We are pleased to share insights and updates on the DoCUp project, an initiative aimed at upskilling domestic care workers to promote resilient employment pathways. This 28-month project falls under the Erasmus+ programme and is coordinated by Folkuniversitetet in Uppsala, Sweden. The DoCUp consortium comprises five organisations dedicated to promoting education, training and innovative practices in care services, including Anziani e non solo (Italy), Promea (Greece), Infodef (Spain) and the University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz, Poland.
Our common mission is to improve the skills and prospects of domestic care workers, thereby supporting stable employment pathways in the care sector.
The most recent advances
During the last period, the partnership worked on the development of the final project outcome. This Outcome had the objective of developing a framework for social recognition and improving the employment conditions of domestic carers.
The overarching objective of this result was to establish institutional support for individuals engaged in the domestic care sector, providing them with the necessary resources to enhance working conditions, skills, and professional recognition. This initiative aimed to ensure safer working environments, upskilling opportunities, and acknowledgment of domestic care workers’ contributions.
Three different materials have been developed for this purpose: a Statement of Support, a Guide to Good Practice in Partnership Countries and a Position Paper.
- Statement of Support: A Statement of Support (SoS) was developed to outline the skills requirements for domestic care workers and to gain stakeholder endorsement of these requirements. This document served as a soft commitment from relevant stakeholders to advance the project’s goals and contribute to the social recognition of the DoCUp learning resources. The endorsement of the SoS marked the beginning of the integration of domestic care work into upskilling and formal pathways.
- Best practice guide: A best practice guide was produced to extend social security and protection to domestic care workers and other vulnerable groups. The guide addressed the barriers that prevent informal domestic care workers from accessing social security and insurance coverage. It incorporated lessons learned from national strategies across Europe and beyond, and aimed to provide meaningful support and information to overcome barriers and recognise workers’ rights.
- Position paper: In addition, a position paper was developed to propose policy changes regarding training development and employment conditions for domestic care workers and other vulnerable groups of workers. The paper was aimed at policy-makers, government bodies and relevant stakeholders involved in policy-making, with the aim of influencing training programmes and national strategies to improve the quality of care provision and the wellbeing and security of workers.
All these results are available on the project website. We invite you to explore them and to support the resources developed by the project by completing the Statement of Support form. In this way, you can help to ensure resilient employment pathways, to provide specialised and up-to-date training and to defend the rights of domestic workers.
What comes next?
The project is now entering its final stages, but there are still exciting updates to share. This coming month, multiplier events will be held in each partner country. These events will serve as a platform to showcase all the results developed by the project, highlight its key contents and encourage exchange and discussion among professionals of the sector.
The objectives of these one-day multiplier events are threefold:
- To highlight the importance of developing critical care, transversal and attitudinal skills and competences to improve the quality of care services in the home care sector. They also aim to improve the working conditions and job satisfaction of care workers, while increasing the attractiveness of a career in the sector.
- To demonstrate how DoCUp resources (courses & tools) can effectively address skills gaps, misconceptions and persistent stereotypes associated with domestic care work.
- To facilitate networking opportunities with stakeholders to promote the effective use of the project outcomes.
The national information days will primarily target potential learners (i.e. care workers currently employed and/or those seeking employment), adult education providers and employment intermediaries (recruitment agencies). They will also involve other stakeholders, including representatives of institutional bodies; professional and trade unions; education & training authorities; qualification agencies and a broader audience of potentially interested organizations such as public administrations, and institutes/centers working with disenfranchised groups of people.
We’re excited by the progress we’ve made so far, and even more so by the outcomes that will lead to the successful completion of this project. The role of domestic care workers is of paramount importance and securing a stable and resilient employment pathway is vital to the delivery of quality care services.
We sincerely appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm for the DoCUp project.
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