Projects
Reducing Recidivism Among Young Offenders
The Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs is implementing the European Social Fund+ project "Reducing Recidivism Among Young Offenders". The project period is from 1 February 2023 to 31 December 2029.
Project Number: 2021-2027.4.07.23-0009
Implementing body: Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs
Partners: Prosecutor’s Office, Police and Border Guard Board, Supreme Court, Social Insurance Board, Probation Supervision Department.
Intermediary body: State Shared Service Centre (RTK)
Funding: €9,512,470, of which 70% is co-financed by the ESF+ and 30% by national funds
Eligibility period: 01.02.2023 - 31.12.2029
The aim of the project is to foster and enhance the involvement of 14-29-year-olds with an offending background in society, support their independent living, and assist them in entering and remaining in education and the labour market.
As part of the project, the Social Insurance Board will develop a restorative justice service model from 2025 to 2028, with the aim of expanding the availability of the service to young people in the TAT target group.
Activities undertaken by the Social Insurance Board as part of the project
- Develop a cost-effective restorative justice service delivery model and pilot a community-based approach;
- Analyse the potential for implementing additional restorative justice methods;
- Increase the number of volunteers based on regional needs and provide training, support and development opportunities to maintain their motivation and competence;
- Improve the skills of victim support workers and volunteers in restorative justice to deal with different types of cases and to support victims in their recovery;
- Undertake awareness-raising activities to improve knowledge of restorative justice both among referring institutions (e.g. police, prosecutors, courts, prisons) and in society at large;
- Assessing the quality of services.
Improving the quality of victim support services
Funding: European Economic Area and Norway Grants programming period 2014-2021 fund for bilateral relations
Project nr: 2014-2021.1.01.24-0044
Eligibility period: 22.04.2024 - 30.04.2025
Project budget: (100%) EUR 332 657
Partner: City of Reykjavik Human Rights and Democracy Office
The aim of the project is improving the quality of victim support services provided to clients by developing the service and enhancing the skills of professionals and network partners. Key objectives:
- higher competence of the Social Insurance Board´s Victim Support counsellors will provide victims more trauma-informed, effective, and professional assistance that supports their recovery and coping.
- higher networking competencies and better co-operation between MARAC expert group members provides more holistic and victim-centred support to victims of domestic violence in the MARAC model and lowers the risk of violence.
- incorporating feedback into the service development process and improving access to information will make victim support services more responsive to the actual needs of victims.
Support services in accommodation facilities for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection
- Project number: AMIF.1.01.23-0006
- Eligibility period: 01.07.2023 - 30.06.2029
The aim of the project is to ensure that applicants and beneficiaries of international protection residing in accommodation facilities designated by the Social Insurance Board are provided with additional services that support independent coping, as well as with assistance upon their initial arrival in Estonia.
Partner: AS HOOLEKANDETEENUSED
- Project budget (100%): EUR 700 000
- AMIF contribution (75%): EUR 525 000
- National co-financing (25%): EUR 175 000
Development of sectoral capacities through training activities
- Project number: AMIF.1.01.23-0007
- Eligibility period: 01.01.2024 - 31.12.2027
The aim of the project is to ensure the professionalism and quality of services provided by officials working in the social sector on issues related to international protection through continuous professional development, including a focus on the reception of vulnerable target groups.
- Project budget (100%): EUR 210 000
- AMIF contribution (75%): EUR 157 500
- National co-financing (25%): EUR 52 500
Improvement of the infrastructure necessary for reception and the creation of readiness for additional accommodation places
- Project number: AMIF.1.01.23-0008
- Eligibility period: 01.07.2023 - 31.12.2027
The aim of the project is to improve the living conditions and renew the inventory in the accommodation facilities for applicants for international protection managed by the Social Insurance Board.
