From 13 to 15 November, the High School and the National Social Service of Ukraine, together with the National Agency of Ukraine for Civil Service Administration, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), organised training for social workers and local government officials on the programme ‘Organisation of the activities of mobile teams of social and psychological assistance to victims of domestic and/or gender-based violence’. The event was attended by representatives of Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kyiv regions and the city of Kyiv.

The aim of the course was to improve the skills of professionals working with victims of violence. The programme provided participants with knowledge about the extent of gender-based violence, its forms and consequences. It also covered international standards and national mechanisms for combating this phenomenon, which is important for building an effective system of response and assistance at all levels.

Special attention was paid to the practical aspects of organising the activities of mobile teams. Participants gained skills in coordinating interagency cooperation at the local level, which is key to ensuring the smooth operation of specialised services. The course also included training in psycho-emotional training, the basics of social counselling and methods of preventing professional burnout, which contributes to the resilience and effectiveness of specialists.

The knowledge gained will help participants to better respond to incidents of violence, provide support to victims and strengthen community security, increasing overall national resilience.