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SoCiuS and socio-cultural adult work in Flanders

SoCiuS is an independent organisation that is subsidised by the minister for Culture to support the socio-cultural adult work sector. SoCiuS concluded a management agreement with the Flemish government for this. The current agreement runs from 2004 to 2009.

‘Socius’ means companion, a person who travels with us. As a support point, SoCiuS is the travelling companion for the sector and for those who work in it. SoCiuS does not want to be the guide who knows better than the other travellers but a companion searching for a path through its own expertise together with the socio-cultural workers and while searching discovers new things. SoCiuS does not want to go ahead and leave the other companions behind it. But neither does SoCiuS want to lag behind and miss the new opportunities that arise during the trip.

SoCiuS’ mission


SoCiuS, Steunpunt voor Sociaal-Cultureel Volwassenenwerk vzw [the Support point for Socio-Cultural Adult Work, registered charity], is an independent organisation that primarily targets certified and/or subsidised socio-cultural adult work in the framework of its management agreement with the Flemish government but also other organisations that apply the socio-cultural method.

The Support point realises its key tasks – practical support, practical development and communication by means of activities like guidance, promoting expertise and implementation of quality care, research and development, data collection, representation, international cooperation, information and promotion.
The Support point wants to carry out these key tasks in a professional way and in cooperation and continuous consultation with socio-cultural adult work and socio-cultural worker(s).

Through the realisation of this key task the Support point wants to contribute to a democratic society in which pluralism, cultural diversity, tolerance, respect, equal opportunities and solidarity are central values.

The Support point places a lot of importance on a constructive dialogue with the various governments, the support points from the socio-cultural work field, the other sectors in adult education, the minorities sector and the cell for Quality care Kwasimodo. The Support point particularly wants to have a good cooperation with the Federation of Organisations for Social development [Federatie van Organisaties voor Volksontwikkelingswerk], on the basis of respect for each person’s independence and own tasks.

What does SoCiuS do?


SoCiuS has three key tasks: practical support, practical development and communication.

1.    Practical support and training
The challenges facing socio-cultural adult work place considerable demands on the works of socio-cultural workers. Good work will succeed or fail through their professionalism. SoCiuS makes every effort to support organisations and training workers in their daily activities.
SoCiuS is developing numerous initiatives to increase the expertise of socio-cultural workers. The Support point offers a broad range of training, formation and education at www.bijleren.be and furthermore organises introduction courses for newcomers to the sector.
SoCiuS supports socio-cultural adult organisations in their work with target groups like senior citizens, people with disabilities and underprivileged groups. The Support point does this amongst others by searching for methods and techniques for working with these groups.
Socio-cultural organisations must provide quality work. Working with policy plans also encourages the sector to work according to the principles of integral quality care. Together with Kwasimodo SoCiuS guides the implementation of quality care in the sector. 
SoCiuS provides information about informal adult education in Europe and supports organisations in European projects and organises exchanges with other countries.

2.    Practical development
Standing still is the same as falling back. For that reason SoCius stimulates new initiatives, methods and ways of working and guides the various projects for renewal.
Every two years SoCiuS organises a Forum for socio-cultural adult work. In 2004 this Forum formed the basis of the projects ‘Citizenship’ and ‘Participation in associations’.
SoCiuS plays an active role in supporting the use and development of e-learning in the sector.
SoCiuS supports various professional associations. These groups consist of ‘colleagues’ from different organisations who work in similar activities and who want to renew their practice or at least improve it. They can inspire and advise each other in a professional association.

3.    Communication
SoCiuS makes every effort to offer socio-cultural workers information that may be important to their daily work. The Support point has numerous digital channels available for this, various publications and a documentation service.

Socio-cultural adult work in Flanders


Socio-cultural adult work is well developed in Flanders. The hundreds of organisations in the sector offer a broad range of activities that may be aimed at both recreational, creative, education and social activities. Reducing socio-cultural adult work to initiatives that fit neatly into one of these fields would be wrong however. Precisely the integration of training, animation, culture and social action is a specific feature of socio-cultural adult work.

Regardless of how diverse all these activities are, the many organisations in the sector all have two things in common. The marked commitment to a specific target group and/or theme and the significant voluntary involvement of the contributors, members and participants.

The daily effort by all these people results in a fleet of courses, walks and excursions, lectures, cultural events, meetings, exhibitions, exercises of skill, information campaigns, debates and discussion groups, etc. that keeps thousands of people active in Flanders each year.

Different types of work


The socio-cultural organisations that may rely on state subsidies in Flanders can be divided into four types of work: associations, Training plus-centres, national training institutions and movements.
 
1.    Associations
Socio-cultural associations are networks of local departments or groups. Usually volunteers ensure they run properly. They schedule and organise activities for members and other interested parties. Depending on the association these activities are general or aimed at a specific target group (immigrants, senior citizens, the disabled, etc.) or a specific theme (social tourism, environment, cultural experience, etc.). The 60 socio-cultural associations active in Flanders are of all shapes and sizes. Together they have almost 2 million members!

2.    Training plus-centres
The Training plus-centres or adult education centres are pluralistic organisations that each work in their own region. Amongst other things the centres organise short or longer courses for adults. Courses that do not result in diplomas. These often relate to social and cultural training. The range provided behind this name is extensive and very diverse. So the adult education centres offer something for everyone. In addition the Training plus centres fulfil an important coordinating role in their region with regard to informal education. From West Flanders to Limburg Flanders has 13 Training plus-centres.

3.    National training institutions
Besides the Training plus centres the national training institutions also offer a broad educational range to adults. They offer these throughout Flanders and distinguish themselves through their specialisation in specific target groups (people with a handicap, the unemployed, detained people, etc.) or a specific theme (art, nature and the environment, personality and relationships, etc.). Flanders has around 20 certified training institutions.

4.    Movements
Movements are organisations specialised in one or more themes. They organise activities concerned with information, education and social action with a view to social change. Movements want to “move” people over a wide range of themes: mobility, active citizenship, peace, fighting poverty, etc. Currently there are around 30 movements active throughout Flanders.


Be sure to take a look at these sites if you want to visit Flanders: www.flanders.be and www.visitflanders.be.

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