Partner: AS HOOLEKANDETEENUSED
- Project budget (100%) EUR 150 000
- AMIF contribution (75%) EUR 112 500
- National co-financing (25%) EUR 37 500
Enhancing the efficiency of the international protection accommodation centre, including preparedness for mass influx
- Project number: AMIF.1.01.23-0009
- Eligibility period: 01.07.2023 - 30.06.2029
The aim of the project is to upgrade the IT solutions of the Social Services and Benefits Data Register (STAR), enabling the organisation of the international protection accommodation centre service on a nationwide scale, including in situations of mass influx.
- Project budget (100%) EUR 600 000
- AMIF contribution (75%) EUR 450 000
- National co-financing (25%) EUR 150 000
Partner: Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre (TEHIK)
Development of translation service provision
- Project number: AMIF.1.01.23-0010
- Eligibility period: 01.01.2024 - 30.06.2029
The aim of the project is to ensure that third-country nationals, including applicants for and beneficiaries of international protection, as well as members of the social sector network who interact with them, have access to prompt remote interpretation services in various situations on a nationwide level.
- Project budget (100%) EUR 700 000
- AMIF contribution (75%) EUR 525 000
- National co-financing (25%) EUR 175 000
Support person service for beneficiaries of international protection
- Project number: AMIF.1.02.23-0002
- Eligibility period: 01.06.2023 - 30.06.2029
The project ensures that beneficiaries of international protection, including beneficiaries of temporary protection, are provided with a support person service that facilitates better independent coping and integration within the local authority.
- Project budget (100%) EUR 1 100 000
- AMIF contribution (75%) EUR 825 000
- National co-financing (25%) EUR 275 000
Partners: Tallinn City Government, Tartu City Government, Rakvere City Government, Jõhvi Rural Municipality Government
REACT-EU for reducing the effects of COVID-19 crisis
Funding: European Social Fund REACT-EU
Project nr: 2014–2020.16.01.21-0004 „Ohvriabiteenused“
Project duration: 01.04.2021–31.12.2023
The aim of the project is to focus on seven main activities, which helps to reduce the effects of the Covid-19 crisis and to improve the victim support services.
Activity 1. Development of the volunteers system in victim support
Activity 2. Development of the support services for the victims of sexual violence
Activity 3. Psychological first aid skills for the first responders
Activity 4. Supporting the implementation of Victim Support Act
Activity 5. Development of legal assistance, provided within the framework of the Victim Support Act
Activity 6. Increasing the capacity for crisis work related to traumatic deaths of minors
Activity 7. Improving the service quality of the therapeutic help in social rehabilitation
Project manager:
Dorel Hiir
[email protected]
Creating a comprehensive trauma training programme for Estonia with special attention on the war in Ukraine and its refugee crisis
Funding: EEA AND NORWAY GRANTS FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS
Project Promotor: Estonian Social Insurance Board, victim support and preventive services department
Implementing period: 05.2022-10.2023
Activity 1
A (war) trauma training programme will be created and distributed to relevant partner organisations, local government staff, volunteers, Ukrainian community organisations, and other service providers.
Activity 2
Supporting mental health aid measures for psychosocial support providers
Contact person:
Liis Sild
[email protected]
Establishment of a renewed family mediation system
Grants from the European Economic Area (contribution from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) 2014-2021 "Local Development and Poverty Reduction" project "Establishment of a renewed family mediation system“
General information:
Programme: Local Development and Poverty Reduction (LOCALDEV)
Project implementation period: February 2020 - January 2024.
Programme operator: Ministry of Social Affairs
Project implementer: Child Protection Department of the Social Insurance Board
Aim of the project: The aim of the project is to establish a national family mediation system to help resolve disputes concerning the child's organization of life - the child's future residence, parent-child relations, maintenance and other child-rearing issues - primarily out of court.
Result of the project: By the end of the project, a new national family mediation including financing model has been developed, the availability of the service has increased and the awareness of the service target groups (parents and specialists) and thus the readiness to use the service has increased.
