Context

This innovative company was set up by professionals with many years of experience in the management and organisation of health and special education units and services. The centre is located in Karditsa and is the only one in the region that holistically addresses disability.  

The centre fills a huge gap for people with disabilities in the region who, other than school units, did not have an organised and safe environment where they could socialise, cultivate their talents, interact, participate in social actions or develop and strengthen their basic skills. As such, they remained ‘trapped’ in their homes, interacted only with their relatives and felt isolated and marginalised, as their functionality was gradually eroded.

Based on its operating license, the KDIF centre can offer services to 39 people with disabilities and their families. The company’s philosophy is to provide high-quality services to people with disabilities and vulnerable groups, to achieve decent living and smooth inclusion into the community. The services provided are exclusively and entirely covered by the insurance funds of the beneficiaries without any private charges made to them.

Objectives

The company was entering its third year of operation and was looking to expand. In particular, it was hoping to create either full-time or part-time jobs for nursing staff (an assistant nurse), a driver, a special educator, a social worker, a psychologist, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist and a special education trainer. They were also looking to work with an increased number of external collaborators, such as psychiatrists and pathologists.

Overall, the company was hoping to foster and promote smart and sustainable growth through innovative investments, incorporating a high degree of innovation at both organisational and equipment levels.

Activities

Many of the activities inherent to the project were purchases, most notably for the construction and improvement of the main property for the centre, following which came the acquisition, plus transport and installation, of general and laboratory equipment necessary for operation. This included kitchen equipment for a pastry workshop, IT equipment for a computer learning workshop, and new technologies for educational purposes (computers, regular printers and 3D printers). There were also business supplies which needed to be acquired, such as fax machines, telephone installations, intercom networks, computers, software, peripherals and photocopiers. Special vehicles (for the transport of persons with mobility disabilities using a wheelchair) were also purchased.

Less concrete but equally important was the acquisition or development of software, obtaining patents, licences, intellectual property rights and trademarks, and quality assurance certificates.

There were also ‘behind-the-scenes' activities for outreach and publicity purposes which were ongoing throughout the project. These involved the creation of a company website, as well as brochures, advertising and participation in expositions, as well as an identifiable brand or label for the centre and its activities, and market research for shaping the image of the centre.

Gender equality

The company is made up of two female partners, who are part of the project management and the day-to-day operation of the structure. In addition, six female members of the auxiliary, nursing, and scientific staff are employed in the KDIF. Two of the three collaborating doctors are women.

The majority of the care for disabled people in Greece is the responsibility of the women of the family; thus, this project ensures a better quality of life for caregivers/women, disabled people and the entire family.

Generational Renewal

The investment will contribute to the creation of new jobs for skilled staff, which are planned to be filled by active young professionals under the age of 40 willing to work, develop professionally and cultivate skills. The company offers them training seminars, participation in workshops and EU-level education programmes (such as Erasmus+). It will also potentially become a place for internships in postgraduate programmes and apprenticeships from vocational high schools.

Main Results

Perhaps the main achievement so far is the creation of qualified jobs in a rural area. The centre now has seven full-time employees: an assistant nurse, a psychologist, a special education trainer, a physiotherapist, a social worker, an occupational therapist and a health visitor. In addition, there are three who work part-time: an assistant nurse, a physiotherapist and a special educator. A child psychiatrist also operates at the centre as an external partner.

These contracts are open-ended, while, from time to time, depending on the needs of the facility, people are recruited on fixed-term contracts. External collaborators such as psychiatrists, pathologists, orthopaedists and paediatricians are also contracted.

At the moment, the centre is providing high-quality services to 39 people with disabilities and their families, which is the maximum number of beneficiaries due to the operating license of the structure and the technical specifications (such as square metres per beneficiary and form of disability).

Through the centre’s programmes for the enhancement of daily life skills, social skills and pre-professional skills, there are four people who now work as administrators or clerks in local authorities and local service companies who continue to receive services from the centre.

The centre has installed a secure environmental management system ISO 14001:2015, while at the same time having a much lower environmental footprint than before with its new machinery and high automation equipment. The centre is proud of its proper management of natural resources, and reduction in energy and water consumption.

Key lessons

The implementation of networking and cooperation actions with social actors and providers of social services, such as community centres and other structures providing similar services, and the local community in general (such as municipalities, sports, cultural and other associations, and the educational community) was absolutely crucial. Linking the centre’s structures with the local community and integrating those who use the centre’s services strengthens social cohesion at a local level.

A great deal of preparation work was also required, as significant investment was involved, and this needs to be sustainable and operate with a high degree of efficiency.