The Institute of Advanced Studies in Kőszeg organized this year for the 7th time its International KRAFT Conference, whereas a side event members of the Institute’s Socio-Kraft research group, in cooperation with the Semmelweis University Centre for Social Leadership, organized a workshop for social service providers in the West Transdanubian region who were invited to participate in the research group’s research on Sustainable Society through Effective and Resilient Service Providers and Networks. The research covered the period March – September 2021 and visited daycare services for people with disabilities and social institutions providing residential care for people with disabilities and people with psychiatric illnesses in the region.

The aim of the workshop was to explore, together with regional actors, the current functioning mechanisms of the social field and the possibility of developing a quality service network adapted to the needs of the people using it. The organizers intended the workshop to be the first step in a longer-term collaboration, not only to build a vision, but also a community, in which each member of the region’s professional community can identify concrete steps that they can take to achieve common goals.

In the process of reflecting together, participants were able to learn about the key findings of the aforementioned research, from which they selected four areas they considered to be the most important and worked on them in small groups. Thus, the focus was on adaptability, teamwork, networking and recognition in service networks. In the second phase of the workshop, staff from the Semmelweis University Centre for Management Training and Knowledge encouraged the professionals present to formulate a vision of the future by asking them how they see their services in two years’ time on the same day. They predicted a change in the sector, which, they said, would require cooperation, a stronger leadership role and the involvement of other specialized fields. Knowledge Centre staff have analyzed project work produced over the last two years by the heads of institutions in the region. The experts present were able to identify the challenges and difficulties identified and to find and propose solutions in the project work.

Following an exciting discussion, the workshop participants reflected on how to create a common platform and space between service providers, researchers and users to ensure a continuous exchange of views on the social services available in the region, their challenges, problems and good practices.

The workshop concluded with the launch of the SOCIO-AKCIÓ initiative, which brings together professionals and experts from the region every four months. In addition to setting out the objectives and framework, the first step is to define the “mission” of the action.

You can join the initiative via the SOCIO-AKCIÓ Facebook group!