Target groups and main activities of the project: In the course of the project, a model of family mediation service will be developed, a training program will be introduced and new mediators will be trained, so one of the direct target groups are potential service providers. An important goal of the project is to create preconditions and enforce a family mediation system to resolve issues related to the child's custody and support matters outside from the court with a support by a family mediator.
Project manager:
Ann Lind-Liiberg
[email protected]
+372 53625966
Developing the restorative justice volunteers’ system
EEA and Norway Grants programme „Local Development and Poverty Reduction” project „Establishment of Specialised Youth Justice Approach“
Project Promotor – Estonian Social Insurance Board, victim support and preventive services department
Implementing period: 01.2020–12.2023
Objective of the project: updating the victim support mediation system, including work with youngsters and involving volunteer based facilitators, so that it would base on restorative justice principles and practices
Achievable results: at least 70 volunteer based facilitators have been trained and they are facilitating at least 100 mediations a year
Contact person:
Annegrete Johanson
[email protected]
+372 5919 5182
Strengthening the Victim Support System
EEA and Norway Grants programme „Local Development and Poverty Reduction”
General information:
- Implementing period: 01.2020–08.2023
- Programme Operator: The Ministry of Social Affairs
- Project Promoter: Estonian Social Insurance Board
- Donor Programme Partner: Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies
- Budget: 385 755 euros, 85% EEA grant
The project will improve the system for support to victims of domestic and gender-based violence to ensure a systematic, sustainable and coordinated approach to combat such violence.
To be successful in preventing the domestic violence in the long term, the focus of care must be on the one hand on empowering the victims of domestic violence which can be done via professional victim support workers, both professional and volunteers. Volunteer persons could be part of the victim support system in order to support in a process of empowerment and self-management by the women of her situation.
On the other hand, it is important to work with male perpetrators of domestic violence. There should be access onto programmes for voluntarily referred men. Current practice of treating perpetrators of violence is focussed mainly on penal measures. Yet the practice of the rest of the world shows that changes in attitudes and behaviour are brought about by alternative or parallel measures to imprisonment, with the purpose to challenge the men´s belief systems.
The staff in primary care have a crucial role to play in the recognition of abuse and violence. Therefore, it is essential that staff within health care settings are trained to recognize the existence of domestic abuse and have fundamental grasp of appropriate intervention. Unfortunately, the professionals in health care are generally not as pro-active as they might be in the sphere of screening and may not have the appropriate knowledge and skills to offer effective solution.
Another problem is the lack of professional consulting supervision for specialists working with victims of violence. The need for professional consulting is obvious as working with victims is psychologically challenging for the specialists. Also, evaluation and improvement of services is needed, as without assessment, we may miss shortcomings in the victim support system
Project Promoter Estonian National Social Insurance Board will collaborate with all relevant organisations active in the field (primary care physicians, women shelter organisations) who will be consulted / involved to the project activities.
Target groups of the project are victims of violence (children, women, men), perpetrators of violence and specialists who come into contact with victims of violence.
To be successful in preventing the domestic and gender based violence in the long term, this project will:
- develop a volunteers’ system to accomplice state victim support,
- develop interventions for perpetrators of violence,
- develop an early detection system for health care workers,
- provide counselling and/or abilities for that to specialists at woman’s shelters,
- provide a quality assessment tool for women’s shelters.
Project BADEV
Project “Badev” funded by the European Commission.
Project period: 01.02.2018–31.01.2020
Project grant amount EUR 153,138.40, including European Commission grant of EUR 122,510.72
Badev is a joint project of Estonia, Latvia and Poland for the enhancement of the Barnahus (Children’s House) model. The Barnahus model is a friendly and multi-disciplinary service that we provide in order to help sexually abused children. The first children’s house in Estonia was opened at the beginning of 2017. The leading partner in the Badev project is the Social Insurance Board
Objective of the project:
- Exchanging knowledge and experience between the project partners, thereby enhancing the Barnahus model.
