Members

Full members

Autism Europe

AE - autism.logo.B+text - CopyAutism-Europe (AE) is an international association whose main objective is to advance the rights of autistic people and their families and to help them improve their quality of life.

It ensures effective liaison among almost 90 member autism organisations from 38 European countries, including 26 Member States of the European Union, governments and European and international institutions.

Autism-Europe plays a key role in raising public awareness, and in influencing the European decision-makers on all issues relating to the rights of autistic people, in line with the UN CRPD.

Relevant activities in relation to independent living:

COFACE Families Europe

Coface_Families-Europe

COFACE Families Europe brings together a large number of civil society organisations with the aim of giving a voice to all families and representing the issues most important to them at the European level.
With 59 member organisations in 23 countries of the European Union, COFACE Families Europe monitors closely the implementation of family and social policies in the Member States, and formulates together joint policy objectives at European level.
COFACE Families Europe advocates policies of non-discrimination and equal opportunities between persons and between family forms, and specifically supports policies aimed at increasing equality between women and men, with a special focus on reconciliation policies between work, care and family life.
COFACE’s input has focused chiefly on the recognition of holistic support to families and family carers as key policies for successful and sustainable deinstitutionalization.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)

EASPD

The European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) is a non-profit European umbrella organization, established in 1996, and currently representing 15.000 social and health services for persons with disabilities. EASPD advocates for effective and high-quality disability-related services in the field of education, employment and individualised support, in line with the UN CRPD principles, which could bring benefits not only to persons with disabilities, but to society as a whole. EASPD is accredited to the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

European Disability Forum (EDF)

EDF

The European Disability Forum (EDF) is an independent NGO that represents the interests of 80 million Europeans with disabilities. EDF is a unique platform which brings together representative organisation of persons with disabilities from across Europe. EDF is run by persons with disabilities and their families, and is a front runner for disability rights. EDF is a strong, united voice of persons with disabilities in Europe.
EDF firmly believes that each individual has the right to live in dignity and to be respected for the person he or she is. EDF considers that the transition from inadequate closed institutions to high quality community-based alternatives for everyone is the best way forward for a real inclusion of disabled people.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

ENIL/ECCL

ENIL

The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL) is a Europe-wide network of people with disabilities, with members throughout Europe. ENIL is a forum for all disabled people, Independent Living organisations and their non-disabled allies on the issues of Independent Living. ENIL represents the disability movement for human rights and social inclusion based on solidarity, peer support, deinstitutionalisation, democracy, self-representation, cross disability and self-determination.
ENIL’s mission is to advocate and lobby for Independent Living values, principles and practices, namely for barrier-free environment, provision of personal assistance support and adequate technical aids, together making full citizenship of disabled people possible.
ENIL is an NGO made up of individuals and organizations promoting equal opportunities and fighting against multiple discrimination of disabled people. All its members are to follow and support Independent Living values, principles and practices. ENIL addresses the under-representation of persons with extensive disabilities in European disability politics and social organizations as well as in mainstream society.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

  • Briefing on the use of European Structural and Investment Funds to support the transition from institutional care to community living for people with disabilities
  • Comparing the Cost of Independent Living and Residential Care (2014)
  • ‘Realising the right to Independent Living, Is the European Union competent to meet the challenges?’, ENIL-ECCL Shadow Report on the implementation of Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the European Union (2014)
  • Myth Buster on Independent Living (2014)

European Social Network (ESN)

esn_logo_2018_rgb

The European Social Network (ESN) is the independent European network for local public social services bringing together social services departments at national, regional, and local authorities with statutory duties for planning, managing, funding, delivering, and inspecting public social services. ESN members work with different population groups: children at risk of harm or neglect, adults with disabilities and mental health issues, homeless people and older people. ESN membership also includes wider associated agencies with responsibility for regulation and inspection, applied research and more recently care providers procured by public authorities to deliver care and support for different populations. ESN supports the development of effective social services and social care practice through the exchange of knowledge and expertise. ESN gathers its members with the aim to inform them about the latest European policy and practice trends, to learn from each other’s experience, so that with the knowledge gathered we can influence national and European policies. ESN is the eyes, ears, and voice of public social services in Europe.

