From 2 to 4 December, the High School and the National Social Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with the National Agency for State Emergency Services and with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), conducted a professional development programme for social workers and local government officials.

The programme ‘Organisation of activities of mobile teams of social and psychological assistance to victims of domestic and/or gender-based violence’ aims to improve the quality of social services and ensure the smooth operation of specialised services.

The 18 participants from eight regions of Ukraine (Volyn, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Sumy and Ternopil) gained knowledge about the scope of gender-based violence, its forms and consequences, and mastered international standards and national response mechanisms.

The course included information on interagency cooperation, organisation of mobile teams, basics of social counselling, psycho-emotional support and methods of preventing professional burnout. The knowledge gained will help professionals respond more quickly to cases of violence and provide effective support to victims.

This initiative contributes to strengthening regional support in the fight against violence, improving community safety and strengthening national resilience.