- Increasing the skills and knowledge of the employees of children’s houses to help sexually abused children.
- Expanding the cooperation network and introducing the services to the wider public.
- Using evidence-based services in children’s houses.
Project actions:
- Training provided to specialists dealing with sexually abused children.
- Organisation of meetings within multi-disciplinary collaboration.
- Guidance materials to specialists dealing with sexually abused children.
- Preparation of information materials about the Barnahus model.
- Introduction of pilot services in children’s houses.
- Development of a therapy platform for specialists dealing with sexually abused children.
Project manager:
Ann Lind-Liiberg [email protected] +372 6408101Project PROMISE II
Project “PROMISE II” funded by the European Commission.
Project period: 01.12.2017–31.12.2019
Project grant amount EUR 37,946.48, including European Commission grant of EUR 30,357.
Promise II is a follow-up to the Promise project the aim of which is to enhance the Barnahus model through training, roundtables and other supporting actions within multi-disciplinary collaboration. 12 countries with 13 organisations participate in the Promise II project. In the Promise II project the Social Insurance Board is a cooperation partner to the Council of the Baltic Sea States.
Objective of the project:
- Joint learning and exchanging good practices through roundtables and training.
- Designing the Barnahus model through proved practices.
- Supporting multi-disciplinary collaboration and work processes through networking and mutual agreements.
- Broadening the knowledge of key persons about the Barnahus model and the need for it.
- Ascertaining the opinion of children and using it to enhance the Barnahus model.
Project actions:
- Organising roundtables for the employees of children’s houses.
- Training sessions by guest lecturers for the employees of children’s houses.
- Gathering children’s views and feedback on the Barnahus model.
- Translating the Promise Standard into Estonian and implementing it.
- Webinars.
Project manager:
Ann Lind-Liiberg [email protected] +372 6408101Pilot project for person-centered special welfare services model on the basis of the local government organisation
The Expert Assessments and Social Services Department aims to model new social services based on need and user convenience. In January 2017 a pilot project was therefore launched for testing the provision of assistance by the local government to persons with a mental disorder necessary for subsistence. The project uses a new provision of assistance model developed at the request of the Ministry of Social Affairs by design company Trinidad Wiseman OÜ with the help of service design.
The model regards the provision of assistance to a person as a single service necessary for subsistence whereby the person is ensured all the necessary activities that have so far been provided as separate local government, rehabilitation and special welfare services. According to the model the local government must assess in which areas of life the person needs assistance (primary support). After assessment one service provider shall arrange constant assistance and support to the person (basic support). Where necessary, the person is provided with other supporting or rehabilitating activities necessary for subsistence (additional support is offered).
Figure 1. Module and component based service model developed by means of service design.
The new special welfare services system was piloted by the Cities of Haapsalu, Keila and Tallinn and the Rural Municipalities of Jõhvi, Märjamaa, Otepää, Põhja-Pärnumaa (previously Vändra Rural Municipality) and Põhja-Sakala (previously City of Võhma). The project involved up to 40 people of working age (16+) at a time who have a severe, profound or permanent mental special need. The project ensures people support in their everyday lives and in their participation in employment in accordance with their abilities (open labour market, safe work, work-related rehabilitation).
The service model was tested until May 2018. The project results and analyses prepared on the basis thereof serve as a basis for further planning and development of the domain of special welfare services.
The final report of the design work of special welfare services and service system requested by the Ministry of Social Affairs and carried out by Trinidad Wiseman OÜ is available on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs: http://www.sm.ee/et/uuringud-ja-analuusid#Sotsiaalvaldkonna%20uuringud%20ja%20anal%C3%BC%C3%BCsid
The project is funded by the ESF: Conditions for provision of support: sub-activity “Piloting an integrated, person-centered and flexible special welfare services system” of “Increasing the work ability of the target group of the work ability reform and enhancement of their employment”.
Project period: 01.01.2017–31.12.2018
Last updated: 02.05.2025
