions while still being grounded in science. In direct discussion we establish the best means of supporting you.
Our services cover the following areas:
Child and adult protection
In the field of child and adult protection, our multidisciplinary team (social work, law, psychology, and social sciences) offers tailored and applied consulting services.
Bern and Lucerne Child Protection Assessment Tool
Together with the Lucerne School of Social Work, we have developed an assessment tool for child welfare. The «Bern and Lucerne Child Protection Assessment Tool» supports and simplifies safety and risk assessments as well as child protective services assessments.
The tool helps to focus the assessment process on relevant risk assessment content. This content is analyzed to the necessary depth, producing more precise results.
The interlinking of the various assessment tasks and the system of official measures under Swiss civil law is unique to Switzerland. We have created a report template to enable structured, professionally sound inquiries on behalf of CAPA (the Child and Adult Protection Authority). The template is available free of charge, along with detailed instructions and a checklist:
Learn how to implement the tool by attending our one-day course Introduction to the child protection inquiry tool of the cantons of Bern and Lucerne.
Our other services
For politicians, authorities, public affairs and social services, we offer the following services:
- In-house training on legal and methodological issues relating to child and adult protection
- Developement of assessment and expertise
- Case-specific coaching and legal advice
- Development and implementation of subject-related concepts and practical tools
- Implementation of additional child and adult protection services in communities and social services
- Talks and presentations on topics related to child and adult protection
We’d be happy to arrange a personal consultation and more detailed information.
Foster care and sense of belonging
A sense of belonging and connection are integral to the mental health of children and adolescents not living with their biological families.
With our interdisciplinary team (social work, psychology, pedagogy, sociology, and social anthropology) we offer tailored, research-based, applied consulting services.
We are currently developing the MemoryBox web application and a methodology toolbox for creating longitudinal records of the memories of children and adolescents growing up in institutions.
The MemoryBox web app was developed on a participatory basis and allows children and adolescents in foster care to document their biographical sense of belonging at their own pace, in a creative, reflective way.
An accompanying study explores the impact of these support measures, with an emphasis on individual experience of belonging.
Our other services
For politicians, authorities, administrations and social services, we offer the following consulting services on the topics of belonging, biography work and the transgenerational impact of foster care:
- Assessment and expertise
- Development and implementation of subject-related concepts and tools for social institutions, e.g. the MemoryBox web application and methodology toolbox
- Presentations and talks
- Tailored continuing education courses
Processes of participation for people experiencing poverty
Participation and inclusion are hot topics, but what do these terms actually mean? When do involvement processes succeed and how do they function? We have established guidelines to help relieve poverty and promote the inclusion of the poor in a best practice guide in three languages. This guide has been developed on the basis of study findings in collaboration with people in poverty and constitutes a working tool for the planning, implementation and evaluation of processes of participation:
- «If you ask me…»... Integrating the knowledge and experience of persons affected by poverty
- « Et si vous nous donniez la parole » – Tenir compte des savoirs d’expérience des personnes concernées
- «Se volete il mio parere...» – Tenere conto delle conoscenze ed esperienze delle persone povere o a rischio di povertà
Our other services
For politicians, authorities, administrations and social services, we offer the following consulting services on topics relating to processes of participation in the various fields of action (e.g. child and youth services, education and healthcare providers and social services):
- Assessment and expertise
- Development and implementation of subject-related concepts and tools
- Presentations and talks
- Tailored continuing education courses, e.g. the ‘Sharing experiences and expertise’ pilot course
Other services
- Specialist consulting, assessment and expertise
- Development and implementation of subject-related concepts and practical tools
- Project consultation and support
- Evaluation
- Quality development
- Tailored in-house continuing education
- Workshops and presentations
We’d be happy to arrange a personal consultation and more detailed information.
Continuing education
Thanks to our wide range of part-time continuing education programmes on child and adult protection and school social work, you can gain basic knowledge or specific skills and expertise in the various fields of practice.