Relevant activities and publications in relation with Community-based Care:

Eurochild

Eurochild

Eurochild advocates for children’s rights and well-being to be at the heart of policymaking.
We are a network of organisations working with and for children throughout Europe, striving for a society that respects the rights of children. We influence policies, build internal capacities, facilitate mutual learning and exchange practice and research. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is the foundation of all our work.
Together with Hope and Homes for Children, Eurochild runs the ‘Opening Doors for Europe’s Children’ campaign on ending institutional care for children and strengthening families.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

  • “Mapping institutional and residential care for children in Greece”
  • “Are European Structural and Investment Funds opening doors for Europe’s institutionalised children in the 2014-2020 programming period?”
  • “Deinstitutionalisation Myth Buster”
  • Deinstitutionalisation and Quality Alternative Care Working Paper – “Lessons learned and the way forward”

European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA)

FEANTSA_logo_Blue (2)FEANTSA is the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless. FEANTSA is the only European NGO focusing exclusively on the fight against homelessness. Its ultimate goal is an end to homelessness in Europe.
Established in 1989, FEANTSA brings together non-profit services that support homeless people in Europe. They have over 130 member organisations from 30 countries, including 28 Member States of the European Union. Most are national or regional federations.
FEANTSA works towards ending homelessness by:

  • Engaging in constant dialogue with the European institutions, national and regional governments to promote the development and implementation of effective measures to end homelessness
  • Conducting and disseminating research and data collection to promote a better understanding of the nature, extent, causes of, and solutions to, homelessness
  • Promoting and facilitating the exchange of information, experience and good practice between FEANTSA’s member organisations and relevant stakeholders with a view to improve policies and practices addressing homelessness
  • Raising public awareness about the complexity of homelessness and the multidimensional nature of the problems faced by homeless people.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

Inclusion Europe

IE_logo_originalInclusion Europe represents people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
We started in 1988 and now have over 70 member organisation in 39 European countries.
We fight for equal rights and full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in all aspects of life.

Relevant activities in relation with community-based Care:

Learn more about our work on deinstitutionalisation, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Lumos

Lumos

Named after the light-giving spell in the Harry Potter books, Lumos is an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation founded by author, J.K. Rowling to help countries reform their services for disadvantaged children, moving from systems based on residential institutions and orphanages to services that help families stay together in the community. Approximately 80% of the estimated eight million children living in “orphanages” or institutions and other out-of-family settings have families. Lumos’ mission is to end the use of orphanages and institutions for vulnerable children around the world by 2050, and draws on decades of scientific evidence showing that institutions have a negative impact on children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development. After a decade working with governments in Central and Eastern Europe, Lumos recently started work in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on Haiti – where more than 30,000 children, 80% of whom have families, now live in orphanages.

Since 2009, Lumos has:

  • Ensured that 17,047 children moved from harmful institutions to families, family-style settings or supported independent living;
  • Prevented 14,818 children from admission to harmful institutions;
  • Provided 1,418 interventions (since 2013) to help save the lives of children suffering from malnutrition, severe neglect, or a lack of access to medical treatment;
  • Trained more than 27,000 social workers, medical professionals, teachers, carers, civil servants, and policy makers;
  • Helped redirect more than €300 million that was planned to be spent between 2009 and 2014 on orphanages and institutions to community-based services; and, since the beginning of 2014, played a leading role in establishing mechanisms to regulate the use of many hundreds of millions more.

