Spain – Volunteering with Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Country: Spain
Location: Moià – Catalonia
Our partner is looking for 3 ESC volunteers.
NAME OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATION: FADEAM – Fundació d’Atenció als Discapacitats Els Avets de Moià
DATES: 1 position starting in June + 2 positions starting in September – for 12 months
DURATION: 12 months

Project Description

FADEAM- Els Avets de Moià Foundation is a non-profit organization whose main mission is the attention and support of adult persons with intellectual disabilities. It is partially financed by the government of Catalonia. The attention is based on the relationship established with persons with disabilities to achieve an inclusive and home-like dimension. Our goal is to offer persons with intellectual disabilities a place to live and develop all their skills and autonomy and support them in their participation and inclusion into society. The organization is part of the International Federation of L’Arche Communities (www.larche.org) for people with intellectual disability; we are at present more than150 communities around the world.
The aim is to establish mutual relationships, where inclusion, participation and responsibility are shared goals with people with disabilities both in the organization and in society. Therefore, inclusion in society is essential to be open to the world that surrounds us and be part of the life of our town.

• Offer personal attention based on a family lifestyle by living in small homes to promote close and warm relationships in a friendly and safe environment.
• Promote and value the rights of people with disabilities: the right to work, to a home, to education, to a life rich in relations within a family, community and society and many others…
• Encourage the development of personal skills and links with the local community.
• Ensure that persons with intellectual disabilities are recognised and accepted through trusty and warm relationships.
• Promote equal opportunities relating work, inclusion and social participation.
  Promote reliable relations among the persons attended, their assistants and the volunteers, both at home and at the workshop.
  Promote volunteering, in order to promote solidarity, tolerance, respect to the differences and trusty human relations.
  Promote training and professional retraining for all our staff in order to improve the quality of the services to ensure the best attention to the core members.
• More information here.

Tasks of the Volunteers

Attention to the persons (as support to educators and professionals):

• Support to professional staff in charge of accompanying users in their daily activities (personal hygiene, services, activities,…) and in special moments (happy moments, deceases, losses and mourning times, illnesses,…).
• Support the monitoring of the PIR (individual programme) of each person in different areas: personal hygiene, food habits, health, social life and relations,… through observation and listening to each person. The volunteer will be invited to make proposals to update and improve the PIRs.
• Knowledge of the general project of the home and its application to daily life.
• Collaborate with the professional team with the pedagogical methods for each person (stated in the meeting with the psychologist).

Home dynamics (as support to educator and professionals):

• Helping with the quality of the co-existence and relations in the home: entertaining, stimulation, acceptance of differences, conflict solving, and dialogue.
• Participate actively in the weekly coordination home meeting, sharing and enabling communication and participation.
• Collaborate in planning activities in and outside the home.
• Promote feast and celebration periods: birthdays, folk feasts,…
• Collaborate with the organisation of the home so that everybody feels good. For example promoting alternatives for elders who cannot follow general activities.

Teamwork (as support to educator and professionals):

• Participate with the home team (assistants, responsible, educators).
• Participate actively in all meetings proposed (home, with psychologist…).
• Provide ideas, accept limits, ask for help, give support, use complementary skills,…
• Collaborate in welcoming new team members and try to accept changes needed for it (tasks distribution,…).

Material matters (as support to educator and professionals):

• Within the global educational project of the centre, collaborate with the care of the house, equipment, garden,…
• Take care of the economy of the house, helping to buy the needed things according to the budget.
• Collaborate in cooking according to the security and hygiene rules and following individual diets when needed.
• Take care of the vehicles with adequate driving and helping with the regular cleaning.

These activities are not just a routine; this is a comprehensive daily life project where all activities are related to a relational and integral model of life.

Community matters (as support to assistants and professionals):

• Collaborate in maintaining an attitude of respect and openness to know the characteristics of the Arche communities
• Participate in community activities such as feasts, fairs, celebrations, community meetings,…
  Any contribution of volunteers is welcomed and considered.
  Timetable and activities schedules may be changed when needed by the centre, the volunteer or for a better adaptation to his/her profile.

Profile of the Volunteers

• Willing to know people with intellectual disabilities.
• Willing to have a life sharing experience and community life.
• Motivation to carry out a voluntary task, collaborating and giving as much as possible.
• Flexibility to adapt and work within a team.
• Open-minded to be helpful when needed.
• Positive and respectful attitude.
• Willing to get involved in the organisation and its project.
• Responsible attitude.
• Basic good knowledge of Spanish language and interest in learning Catalan (the language spoken in our area, together with Spanish). Knowing the basics of the language helps to communicate with people with disabilities and facilitates the integration and self-confidence of the volunteer.
• It is preferable to have a driving license and driving experience.

How to Apply

If you are interested, send your CV and motivation letter on incoming@scicat.org and put evs@inexsda.cz in a copy.