Polish Delegates arrive at My Time for Final Study Visit

European Knowledge Transfer is what My Time likes to engage in as it is a sustainable way of allowing techniques to be practised throughout different countries.  Asylum support and Psychological support are a few of the key techniques that were passed on between both the delegates . 

To participate in European Knowledge Transfer seven social workers from Warsaw, Poland travelled across Europe to reach My Time in Birmingham. The Polish visitors,  form part of a transnational partnership (funded by the ESF Equal  Aspire Project) consisting of four delegations from Rome, Berlin and the U.K.  They arrived in the UK on the 9^th August for a two day visit and found the trip so useful they are considering future visits.

The study visit was undertaken so that transnational partners can gain a greater understanding of the different techniques that are used for psychological support, therapy and trauma for use with Asylum Seekers. This was for the purpose of taking this knowledge and disseminating it at local level.

As well as travelling to My Time the delegates also visited other Voluntary and Community Organisations such as  ASIRT, The Wardlow Road Refugee Resource Centre and BVSC.

Heather Law, European Project Officer for Birmingham City Council advocated such study visits by stating:

''Transnational Study Visits provide a fabulous opportunity for project practitioners to gain real insight around how a partner country is tackling similar issues. Delegates take the learning made on a visit back home, adding value to their local project activity. The visit may only be two days, but the inspiration drawn from the visits often result in longer - term exchanges of best practice and the opportunity for more extensive networking."

Michael Lilley, Managing Director of My Time stated:

'It is important to actively engage with similar organisations throughout the world so we can learn from each other and be able to understand diversity and other cultures. There is a growing Polish community in Birmingham and this visit enable us to understand Polish cultures and therapeutic methodology. Their ideas on cultural counselling will bring added value to the work we carry out when helping specific individuals break their many barriers'

Barrier breaking is always the key theme at My Time as our Mission Statement shows:

'Our goal is to enable the individual to break down their internal and external barriers by bridging the gap between personal, workplace, and community needs in response to the challenges of a changing world'.