Cultural mediation and social services

A cura di Chiara Cavagnini e Chiara Marchina referenti progetti interculturali Cooperativa Tempo Libero

Territorial Social Sevices Centres

In every social service centre there are present :

•Social Assistent minors and family ( Prevention area)• Social Assistent Tutelage•Social Assistent for the senior citizens•Social Assistent ( Handicap and Adult s area)•Administration staff

Territorial Social Service Centres

In these centres people can find support both in terms of advice and services to overcome their moments of difficulty

The social service deals with the following areas:• Senior citizens• Adults and people with handicaps• Minors and families

Minors and families Area

In the minors and families sector of the social services there are present :

• The prevention area that receives and supports the families with minors going through temporary problems

• Tutelege of minors (servizio di tutela minori) that upon order of the court of minors activate different projects for the well being of the minor, preferably allowing him to stay within his family context.

Access to these services is free of charge and is available through an interview with the operators of the reception office. The families then get precise information about the social centre of their area.

Minors and families Area

To activate different projects this service use the following professional figures:

• Educators• Psychologists• Linguistic cultural mediators• Ethnoclinic consultant • Family consultant

Minors and families Area

To activate different projects this service use the following professional figures:

EducatorsPsychologistsLinguistic cultural mediatorsEthnoclinic consultant Family consultant

The aims of cultural mediation

Remove linguistic and cultural barriers which can make the communication difficult

Improve the quality of services offered

Promote a correct use of the services available

Provide information and explanations of different services such as school, health services and social services available to foreign citizens for their better integration in the local community

Identify and construct possibilities of preventing and overcoming conflicts which might arise

The role of cultural mediation in social sevices:

To help in the comprehension of the role of a social assistent and other social workers present in the centre;

To help in the comprehension of the role of court for minors and the concept of tutelege;

To provide information about the services offered; To help in constructing a climate of mutual trust and

collaboration; To help in the understanding of the needs and demands of both

the operator and the user of the service;

Role of a mediator: Translate from one language to another Make understand the meaning of the words from cultural point of

view Helps to understand better the functioning of the service and the role

of its operators Make visible the cultural origines of the user, of the service and the

operators Facilitate the understanding of the needs and aspirations of the second

generation minors and helps the construction of major comunication between minor, his family and the service

Have a neutral position Collaborate with the operators without substituting his/her role