Relevant publications related to family- and community-based care:

Mental Health Europe (MHE)

MHE

Mental Health Europe is an umbrella organisation which represents associations, organisations and individuals active in the field of mental health and well-being in Europe, including (ex)users of mental health services, volunteers and professionals. As such, MHE bridges the gap between its 88 member organisations and the European institutions, and keeps its members informed and involved in any developments at European Union level.
MHE work takes different forms. As the main mental health organisation active in Brussels, MHE is committed to advocating for its cause, whether this takes the form of submitting amendments to legislation, consulting with the European Commission, forming alliances with other organisations or being part of expert groups. Mental health Europe also develops and coordinates its own projects , conducts and disseminates research. Working to inform the general public on the plight of people with mental health problems, Mental Health Europe also cooperates closely with the media, and is often featured in prominent media outlets in Brussels and beyond.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

UNICEF

Unicef

UNICEF is a leading development and humanitarian agency working globally for the rights of every child. Active in more than 190 countries and territories through the world, UNICEF upholds the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and work for fulfilling the Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals. Through the close collaboration with the national governments, civil society, individuals and the private sector, UNICEF promotes the wellbeing and expansion of opportunities of all children, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded.

UNICEF globally and in the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) Region promotes a protective and caring family environment around each and every child. Building its work on the strong evidence that a child deprived of a supportive family environment cannot develop and flourish to her or his full potential, UNICEF advocates for and supporters the governments in reforming child care and welfare systems. Supporting the paradigm shift from a heavy use of institutional care, to deinstitutionalization of children, currently UNICEF CEE/CIS assists countries in introducing effective and sustainable cross-sectoral strategies focusing on deinstitutionalizing the system, concentrating on preventive, family strengthening and support services. With the strong emphasis on children below three years of age and children with disabilities, UNICEF CEE/CIS enables the governments to create and implement policies providing social protection for the most vulnerable families and ending the placement of children in formal care.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

  • Children under the Age of three in Formal Care in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. A Rights-based Regional Situation analysis
  • Compendium of Promising Practices to ensure that Children under the Age of three Grow up in a Safe and Supportive Family Environment
  • Ending the Placement of Children under three in Institutions: Support Nurturing Families for all Young Children. Report from the International Ministerial Conference
  • At home or in a Home? Formal Care and Adoption of Children in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
  • Children in Institutions: The beginning of the end?

Associate members

European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR)

eprHS-jpegThe European Platform for Rehabilitation (EPR) is the network of service providers to people with disabilities committed to excellence and innovation through mutual learning. EPR activities go beyond traditional mutual learning exchanges. EPR members co-create and pilot innovative products, tools and methods to better meet the needs of clients, employers and funders. Professionals from EPR members gather to benchmark and analyse effectiveness in service provision over time; improving quality of services and quality of life for clients, as well as positively impacting their daily work experience.

EPR offers numerous opportunities to network with leading service providers from across Europe. EPR members are committed to high quality service delivery in the fields of vocational education and training, employment reintegration, medical rehabilitation and social care. Tailor-made activities are developed via individual consultations to determine their interests, needs and priorities and develop activities that are relevant for all in the network. In addition to the experienced secretariat, EPR initiatives are supported and facilitated by renowned experts in these fields. Through its public affairs activities, EPR enables service providers to contribute to the social and disability debate and to the strengthening of the social service sector. In addition, EPR facilitates access to EU funding through project development support, partner matching and training sessions.

Relevant activities in relation with Community-based Care:

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

FRA logoThe European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is the EU’s independent centre of fundamental rights expertise.The Agency assists EU institutions and EU Member States in understanding and tackling challenges to safeguard the fundamental rights of everyone in the EU through the collection and analysis of data in the EU. FRA also raises awareness of and promotes fundamental rights, and cooperates with diverse partners at national, international and EU levels.

FRA’s work on the rights of persons with disabilities is framed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities – the first core international human rights treaty acceded to by the EU. Through its research, cooperation and communication activities, FRA highlights obstacles to the fulfilment of human rights, promotes best practices and raises awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Relevant activities and publications, specifically with respect to independent living include: