Project website: https://www.fsd.uni-lj.si/en/research_and_development/research-and-development/current_projects/2026042109361366/
Project type: market project
Code: C2611-26-110160
Beginning: 15.04.2026
End: 30.06.2029
Funding: Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities
Coordinator: Faculty of Social Work, University of Ljubljana
Leader: izr. prof. dr. Nina Mešl
Associates:
izr. prof. dr. Lea Šugman Bohinc
Other milestones:
First interim report 1. 10. 2026
Content milestones:
1st year of the project: forming an initial group of 16–20 professional workers who will actively participate in the process of learning, assisting, and supporting families in the community, and co-creating a model of mentoring groups to support professional workers in using modern concepts of social work with families in the community. Each mentoring group will be led by two researchers from the Faculty of Social Work. Mentoring meetings will take place approximately once a month for the duration of four school hours.
2nd year: participants from the first year of the project continue as co-mentors of small mentoring groups in pairs with a researcher from the Faculty of Social Work and train for independent group leadership. They will be joined by 64 new professional workers for assistance and support to families in the community and will have regular support from the mentoring group for using modern concepts of social work with families in the community. Mentoring meetings will take place approximately once a month, lasting four school hours.
3rd year: trained mentors independently lead mentoring groups at their CSD units and collaborate throughout the year with the Faculty of Social Work researchers who support them in leading the group. Mentoring meetings in support of mentors will take place approximately once a month at the Faculy of Social Work, lasting four school hours.
Keywords:
social work with families, complex problem situations, community, competences, mentoring support
Summary:
The project is designed to train social workers at social work centres (SWC) to implement new approaches when working with families in complex problem situations. It will take the form of reflective learning and support for SWC professionals in small mentoring groups (4–5 members), with the aim of deepening their knowledge for the early support and assistance of families in complex problem situations.
Within the framework of the training, we pursue two fundamental general learning objectives:
(1) to train CSD professional staff and strengthen their professional competencies for working with families in the community, based on contemporary concepts of social work;
(2) to develop a model of StD mentoring support in practice and to train mentors at the SWC (the so-called train-the-trainer approach) to lead mentoring groups as part of the implementation of new approaches to working with families in their homes, so that the child and family receive StD assistance and support as soon as they need it and for as long as they need it.
Other:
CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROFESSION AND SCIENCE:
The project will contribute to the development of the field of social work with families in complex problematic circumstances, to the development of a training model for professional workers for reflective use of knowledge in practice, and for the training of mentors at CSD (the so-called train-the-trainer approach) for leading mentoring groups.
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT:
- We will include one student to assist with the implementation of project activities (support with organizational and administrative tasks).
- Involvement of students in conducting smaller research projects as part of preparing their bachelor's and master's theses.